Meta has been finding ways to gather more TikTok users to its platforms by adding features similar to the short-form video app. It seems that the tables have turned as TikTok adopted a popular feature from Instagram and Facebook Stories as well.
A Text-Based Feature on TikTok
Users usually visit TikTok for its video content, and it's really all that TikTok has, that is until the new feature came out. You can now post texts just like you would on Instagram and Facebook stories by customizing or uploading your own background.
You can create a text post through the Camera page. There, you will be presented with three options which are photo, video, and text. Upon selecting text, you will be directed to the creation page and type what you want to post.
Just like Instagram Stories, you can add sounds as it is the "core to the TikTok experience," along with tagging a location. You will also be able to add hashtags to relate your content with trending or relevant topics. Stickers are also available for users to add.
There are also a variety of background colors you can choose from. If you feel like your text post would be better posted at a later time, you can save the draft and it will be stored along with your other unpublished TikTok content.
TikTok states that it is a way for creators to share stories, poems, recipes, and other written content on TikTok. It's already possible to just post text-based content on TikTok, but the official addition of the feature makes for a more streamlined process.
With this format, TikTok can also serve as a competitor to Twitter, as well as other text-based platforms like Instagram-based Threads. Still, it's likely that users will stick to what TikTok is known for, which are short-form videos.
The Spill App Already Did It
A text-based post with a media background is not a new concept. In fact, there is already an entire app dedicated to that feature alone called Spill. The platform is still new, but it lets people add GIFs, videos, or photos in the background that relates to the text itself.
There's not much to be known about the app yet, although the premise is already known. People can already join the waitlist so they can use the app as soon as it launches. The company claims that there are already over 100,000 people who signed up on the platform.
It also has buttons for "liking" and other users can comment on posts, just like they can on Twitter. The app's name is derived from the pop culture reference "spill the tea," which means sharing gossip or thoughts.
The app might have trouble taking off as social media giants already have this feature in the first place. People can post text posts on TikTok now, while Facebook and Instagram have been doing it for years through Stories. You can also add all sorts of media on Twitter to add to your tweet.
