How Much Content Does TikTok Generate in Just One Day? A Cornell Study Breaks It Down

TikTok is a global powerhouse, influencing everything from entertainment to politics. But how much content is really being posted each day on this massive platform? A new study by Cornell University sheds light on TikTok’s scale, providing marketers with vital insights into the platform’s activity, engagement patterns, and user behavior.

Cornell’s study provides a detailed look at TikTok’s content output, offering a snapshot of the platform’s activity on a typical day. Through a novel method of collecting data—reverse-engineering TikTok’s unique video IDs—the researchers were able to gather over 99% of posts during a specific hour, resulting in over 5 million videos.

This approach provided the most comprehensive insight into TikTok content ever produced.

The Scale of TikTok: A Staggering 117 Million Posts Per Day

Based on the data collected, the study estimates that 117 million videos are posted on TikTok in just 24 hours. That’s a staggering volume of content produced on a platform that has become central to daily life for millions of users worldwide. To put this into perspective, TikTok is generating over 4.8 million posts per hour, showing the immense scale of content being shared at any given moment.

Engagement Metrics: What Marketers Should Know

Understanding engagement is just as important as knowing the volume of content being created. The study found that, on average:

• 177.9 likes per video
• 14.1 shares per video
• 4.92 comments per video
• 2,533 views per video

This shows that while TikTok’s content volume is impressive, engagement remains substantial as well. However, it’s important to note that likes, comments, and shares follow a typical exponential distribution, meaning that most videos receive a modest amount of interaction, while a few go viral, receiving millions of views and engagement.

The Global Reach of TikTok Content

The study also uncovered fascinating insights about TikTok’s global usage. TikTok is hugely popular across the world, with a particularly high rate of engagement in countries like the United States, Brazil, and the UAE. However, regions like China, India, and Russia have lower levels of TikTok activity, particularly following national bans or censorship.

Marketers should consider these regional differences when planning campaigns and targeting specific geographies. Understanding where content originates and when it is posted can help tailor TikTok strategies for different cultural contexts.

Content Categories: What’s Trending on TikTok?

To better understand the types of content dominating TikTok, the study analyzed video topics. The largest category included videos of people talking directly to the camera, followed by videos related to:

• Sports
• Lifestyle
• Transportation
• Everyday activities

More niche topics also appeared, such as political commentary or military content, though they made up a very small percentage of the total posts. For marketers, this means TikTok offers opportunities for both broad, lifestyle-related content as well as more specialized, niche campaigns.

The Role of Children in TikTok Content

One of the most important findings in the study was the prevalence of children in TikTok videos. The researchers found that 18.13% of videos featured children. This statistic is crucial for marketers and advertisers who target or create content for younger audiences. The study highlights the platform's growing popularity among children and teenagers, but also raises important questions about safety and ethics in children's content on TikTok.

The findings indicate that children feature heavily in a broad array of videos, ranging from family vlogs to viral dance challenges, signaling the importance of considering child-friendly content policies in campaigns targeting younger users.

Commenting Behavior: Understanding User Interaction

In terms of comment engagement, the study found that:

• The median number of comments per video was zero, but the mean was 4.92.

• A notable number of comments were made with emoji-only responses, which could indicate inauthentic engagement or bot activity.

This information is valuable for marketers because it shows how viewers engage with content and highlights the importance of authentic comment engagement when measuring success on TikTok.

The Impact of Automated Activity and Bots

The study also touched on inauthentic engagement, revealing that TikTok faces challenges with bot activity and automated content. The data showed that certain accounts posted an unusually high number of videos, while a significant number of comments were made with emojis alone. This raises concerns for marketers about the quality and authenticity of engagement metrics.

Marketers should consider these findings when measuring TikTok campaign performance, ensuring that engagement rates are not skewed by automated or bot-driven activities.

What Marketers Can Learn from Cornell’s TikTok Study

Cornell’s study provides invaluable insights into the scale, engagement, and content dynamics of TikTok. From the staggering volume of content generated daily to the types of videos that dominate the platform, this research equips marketers with a clearer picture of TikTok’s ecosystem.

Here’s what marketers should take away:

• TikTok generates over 117 million videos daily, making it a powerhouse of content creation.
• Engagement metrics such as views, likes, and comments remain high, but marketers should be cautious about inauthentic engagement, particularly from bots or emoji-only comments.
• Regional differences play a significant role in TikTok's popularity and usage, highlighting the need for targeted strategies.
• Child content is prevalent on TikTok, which may require additional considerations regarding safety and ethics.
• Automated activity on the platform suggests that engagement metrics should be carefully evaluated for authenticity.

By understanding TikTok’s content dynamics, marketers can better tailor their strategies to maximize engagement and effectiveness on the platform.

About the Author

Kalin Anastasov

Writer

Kalin Anastasov plays a pivotal role as an content manager and editor at Influencer Marketing Hub. He expertly applies his SEO and content writing experience to enhance each piece, ensuring it aligns with our guidelines and delivers unmatched quality to our readers.