Should TikTokers Be Freaking Out?

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?? ROADMAP

?? TikTok Updates:

TikTok announced Sounds for Business, a collection of custom sounds designed as templates for easy content creation.?

This could be a BFD for small businesses who aren’t on the app yet and struggle with creating their first video. The new feature will allow them to use templates with sound cues that prompts them to show off their most popular products, packing and shipping process, reasons to shop small, and more.?

Spotted in wild: TikTok is beginning to allow users to download their videos before posting without the watermark.

TikTok is launching new default controls to curb screen time for users under 18. After 60 minutes, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode in order to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time.

The news has been met with a lot of skepticism but it does seem like a positive step toward more mindful media consumption. Yes, teens may ignore this or change their birthdays to bypass the prompt but it could be what some people need to shake them out of infinite scrolling.

Hey TikTok - make this the default for all of us, please?!

?? More about TikTok’s legal issues below…

?? YouTube Updates:

YouTube’s new leader, Neal Mohan, outlined the company’s 2023 priorities in an open letter on Wednesday. Some of the highlights include:?

• Focusing on AI to expand creators’ storytelling capabilities and raise production values
• Easier podcast publishing in YouTube Studio and bringing audio and video-first podcasts to YouTube Music?
• A new duet tool to create Shorts reacting to or collaborating with existing Shorts and long-form video.
• Giving creators more ways to make money by expanding YouTube’s subscriptions business, investing in shopping, and continually improving their paid digital goods offerings.

TL;DR: Pay attention to YouTube Shorts — over 50 billion daily views! — going live, podcasts and AI tools.

?? AI Updates:

• Meta’s announced a new team to develop AI-assisted products around text, images and video
• YouTube is working on AI tools for creators that would allow you to do everything from “virtually swapping outfits to creating a fantastical film setting”?
• Spotify debuted an AI DJ
• Snapchat released an AI chatbot powered by ChatGPT
• Elon Musk is looking to develop a ChatGPT rival

???? CLICK THRU

?? TikTok Facing Increasing Prospect of National Ban in New Bill Passed by House Committee

A potential TikTok ban is in the news again. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday voted to advance legislation that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok.

Do I think it’ll actually happen this time? It’s still too early to tell.?As of right now, Democrats seem to oppose the bill and it could cause a fair amount of economic hardship for creators, brands and entrepreneurs that rely on the app for business.?

But the White House has given government agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off any federal devices. And the situation between the U.S. and China continues to deteriorate — balloons! economic coercion! Taiwan!?So, banning the app, even temporarily, could be perceived as a strong foreign policy move.??

Several people have also pointed out that TikTok allows China to influence culture in the U.S. but no major American social app is allowed into China — Brendan Gahan’s got a good thread on this — so American tech companies could also benefit from a ban. That’s potentially a lot of powerful forces?who want to see TikTok stopped.

Creators: If you’ve been on the fence about migrating your audience and your content to another platform, this is a sign! Start pushing people to Instagram, YouTube, your website or email list.

And begin the download process, either manually or you can use a third-party app like 4K Tokkit for bulk downloads of your TikTok videos.

I wouldn’t stop posting if you’re already there but I would start thinking about how to bring that creativity and raw energy to other, slightly more stable, channels.

Related: 9 questions about the threats to ban TikTok, answered -Vox

?? How Jesus Nalgas grew his audience 3x in 3 months

Whether you recognize Jesus Nalgas from Reels (as Meta hopes you do) or TikTok, the insights he shared into his growth on Instagram are valid:

• Relatability: “I find humor in relatable everyday situations that most people have likely experienced, to shine a light on the struggles or small moments in daily life where comedy lives.”
• Hook: “I make sure I’ve got an immediate hook that brings people into the scene before they scroll to watch something else in their feed. Viewers can feel immediately immersed in the setting of my skit when it’s universally identifiable, like a classroom or an office.”

*In academic terms, this is also referred to as “scene gist” and refers to the importance of creating a visual scene people can process in a split second?

• Consistency: “I’m always trying to grow my presence by sticking to a consistent upload schedule with Instagram Reels during the day, Stories as I go and Instagram Live in the evening.”

In addition to Jesus, here are some other creators I’ve followed recently (and you should, too):

• Zaid Admani
• Jenny Solares?
• Cucina Palermo

?? WHY IT WORKS

Gymshark has handed over creative control of the brand to an influencer

What’s Happening: Gymshark hired bodybuilding influencer David Laid as Creative Director of Lifting. The DTC fitness retailer says it’s about making sure the company stays connected to its roots: They launched with bodybuilding supplements back in 2012 before expanding into fitness apparel.

“What David doesn’t know about the bodybuilding audience isn’t worth knowing,” chief brand officer Noel Mack was quoted saying in The Drum. “So, who better to be curating the products, curating the imagery and digital experience.”

Why This Hire Works: The profile points out that celebrity creative directors — think Pharrell at Louis Vuitton or Kate Moss at Diet Coke — can sometimes be perceived as a PR stunt. But Laid’s been a part of the athlete community at Gymshark for almost a decade, so he’s well versed in the company’s culture and mission.

Plus, as a bodybuilder, he’s uniquely qualified to give input on the new products they’re developing; to relate to the fellow athletes they’re bringing on as influencers; and to understand the audience that Gymshark’s trying to reach on a really profound level.

And given the outsized impact influencers have had in selling the Gymshark lifestyle on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube — the move makes a lot of sense for a company that’s embraced creators from day one.

What to Watch: By hiring Laid to an in-house role, Gymshark risks staking the reputation of their lifting gear on this one high-profile person. "It creates the possibility for some *serious* downsides if the partnership goes off the rails, much like any big celebrity partnership (Kanye, anyone?)” Sway Group CEO Danielle Wiley told me.?

Still, it’s a bold move. “I love seeing continued creativity in the influencer space,” says Wiley. “There is so much possibility out there and it is only by breaking molds and trying new things that we can continue to move the industry forward.”

And given Laid’s fitness background, the company’s long history with him and their collaborations with influencers in general, it’s probably not a partnership the brand entered into lightly. This is more like a perfect storm of alignment when a brand should hire a celebrity creative director.?

?? DATA OF THE WEEK

52% of people surveyed have dreams of starting their own business or becoming an influencer or creator.

That number just seems to keep rising with every new study. This one from Meta’s Culture Rising 2023 Trend Report that recaps 20 key cultural trends.?

?? ALSO ON MY RADAR…

• Tech’s hottest new job: AI whisperer. No coding required. -The Washington Post
• Red Carpet Influencers: Behind a Lucrative (and Growing) Niche for Creators -THR
• Jellysmack Launches 17 Creator Series on Roku Streaming Channels -Variety
• Meghan Trainor drops first preview of her forthcoming single “Mother” exclusively on YouTube Shorts -YouTube
• Khaby Lame takes on new role as judge of ‘Italia’s Got Talent’ -Tubefilter
• In the three-way battle between YouTube, Reels and TikTok, creators aren’t counting on a big payday -CNBC
• Tech habits of 400,000 families worldwide with kids ages 4 to 18 -Quostodio?
• TikTok banned on all Canadian government mobile devices -AP News
• How TikTok's 'deinfluencing' trend became a marketing tactic -CBC (they asked for my 2 cents!)

Thanks to Alessandro Bogliari for having me on The Influence Factor podcast to talk about paid verification, the impact of Meta’s new Channels, livestream ecommerce and (my favorite) influencer trips!