What US adults use TikTok for – and who they follow [REPORT]

It’s no secret that TikTok is a huge platform for brands, especially those partnering with influencers to reach and engage audiences. But to get the most out of those partnerships, it’s important to understand how users interact with the app and who they’re following.

Pew Research Center recently released a report on how U.S. adults use TikTok, offering key insights into who they follow and why.

Collectively, the users analyzed in the study follow nearly a quarter-million unique accounts. The median user follows 144 accounts, though this number varies: 10% of users follow fewer than five accounts, while another 10% follow over a thousand. 

Let’s dive into the key findings:

What types of accounts do US adults follow on TikTok?

Nearly half (46%) of users follow creators with 5,000 to 1 million followers. These accounts have built up a larger audience but are not publicly prominent outside their social media niche.

Small accounts with fewer than 5,000 followers comprise a significant portion (38%) of those followed by US adults. These smaller accounts are primarily maintained by individuals as personal profiles and are especially popular among older TikTok users. While only 15% of the accounts followed by 18 to 34-year-olds have fewer than 5,000 followers, this figure climbs to around 30% for users aged 35 and older.

Only 12% of the accounts followed belong to prominent organizations, celebrities with over a million followers or individuals with significant public prominence beyond social media.

What do the accounts followed by US adults post about?

59% of the accounts followed by US adult TikTok users share entertainment and pop culture-related content. Other popular topics include humor, personal vlogs, and viral music or dance clips, with each content type appearing in about 35% of all the accounts analyzed.

Posting about news and politics is relatively rare, with just 10% of followed accounts observed posting about politics during the study period. Only 5% posted content directly related to news or current events.

The most popular accounts rarely post about news and politics. Only 9% of accounts with between 500k to 1 million followers post about politics or current events; this drops to 7% for accounts with over 1 million followers.  

The minority of accounts that discuss news or politics often mix these topics with lighter content, blending current events with more entertainment-focused posts.

Younger adults follow more and larger accounts

Around 20% of the average adult’s following list comprises social media influencers with over 1 million followers, while approximately 25% are smaller, personal accounts with fewer than 5,000 followers.

On average, TikTok users aged 18 to 34 follow more than three times as many accounts as users aged 50 and older. They also follow a larger number of popular accounts with over 1 million followers.

Influencers & internet celebrities dominate top 100 accounts

Influencers and celebrities feature even more prominently in the top 100 accounts followed by the largest share of US adults. Of these, 70 are internet celebrities or influencers who gained fame through social media, while 25 are traditional celebrity stars like Will Smith, Kevin Hart, and Gordon Ramsay. Only two news organizations —ESPN and The Daily Show—appear in the top 100.

My take

While there’s nothing groundbreaking in this study, it serves as a timely reminder of what really works on TikTok. Whether you’re managing influencer partnerships or building content strategies for your brand, these findings reinforce the importance of understanding that TikTok is a platform for entertainment.

Leave politics and overly polished corporate content at the door. Most US adult users prefer fun, relatable content that aligns with TikTok’s entertainment-focused vibe - and they follow the accounts that deliver just that.

When considering influencer partnerships, your best bet is to collaborate with influencers who produce lighthearted and entertaining content. Whether humor, trending pop culture references, vlogs, or dance videos, users are more likely to engage when the content is fun, entertaining, and relevant.

Don’t hesitate to incorporate promotional content either—46% of the most-followed accounts do. The key is in the delivery; promotional content is most effective when seamlessly integrated into entertaining or relatable posts. As always, maintaining authenticity is essential.

That’s a wrap for this week! Let’s keep the conversation going. Share your thoughts on and connect with others in the community below 👇 👇 👇

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