The reasons why Instagram and TikTok are increasingly influencing the visibility, awareness and development of businesses were analysed by Evgeny Kozlov, Regional Marketing Manager at Aleph, during his keynote speech entitled 'Winning the Feed: Instagram & TikTok as Growth Engines,' as part of the 23rd Marketing, Advertising, Media & Communication Conference.
As he mentioned, the presence of consumers on social media has now reached extremely high levels. According to data he presented, approximately 80% of the population in Cyprus has an account on some social networking platform, which makes social media an integral part of everyday life and business strategies.
Kozlov focused on how the two platforms’ algorithms work, explaining that while Instagram and TikTok may look similar on the surface, they evaluate content based on different criteria. For Instagram, watch time, Stories shares, originality of content, and overall audience engagement play important roles. He also noted that short videos, around 30 seconds long, typically perform better, as they align with the behavior of users who consume content at a fast pace.
Referring to TikTok, he underlined that the completion of a video is one of the most important indicators for the algorithm. When users watch most of a video, the platform perceives it as interesting content and promotes it to a wider audience. Also of decisive importance are shares, comments and the overall response of the first users who come into contact with the content.
He made particular reference to the importance of authenticity, emphasizing that users immediately perceive when content seems overly promotional. As he explained, platforms are increasingly favoring natural, spontaneous and “native” content, which is organically integrated into users’ feeds.
"People don't come to TikTok and Instagram to see ads. They come to see people, stories and content that they can share with their friends," he said.
He then presented examples of accounts with great impact, noting that creators and personalities dominate the lists of the most popular profiles, while brands rarely occupy corresponding positions. According to him, this element proves that success on the platforms depends primarily on creating content that users want to watch and share.
Kozlov also stressed that many businesses in Cyprus are still not fully utilizing TikTok’s potential, despite the fact that advertising activity on the platform has grown significantly over the past two years. As he noted, the local audience is already there and looking for content, creating significant opportunities for those companies that choose to invest in their presence early.
At the same time, he emphasised the importance of collaborating with creators, explaining that content creators offer businesses direct access to communities that have already built a relationship of trust with them. Through these partnerships, brands can enhance their visibility and gain greater credibility in the eyes of consumers.
In closing, he stated that success in social media requires a deep understanding of audience behavior, adaptation to the mechanisms of the platforms, and continuous production of content that seems authentic, useful, and relevant to users' everyday lives.
The 23rd Marketing, Advertising, Media & Communication Conference brought together top industry executives, presenting the trends and practices that are shaping the future of communication, advertising and modern marketing.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
