TikTok introduces broadcast messaging functionality for creator profiles, enabling wider communication with followers.
In a bid to enhance creator-fan interactions and improve the delivery of updates, TikTok has unveiled a new feature called Bulletin Boards. This innovative tool allows select creators and brands to send one-to-many broadcast messages directly to their followers' inboxes, bypassing the unpredictability of the For You recommendations.
Key features of Bulletin Boards include:
- Creators and brands can create a Bulletin Board from their inbox, name it, write a description, and display a "Join" button on their profile to invite followers to subscribe. - Once followers join, the creator or brand can share up to 20 bulletins per day, consisting of text (up to 1,000 characters), photos, and videos. - Messages appear in a message-like feed in followers’ TikTok inboxes, where fans can react with emojis but cannot reply, reinforcing a broadcast-only format.
The format is reminiscent of Instagram's Broadcast Channels, enabling creators to send updates, behind-the-scenes content, and announcements directly to their audience. This approach allows creators and brands to deliver timely, unfiltered updates directly to engaged followers, increasing the chance their messages will be seen without having to compete for visibility on the main feed.
Bulletin Boards offer flexible messaging options, including announcing new content, reminding fans of livestreams, promoting flash sales, and sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses. Early adopters of Bulletin Boards include heavy hitters across several verticals, such as People Magazine, Paris Saint-Germain, the Jonas Brothers, and Martha Stewart, who uses the platform to share cooking tips and livestream schedules.
As social platforms diversify their engagement features, developers and marketers must evolve multi-channel strategies to keep up with these changes. Regional tests suggest that wider availability of Bulletin Boards could be imminent, making it an exciting development for both creators and fans on the TikTok platform.
- This Bulletin Boards feature on TikTok, similar to Instagram's Broadcast Channels, allows creators to use technology for direct communication with their followers, delivering updates, behind-the-scenes content, and announcements via social-media, bypassing the main feed's competition.
- With Bulletin Boards, creators and brands can utilize entertainment-focused content to engage followers, offering them a platform to share exclusive glimpses, remind fans of livestreams, promote sales, and even divulge cooking tips, like Martha Stewart does, thereby enhancing the social-media experience.
