The appeal of social media just got better with TikTok. The social network application is a powerful visual and audio content creation tool that has made a huge impact on the music and entertainment industry worldwide. It also amassed about 500 million active users 2 years after its launch, some of which are content creators trying to get TikTok followers to expand their audience base.
To facilitate music-video creation, content sharing, and improve engagement, the fast-rising social media star has introduced several innovative features that enhance user experience on its platform. And this comes as no surprise to many that are familiar with its parent company, ByteDance, a leading tech company that leverages the functionality of AI in connecting people with the use of information.
ByteDance is popularly described as an AI powerhouse, so the innovative features and products are exceptionally admirable.
That said, here are the most innovative things TikTok has in-store that makes it the most valuable startup in the world as its users continue to grow exponentially.
1. E-commerce in TikTok
Research has shown that many brands have been discovered through TikTok, and this has led to an increase in the sales of their products. Brands have now reached out to content creators to advertise their products to improve their online awareness and improve sales. There is also a trending hashtag on this platform, #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, which has appeared over six billion times on this platform. The hashtag includes review content from TikTokers who purchased a product they found resourceful on this platform.
To make it easier for interested buyers to purchase a product they discovered through TikTok, the platform has plans to include a feature that’ll make it possible to include a link to the seller’s website. With this link, users can visit the landing page of the product and will only be redirected out of TikTok when they decide to make payments.
TikTok is also thinking bigger. It is partnering with some of the top e-commerce companies in the world, including Square, Shopify, Wix, and Ecwid, giving them the opportunity to have their product catalog displayed on its platform.
2. Promoting Content Creators
TikTok has launched a marketplace for creators where brands connect with some of their favorite TikTokers for business collaboration. The platform allows brands to hire the services of famous TikTokers that will most likely increase the awareness of their brand and boost sales. TikTok also features a threshold that content creators are expected to surpass that qualifies them to be a part of this marketplace.
To connect with their potential ambassadors, brands have the option to explore various profiles using the smart search feature. Brands can find content creators based on the type of content they produce, their location, and their average views per post, amongst others.
The marketplace doesn’t leave the pairing to the brands alone. Creators can also submit a request for collaboration to brands based on the briefs they send out.
3. LIVE Gifting
Now, here’s a feature many users have no idea about, LIVE gifting. Content creators get rewarded with Diamonds based on their popularity. What are Diamonds on TikTok? Well, Diamonds are TikTok’s way to help creators monetize their content. Creators earn these Diamonds when they receive gifts from followers during a live stream. These Diamonds can then be exchanged for funds and creators can transfer these funds to a payment method. Creators can see their exchange value in Settings when they click on the balance tab.
4. New and Improved Content Creation Tool
TikTok features an Artificial Intelligence-based tool that streamlines the content creation process known as Dynamic Scene. With this tool, creators can insert a product they’ve previously created – photos and videos and have it automatically adjusted.
Unlike other video-sharing platforms with limited resources that creators can use to curate content to their taste, TikTok offers a wide range of features. The company has invested greatly in its research on computer vision and virtual reality, which has helped them include useful content-creating features. Content creators can film, cut/paste clips, add filters, leverage sophisticated AR, and overlay audio to create their masterpiece.
It doesn’t stop there, TikTok also features a video editor that allows brands to use their computers to create ticketing-adapted content. The video editing tool is easy to use, making it possible for brands to create content as easily as possible. In the video editor, you’ll find a music library and commercially licensed fonts and images.
5. Algorithm-Refined For You Page
With the use of the ByteDance patented algorithm, new users have their For You Page refined. The algorithm system automatically ingests the faces, length, topic, content, etc of every video a user interacts with. This way, users can always see contents they’re most interested in every time they visit their For You Page to improve their engagement on this platform.
