TikTok has launched text-only posts which will be a direct rival to Twitter (or X as it is now known).
The popular social media platform is more known for short-form videos, but has now decided to branch out into texts. The space has been dominated by Elon Musk’s Twitter which is facing competition on all sides.
Last week Meta (owners of Facebook and Instagram) launched a rival to Twitter called Threads, which racked up 100 million users in its first few days. Following that, Twitter rebranded itself to X as the battle for users continues.
On Monday TikTok announced that it will now allow users to create text-based content.
“With text posts, we’re expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, giving the written creativity we’ve seen in comments, captions, and videos a dedicated space to shine,” it said.
Users will also be able to add coloured backgrounds and stickers to the posts, which have a limit of 1,000 words. Some have compared the feature to Instagram, where rather than facilitating a conversation, the posts can simply be commented on.
“At TikTok, we’re always looking to empower our creators and community with innovative tools that inspire self expression,” the statement added.
TikTok has just over a billion users, while Instagram has 2.3 billion users, according to industry website, Business of Apps. But TikTok’s audience is generally younger than Instagram’s,
TikTok creators can make content across a variety of formats — from LIVE videos to photos, Duets to Stitch. Text is the latest addition to their options.
Here’s how it works:
When you access the Camera page, you’ll be able to choose from three options: photo, video, and text. By selecting text, you’ll be directed to the text creation page, where you can type out the content of your post.
Upon reaching the Post page, you’ll find familiar options to customise your content. These include adding sound, tagging a location, enabling comments and allowing Duets, among others. These features make it so that your text posts are just as interactive as video or photo posts.
You can enhance your text by selecting stickers that relate to your content and can also add tags, hashtags and sound.
