TikTok adds educational content to attract advertisers, users

Bytedance-owned short video platform TikTok has announced partnerships with educational technology companies for publishing personalised learning modules for users on the platform. 

TikTok has partnered with Vedantu, Vidya Guru, Hello English, CETKing and Testbook for content related to Social Sciences, English, Mathematics, Hindi, Biology, Chemistry and others. 

The platform, which claims to have 200 million users in India, will also be hosting short videos on current affairs, vocabulary and post-graduate programmes. 

“Collaborating with TikTok has supplemented our mission as it allows us to reach the farthest corners in India and share knowledge and information with users from tier-II and tier-III cities while making learning fun and engaging. Campaigns such as #EduTok equip us with additional tools to significantly increase the quality of learning experience and provide access to education across the country,” said Anand Prakash, co-founder of Vedantu, in a statement shared by the company. 

TikTok is primarily an entertainment app where users post short videos of songs, dance and other content. The platform has announced these partnerships as part of its #EduTok campaign. 

TikTok claims a majority of its users are based beyond tier-I cities and metros and two-thirds of the app’s users are under 30 years old. The company is trying to add diverse advertisers on the platform by attracting cooking, do-it-yourself or DIY, sports and other video content on the platform beyond the usual music and dance inspired videos.

“Digital evolution and the boom in smartphone adoption is redefining the learning patterns of the digital community at large. With these partnerships, we are building an education ecosystem that gives learners the opportunities to thrive in their respective careers and subjects and help solve their challenges with ease, while using a platform that they love,” said Sachin Sharma, director of sales and partnerships, TikTok India in the statement.

The company recently ran into legal trouble in India for hosting obscene content, which led to a temporary ban on the download of the app under the direction of the Madras High Court.