TikTok to expand new business branches
TikTok, a LinkedIn competitor?
The network that everyone talks about, is getting a new haircut. Actually, new implants of hair so to speak. In deed, the famous short-video entertaining company is developping new tools in order to its user to find a job. Directly in competition with LinkedIn, how could this new branche look like? The idea is to create a webpage that you can access through TikTok, where you will find the different offers.
How will you be able to apply? Well, through the very principle of the app : video. You will have to record a “video CV”, which you will eventually be able to display on your TikTok account. The latter will be optional of course, only if you want to promote this new service or not. That being said, you can already find those kind of video on the app : people showing their daily routine, their skills or their job. Either way, this update will surely bring more traffic to the app, a younger audience looking for beginner jobs. Let’s juste hope that TikTok secures the different job posts and ensure to authenticate each recruiter.
The first steps of E-commerce on TikTok
Let’s talk about e-commerce now, a sector roughly installed nowadays. We saw Facebook and Instagram inaugurating their marketplace, which draw the first steps of social media into this sector. The thing is that in Asia, e-commerce is way more developed and number of social media are based on that, like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). the thing is that TikTok is precisely owned by ByteDance, which is a Chinese company. In that regard, of course you will want to develop an e-commerce branch of the app.
The recent agreement between the application and Shopify explains itself: a business oriented aspect shows its face, bigger than ad targeting. This functionality is being tested right now in UK and Europe, so we will surely find out soon what it is about.
Moreover, advertisements diversification are expanding with new formats, and that is another thing that will bring announcers to the platform. TikTok is already like any other social media app, soon we will find out to what extent company can get money from it.
A business friendly app
We talked about companies, well TikTok is warmly welcoming them. Indeed, the platform launched brand new tools to manage the different posts. One of them is a video editor, a smart software that will help brands to advertise correctly on this social network. It can unlock native content from TikTok, like popular music, typo or colors matching with its environnement. Brands can add custom subtitles, cut scenes and many other things.
The other tool is a platform that helps to create new content, called Business Creative Hub. This free extension, usable by TikTok Business users, offers the current trends, best practices and gives advice about advertising on the app. There is also tab with specific indications for video, with three feeds : Trending Business, Engaging Business and Trending Community, each one translating a special advertising goal. With such range of tools, companies in the Occident will quickly master the art of digital communication just like those in Asia.
The ongoing issues of an ambitious network
Although TikTok provides many tools that will help the platform grow, we can observe many drawbacks due to the immense userbase (around 689 million active users). Along with many pedophilia reports, TikTok UK recently dealt with accusation saying that ByteDance was collecting information on children on the platform and selling it to third party entities. If the app itself is making money over the youngest, what to do then? A true problem, as data privacy is an important matter nowadays. A matter that TikTok Italy took in its responsibility, as the local branch took down half a million accounts, as their users didn’t respected the age minimum of 13 years old. We would like to see some more of this policy for the app in other countries. Data issues shouldn’t rely on the local policy, other wise you always end up in an unbalanced situation.
What to retain?
Anyway, TikTok seems to possess all the tools to please both brands and users, but also any deviant behavior. The total success of the app is now resolving in its capacity to implement maximum data security and protection, especially for the youngest users.
References:
Al-Heeti A., April 21st, 2021, “TikTok hit with child privacy lawsuit“, cnet.com
Al-Heeti A., May 11th, 2021, “TikTok is reportedly launching a tool to help users find jobs“, cnet.com
Aballéa A., April 7th, 2021, “TikTok lance un nouvel éditeur vidéo entièrement dédié aux marques“, blogdumoderateur.com
Aballéa A., April 19th, 2021, “TikTok lance Business Creative Hub : conseils, inspiration et bonnes pratiques“, blogdumoderateur.com
Hay J., May 14th, 2021, “TikTok va marcher sur les plates-bandes de LinkedIn“, journaldugeek.com
Jaimes N., Feb 23rd, 2021, “Avec Shopify, TikTok veut montrer aux e-commerçants français qu’il sait vendre“, journaldunet.com
Jonniaux A., May 14th, 2021, “TikTok supprime plus de 500 000 comptes de mineurs en Italie“, journaldugeek.com
Rochefort M., May 12th, 2021, “TikTok teste actuellement un outil de recrutement“, siecledigital.fr
Rosso S., May 12th, 2021, “TikTok en route vers l’e-commerce“, siecledigital.fr