- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
- Have any questions?
- 02 9247 6000
- media@commsroom.co
Menu
2022 has been nothing short of amazing for TikTok as it continues to grow as one of the top social media services. But as the year nears its end, one could help but wonder: what is in store for TikTok in 2023?
Despite being the most popular social media app of 2022, TikTok is probably also the most controversial one of the year.
Its ties with the Chinese Government, whether real or not, keep it under intense political scrutiny.
TikTok could be forced to more clearly distinguish itself from the CCP in 2023, which could result in a number of issues.
At this very moment, TikTok is on the brink of being prohibited in the US and other countries and given the ongoing disputes China has with other nations, the situation is not getting any better for the social media platform unless it makes some really significant moves.
As was already mentioned, TikTok’s ability to demonstrate that it has no affiliation with the CCP and runs entirely independently of the Chinese government is what will determine its future.
In 2023, TikTok will likely face even more pressure to demonstrate that user data is not being accessed by officials from the Chinese Government or used for other purposes.
Good thing TikTok already has a contract in place with Oracle to store user data from US users.
But the social media company has to do a lot more than that to totally assure everyone that China cannot access US, or other region user info.
If the already hostile international relationships deteriorate even further, TikTok could soon tackle a far greater problem such as another round or heavier pressures of being banned.
Read also: US says TikTok can’t be trusted with user data. Should Aussies be worried? (commsroom.co)
It seems likely that TikTok will heavily promote live-stream shopping in other countries as it has been the main source of income for the Chinese version of the app.
Live-stream commerce has not exactly taken off among western users in the same way that it has in certain Asian countries.
Nevertheless, TikTok is keen to make it work in order to increase income and provide creators yet another monetisation option.
Since short videos cannot yet have mid-roll advertising added, creators cannot currently profit from TikTok as much as they can from YouTube.
With live-stream commerce having been the most successful venture in response to this problem, TikTok continues to look for innovative approaches to pique people’s interest in this model.
As it aims to popularize live-stream shopping in 2023, anticipate this to grow significantly and become considerably more of the focus for TikTok.
In-stream shops, another feature that has played a significant role in Douyin, will eventually appear on TikTok in a variety of forms.
You may also want to read: Twitter scales back COVID-19 misinformation policy (commsroom.co)
As previously mentioned, the app’s Creator Fund no longer serves as a motivator for major creators to continue publishing TikTok clips.
Creator payments have thus become a source of frustration for the social media service.
The Creative Fund has a drawback in that as TikTok grows, the payout levels decrease.
This means that as TikTok gains from creator content, those creators receive less money.
To pay its top artists, TikTok is experimenting with various business models.
However, with YouTube unveiling a new approach to short-form video monetisation, the app will need to try out different strategies to keep the money coming .
Otherwise, it runs the risk of losing its talent, and their content, totally.
Thus, it is reasonable to assume that TikTok will try out a payment system similar to YouTube’s short-form video program, which pays the best-performing videos a portion of the site’s total ad revenue depending on views.
It is not ideal, yes. But that system would give the biggest artists more motivation to continue publishing on the app.
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
