TikTok has another small, yet potentially valuable addition for those who particularly enjoy doing TikTok live-stream broadcasts. Noted by TikTok user Jonah Manzano, the platform has added a new ‘LIVE Intro’ option that enables you to add a brief text description to welcome new viewers as they run into your broadcast. It’s kind of like those automatic message prompts you get when trying to talk to chatbots, only that it’s more TikTok-y and has a more ‘usher’ vibe to it.
We’re LIVE!
Based on screenshots, re-shared by none other than the man Matt Navarra of course, the new LIVE Intro option, which seems to be a toggle option, will display a short message prompt to viewers as they come into your stream. The option must be switched on for messages to appear.
It’s exactly as it sounds – a simple and interactive way to welcome viewers. Often an overlooked element, but hooking viewers through an effective intro, even before you actually begin your broadcast, helps ensure that they stay throughout the entire thing and would end up wanting more after. Sometimes, even if the content of your broadcast is totally irrelevant or not related at all to the interests of a particular viewer, a catchy and authentic intro hook might just be enough to cause a change of heart. Additionally, LIVE Intros also provide you with a chance to better explain what your broadcast is all about, as well as communicating to viewers what you would like them to do as broadcast participants.
Live-streaming itself is gradually becoming a bigger element of TikTok as it seems keen on broadening its horizons beyond just short-form video clips. Though it’s highly unlikely that short clips will ever be just a secondary element. It’s also equally possible for live-streaming to be just as effective , if not leading, at least in certain cases. With TikTok’s range of effects and sound, it’s pretty clear why TikTok broadcasts can appear more ‘attractive’ than others. Just imagine Stitch giving a keynote discussion on climate change.
One key challenge with TikToks is that they’re very hard to monetize. TikTok short clips are too short for anyone to effectively place mid and pre-roll ads, the same reason why it falls greatly behind YouTube and Instagram, at least with regards to direct monetization. Live-streaming enables more capacity on this front, aligning with TiKTok aso testing out longer videos, on profile shops, promo tiles, product showcase options, and many more.
The Wrap
With TikTok in position to be crowned the 3rd Biggest Social Media Platform In the World in 2022, trailing only behind Facebook and Instagram, the need to further expand its own suite of tools and offers becomes evident. One of its predecessors, Vine, which was at the time perhaps the biggest short-form content site, died out because it failed to provide commensurate monetization for its top stars, which had them migrate to other platforms instead.
Though TikTok isn’t in danger of falling into this as much, broadening its set of creative tools and expanding its capabilities to further facilitate various eCommerce pushes greatly helps the platform maximize opportunities. TikTok is already great at making people spend more time on the app, all that’s needed next is to let them make more money in the process.
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