Ranking of Russian-Speaking TikTok Bloggers in 2021
TikTok’s Growing Influence in Russia: Top Bloggers and Audience Insights
TikTok continues to gain momentum and captivate the Russian audience. As of the end of 2020, this social networking service secured a prominent position among the top social networks in Russia, boasting an audience of 29.3 million users. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, its user base had further expanded to reach 36.6 million users, according to Mediascope. However, TikTok still falls behind YouTube in terms of the average time users spend on the platform.
With its remarkable growth, it’s no surprise that brands are eager to establish a presence on TikTok. Nevertheless, garnering recommendations and visibility on the platform can be a challenging task. This is where collaborations with bloggers can prove invaluable in achieving your marketing objectives.
Understanding the TikTok Audience in Russia To appreciate the significance of TikTok, it’s important to examine its audience. The analysis reveals that TikTok’s user base in Russia has doubled within a year (from March 2020 to March 2021). Over 12 million Russians engage with TikTok on a daily basis, spending an average of 33 minutes per day on the platform.
Notably, only a fifth of the active audience actively creates content, while the majority prefer to watch, like, and comment. The dominant user demographic consists of middle to upper middle-class females aged between 12 and 34. Brands are particularly interested in TikTok due to the fact that Generation Z is shifting their attention away from more “mature” social media platforms like Facebook, instead dedicating more time to consuming and creating entertaining and creative content on TikTok.
Leading TikTok Bloggers in Russia
Kirill Kolesnikov currently reigns as the most followed Russian-language TikTok blogger. With an incredible growth rate, his channel has amassed 21.4 million followers in just four months. Kirill, a former sportsman and parkour world champion, showcases pranks intertwined with acrobatic elements, captivating his audience with his unique content.
TikTok Blogger Ranking Based on Engagement
Leading the pack in the engagement category is Valya Karnaval, a multi-talented singer, actress, and popular blogger. She has skyrocketed up the rankings, climbing eight positions since the last rating. Valya’s success can be attributed to her captivating vacation videos and a scandalous YouTube show with Larisa Dolina, which generated significant buzz on social and mainstream media. Notably, Valya Karnaval boasts one of the largest followings in the Russian-language segment of TikTok, with 14.4 million devoted followers.
Claiming the second spot is i_am_doshik, a Kazakh blogger who has ascended from the fifth position since January 2021. This talented content creator has garnered attention with her remarkable mimes and creative visuals. Not only has she grown her audience during this time, but her engagement has also flourished, accumulating an additional 10 million comments, likes, and reposts in April alone. As a result, i_am_doshik has received a remarkable 52 million reactions, securing the second position overall.
Maintaining her ranking since January, Yulya Gavrilina holds the third place. Her April performance amassed 52 million reactions, suggesting that her recent trip to the seaside contributed to her success. Yulya spent her vacation together with Valya Karnaval, and their joint videos from the southern getaway have resonated strongly with their followers.
Making a significant jump of 18 positions is the TikTok house from Kazakhstan known as YOLO HOUSE, securing the fourth place. Their engagement has more than doubled, accumulating an impressive 51 million reactions.
Lastly, Veronika, a member of the Hype House Rus, clinches the fifth place with 46 million reactions. It appears that Veronika took note of our January study and leveraged the secrets of popularity mentioned in the previous ranking. Her efforts have paid off, propelling her into the top five, despite being far from it in terms of engagement back in March.
Unraveling the Intriguing Nature of Modern TikTok
Influencers continue to ignite trends fervently, catapulting Soviet songs to viral fame, endorsing new masks, and even utilizing hibiscus tea to dye Easter eggs, captivating the entire Russian-speaking TikTok community.
Take, for instance, the search for the most symmetrical user in April. Videos tagged with #инверсиячеллендж (#inversionchallenge) garnered over 345 million views, while videos tagged with #дутыегубки (#purseyourlips) turned even documentary films into hilarious spectacles, accumulating 65 million views within a few weeks.
However, trends are not solely for entertainment purposes. There are already thousands of user videos tagged with #учисьвтикток (#learnintiktok), where people share life hacks, explain the laws of physics through dance, or offer quick multiplication tips for multi-digit numbers. The science trend has been spearheaded by scientist and TV presenter Nikolay Drozdov, amassing over 761 million views.
Amid the popularity of such trends, advertising integrations have also gained substantial traction. Videos tagged with #ПлатиБраслетом (#payband) featuring MasterCard and Xiaomi have garnered 331 million views, with numerous user videos participating in the contest. This surpasses the reach of almost all non-profit challenges.
That being said, users have become more discerning, resulting in a more measured response, turning likes and comments into a valuable currency. Overall engagement decreased in April, with the top 30 bloggers’ accounts accumulating a total of 910 million reactions, compared to 988 million in January. This trend is further reflected in the performance of rating leaders, as the most engaging account received 108 million comments, likes, and reposts, whereas in April, the highest result was 61 million reactions.
An analysis of the Top 100 accounts on Russian-language TikTok reveals that the most popular bloggers do not confine themselves to a single genre. Only a few authors focus on one type of content. Nearly every blogger possesses a versatile toolkit, which consistently yields high engagement. For instance, collaborating with a favorite blogger or creating response videos has proven to be effective, with some duos outshining the original content. Hence, an essential repertoire for a TikToker includes challenges, lip-syncing, humorous videos, and engaging duets.