Turning to TikTok for timely news

TikTok is known as the best network for creating fast-moving, funny and musical content. There have been changes on the platform in the past year, enabling promotion of live streams and longer videos which have made TikTok more attractive for news publishers looking to engage younger audiences.

While the news on TikTok is still mostly generated by social media influencers and every-day users, a recent report discovers that more publishers are attempting to produce news on this platform. It looks like news organisations are attracted by the fast-growing audience and younger demographic, but with the quest to provide reliable news, there is concern regarding the widespread misinformation shared across this channel. Other key findings from the report state:

  • 49% of top ranked news publishers are now regularly generating news content on TikTok. A large proportion of them having in the last year.
  • The vast majority of Indonesian (90%), Australian (89%), Spanish (86%), French (86%), and UK (81%) publishers have active accounts on TikTok, along with more than three-quarters in the United States.
  • Publishers approach TikTok in various ways – some use young creators who are native to the platform and its unique language. Others prefer to showcase the talents of the entire newsroom, making minimal changes to existing tone or content.
  • Getting ‘verified’ status on TikTok doesn’t seem to be straightforward – the research shows that some publishers with a strong track record for trusted content do not yet have a blue tick yet, especially outside the US and Western Europe.
  • Publishers would like TikTok to offer more transparency, better monetisation opportunities and access to more detailed demographic data moving forward.

Understanding the nature of news on any social platform is essential to generate high quality content that would satisfy audience needs.

Here at IF we can help you build a solid content strategy, choosing the most relevant channels for your audience. Get in touch today!

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