Toutiao: Bytedance’s 'secret sauce' and the future of publishing

Toutiao users clock in an astounding 73.4 minutes per day, and 85% are below 35, a typically news-avoiding demographic

China’s Bytedance is best known in the West for its hyper-engaging video platform TikTok. But the social media giant’s first major creation – the news aggregator Toutiao, or ‘headlines’ in Chinese – may be even more relevant to the future of publishing. 

While most media struggle to keep audiences engaged for more than a dozen minutes daily, Toutiao users clock in an astounding 73.4 minutes per day, according to a 2020 survey. Perhaps even more impressive, 85% of users are below 35, a typically news-avoiding demographic in many countries.

Click here to read more.