At a glance:
- New creator monetization tools like paid subscriptions and enhanced rewards
- AI-powered content insights and visibility boosting
- Expanded learning resources via the Creator Academy
- Shopping features like LA live studios and identifying similar products
TikTok has rolled out several new updates this month aimed at empowering creators with better analytics, monetization opportunities, shopping features and educational resources.
These updates include the new AI-powered Creator Search Insights for optimizing content discoverability. There is also an overhauled rewards program, paid subscription options with exclusive perks and private chat spaces for subscriber connections.
Visibility boost for horizontal videos is being rolled out worldwide and a comprehensive learning hub has been launched.
What’s New on TikTok?
Here’s a detailed look into TikTok’s new features:
1. Creator Search Insights
TikTok is introducing a new AI-powered Creator Search Insights tool that provides granular analytics on how users discover your content through search. The tool surfaces data on:
- Top search queries that drive traffic to your profile/videos
- Trending hashtags associated with views on your content
- Related videos/accounts that lead users to your content
With these insights, you can optimize your content strategy for better discoverability. Identify high-value keywords, topics, and hashtags to incorporate into video titles, descriptions and content.
See what related content complements yours to guide collaboration opportunities. The goal is to help you create more searchable, discoverable content that elevates your presence on TikTok.
2. Enhanced Creator Rewards Program
TikTok has revamped its Rewards program with a new optimized formula to equitably reward creativity and incentivize even higher quality content.
Long-form videos over 1 minute in length will now be evaluated holistically based on key factors like originality, visual storytelling capabilities, audience retention metrics, demonstrated unique perspectives, and search relevance.
To qualify for the lucrative rewards, you must be at least 18 years old and have an account in good standing with a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views across any 30 days. Adherence to community guidelines is also a must.
3. New Subscription Offering
TikTok is now expanding paid subscription opportunities to help you build an exclusive curated experience and deeper connections with your most dedicated followers.
You will now be able to set up a monthly recurring subscription on your profile. Fans who subscribe will gain access to a deluxe bundle of premium perks and membership benefits.
These include Subscriber-only bonus clips, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, custom badges and emoji utilities during live streams.
The Subscription is currently in an invite-only rollout phase. To get started, navigate to the “Monetization” hub within your Creator Tools and follow the prompts to enroll for consideration once it becomes wider available.
4. “Sub Space” Private Live Chats
TikTok’s new “Sub Space” unlocks a powerful way for creators to build deeper relationships with their most dedicated fans during live streams. Once you enable paid subscriptions, you’ll gain the ability to create a separate VIP chat experience exclusively for your subscribing members.
When going live, a “Sub Space” option will appear allowing you to launch a private chat room cordoned off from your main viewer chat. Only users who have an active paid subscription to your channel will be able to join and participate in these VIP discussions.
This separates the subscriber conversation from the potential noise and chaos of your main public live chat. “Sub Space” provides a focused, quieter environment for you to directly engage with your biggest supporters through real-time text interactions.
5. Horizontal Video Boosting
Following successful live testing, TikTok is now fully launching an initiative to actively boost the reach of horizontal/landscape videos longer than 1 minute upon their debut.
For the first 72 hours after you post an eligible horizontal clip over 60 seconds in length, the platform will leverage its powerful recommendation engine to increase its visibility and expose it to untapped audience segments across TikTok.
To qualify, your account must be at least 3 months old and have an established track record of sharing original, unique content that adheres to all Community Guidelines. Videos containing paid advertising or direct politically-aligned messaging are not eligible for this promotional boost.
6. Creator Academy Learning Hub
To empower creators at every experience level, TikTok is launching the Creator Academy. This is an extensive, multimedia learning hub jam-packed with expert-guided courses, growth strategies, technical how-to’s and more.
Through these resources, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of content creation principles, audience development tactics, advanced platform mechanics, monetization programs and more.
Image: Appdrum.com
7. Identify Similar Products
TikTok has added a new “Identify Similar Products” toggle that creators can enable when posting videos featuring product reviews, tutorials, hauls or showcases. With this setting on, your viewers will be prompted with visually similar product recommendations that link directly to the TikTok Shop for seamless purchasing.
This feature aims to maximize your videos’ revenue generation capabilities by converting engaged viewers into buyers for both featured items as well as related goods they may be interested in.
Source: Lindsey Gamble
8. Live Shopping Studios
TikTok is going all-in on the booming live-stream shopping trend by launching a series of dedicated studio facilities in Los Angeles.
These spaces will provide creators with professional broadcast environments to showcase and review products akin to traditional TV shopping networks like QVC and HSN.
The live shopping studios are modeled after the successful concept pioneered by TikTok’s sister app Douyin in China, where live-stream e-commerce has taken off massively.
Each LA facility will house multiple individual streaming rooms to accommodate dozens of creators per day.
As an influencer creator, you’ll be able to book one of these studio spaces to film engaging live product streams from a professional setting optimized for high-quality video output. Instead of streaming from your home, you’ll enjoy access to proper staging areas, lighting rigs, backdrops and other production utilities.
Reported Bugs After Update
- App freezing and black screens: Some users experience extended loading times or freezing, resulting in black screens when trying to watch videos.
- Overly sensitive comment filtering: A few users have faced bans for “spam and deceptive behavior” without actual violations. Most users feel normal conversations are too heavily policed through automatic monitoring of comments.
- In-app messaging delays: Direct messages fail to load or display for some users, preventing communication through the app.
