Journal Article

Tiktok as a Tool for Audience Engagement: An Analysis of Kosovo’s National Tv Broadcasters

Bajrami, Demush, Mehmeti, Hyrije

2025

Overview

With the rapid development of technology, social media platforms have become increasingly important to everyday communication, especially among younger audiences. TikTok, a mobile-first social network known for its short-form video content and high user interactivity, has emerged as one of the most popular platforms globally. In response to these changes, and in an effort to remain relevant and expand their audience, traditional media, particularly television, have begun integrating TikTok into their content distribution strategies. This involves both republishing content previously broadcast on television and creating new material specifically tailored to the platform’s style.To examine this adaptation, the paper analyzes the strategic use of TikTok by Kosovo’s national television broadcasters, RTK, RTV21 and KTV, during the first half of 2024 (January 1 – June 30). With a combination of quantitative and qualitative content analysis, it presents the type and function of published content (informative or entertaining), production quality (professional or amateur), as well as levels of audience engagement (likes, shares, comments, views). The findings show distinct platform strategies: RTK dominates in terms of quantity but shows limited interaction with its audience; RTV21 adopts a more technically consistent but less frequent approach; and KTV, though least active, demonstrates a stronger alignment with the dynamics of this platform.The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for broadcasters to improve engagement and strengthen their integration into this worldwide known platform.

• Publisher: De Gruyter Brill Sp. z o.o., Paradigm Publishing Services
• Subject: Audiences / Social networks