TikTok is Testing 'TikTok Stories' as it Looks to Expand Creative Options in the App
A new article on Social Media Today reports that Instagram has them, as does Facebook, as well as YouTube, LinkedIn and Snapchat, while Twitter just got rid of their version. And now, TikTok is also getting involved. The platform just started testing TikTok stories.
As the above shows, TikTok Stories will disappear after 24 hours and would be displayed in a collapsible left-hand side panel in the main feed of the app. Users would then be able to tap into Stories from people and profiles that they follow, and tap through the Stories frames, indicated by the gray bars along the bottom of the Story display.
TikTok Stories will come with a dedicated camera and creation flow, which, again, will appear at the left of the main screen, making it easy to both find and create Stories, which can then be shared in the app. Short video provides fewer monetization opportunities because you can't squeeze in pre or mid-roll ads like you can on Facebook and YouTube. There are also fewer spaces for effective ad placement within the main TikTok feed, other than inserting promotions between user clips, which limits TikTok's revenue potential - which is why, at this stage of growth, TikTok is now looking to expand its content horizons with a view to both maximizing engagement and facilitating more ad space.
A TikTok spokesperson provided this statement on the Stories test to Social Media Today:
We don't yet know how big this experiment is or which users or regions will be able to access it.
As the above shows, TikTok Stories will disappear after 24 hours and would be displayed in a collapsible left-hand side panel in the main feed of the app. Users would then be able to tap into Stories from people and profiles that they follow, and tap through the Stories frames, indicated by the gray bars along the bottom of the Story display.
TikTok Stories will come with a dedicated camera and creation flow, which, again, will appear at the left of the main screen, making it easy to both find and create Stories, which can then be shared in the app. Short video provides fewer monetization opportunities because you can't squeeze in pre or mid-roll ads like you can on Facebook and YouTube. There are also fewer spaces for effective ad placement within the main TikTok feed, other than inserting promotions between user clips, which limits TikTok's revenue potential - which is why, at this stage of growth, TikTok is now looking to expand its content horizons with a view to both maximizing engagement and facilitating more ad space.
A TikTok spokesperson provided this statement on the Stories test to Social Media Today:
| "We're always thinking about new ways to bring value to our community and enrich the TikTok experience. Currently, we're experimenting with ways to give creators additional formats to bring their creative ideas to life for the TikTok community." |
