TikTok Rolls Out Text Posts, Taking The Fight To Twitter And Threads
TikTok will now let users share posts in a new form that mimics Twitter and Threads. TikTok has announced that users can now express themselves using text posts. Text posts are being added as the third form of posts on the platform. This isn't even the first time this month that TikTok has explored unexpected new directions.
Now, when users open the Camera page in the TikTok app, they will see three options: video, photo, and text. It seems that text posts on TikTok will work in the same fashion as Stories on Instagram, at least when it comes to drafting.
Once users are done writing their post, they can add a piece of background music to it, play with the colors, switch between fonts, adjust the alignment, and add stickers to jazz up their look. From the official press material, it looks like Instagram — and even WhatsApp — users will feel right at home drafting these text posts on TikTok.
However, it is pretty evident that TikTok wants to pounce on the opportunity that Meta quickly capitalized on with Threads. As Twitter is busy reinventing itself as X and plans "an everything app" makeover, the core audience that loved Twitter for its simplistic yet impactful posts in 280 characters is feeling increasingly alienated by the approach under Elon Musk.
TikTok wants to go where Twitter has abandoned ship
Text posts are just another form of content on a platform that has gained notoriety for making content go viral quickly. And to honor that tradition, TikTok will allow text posts to use the same kind of outreach tools that you would get with videos.
For example, like short video posts, text posts will allow users to tag certain accounts and use hashtags to further bolster their reach. Users can also enable Duet creation for their text posts, just as they can specify it for videos posted on TikTok.
Similarly, users will also have control over whether comments should be allowed. There will also be a draft function in place that lets users save their text posts mid-way and upload them later at their convenience. What is unclear at this moment is whether TikTok will shove the same kind of algorithmic love on text posts as it does on high-effort content like videos.
The strategy, however, is pretty clear. Unlike Meta, which capitalized on Instagram's two-billion-strong audience to serve its Twitter clone Threads, TikTok is taking a rather low-effort route by offering a Twitter experience right in the core app. It might play in TikTok's favor, as users would find it far more convenient to share text posts instead of installing another app.