Amélie Ebongué is a social media content strategy consultant, teacher, speaker, and author. She began her professional career in a design office, then moved on to communications consulting agencies, before developing her expertise as a freelancer. She is passionate about her work, drawn to the digital world, its developments, and its uses among online audiences.
You have just published a book on the social network TikTok. Can you tell us more about it?
TikTok is a video social network that is shaking up the rules of global creation. TikTok brings together all the codes specific to Gen Z: entertainment, a sense of the ephemeral, verticality, and community. It offers its users unlimited creative possibilities where everyone can be a creator. The mobile app focuses on the authenticity of its creators, the virality of the creations that can be found on the platform, but above all on the quality of the content. It is a veritable pop culture factory, and its growth in the face of the digital giants has been much talked about, particularly during the lockdown experienced by nearly a third of the world's population at the end of March 2020.
You have chosen to make it available in several African countries. Why?
The Hachette group, which publishes my book, chose to make it accessible to as many people as possible. As a result, the distribution network now extends from Europe to the Middle East and Africa, including countries such as Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Guinea.
What does TikTok represent on the African continent? More specifically in French-speaking Africa?
TikTok occupies an important place in the African digital landscape. This can be seen in the amplification and virality of certain videos. This success can also be explained by the explosion of humorous content creators. They have a space on mobile devices where they can express themselves authentically, without limits on perception, technical constraints, or even time, since as of summer 2021, videos can be up to 3 minutes long.
How can TikTok be a lever for brands that want to grow on the continent?
There are several alternatives for generating revenue from your content on TikTok. Brands are the main driver of revenue generation, as they are interested in your value and the collaboration you can establish together. To do this, you need to come up with a coherent strategy that is in line with your values, the brand's voice, and the authenticity of your creation. It is always important to be yourself in the partnership that will be established. Everyone has the opportunity to create value on TikTok, provided they have editorial accuracy.
What opportunities are there for African content creators?
On TikTok, like nowhere else, there is a world of possibilities when it comes to creation. There are still many topics that are not covered, such as transportation, finance, history, and the environment. What is most important is to provide them with the best tools to support their creation. It was important to me to have this book distributed across the African continent, and this was a shared desire with my publisher. Honestly, when you see the wealth of creators in certain African countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, and Kenya, it deserved to be distributed in these markets. I personally wanted to provide a map of TikTok to anyone who is interested in it, and African content creators are more than brilliant in this regard. A shout-out to @bongadou, @mayole_francine, @tikdengue, @spicysuya.boyz, and many others who deserve to be recognized by TikTok and beyond!