TikTok is the latest platform to hop on the 24-hour Stories bandwagon now that Instagram, Facebook and even LinkedIn have brought out their own unique takes on the feature.
The feature was first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra and was later confirmed by TikTok from an email sent to The Verge, stating that it is indeed testing out the feature with a handful of users.
With the social platform exploding in use in the last two years, the company are looking to expand the app's feature set even more, so that casual users and influencers can take advantage of new ways to interact with their followers.
However, with Twitter's take on it with Fleets already no-more, one wonders if there's really any need for Stories once more.
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How does this take on Stories work?
TikTok has added a slide-over sidebar to house Stories in it and stories from the accounts that you follow can be seen on this newly added sidebar. To post a new story, users will have to tap the camera button on this sidebar.
Users will also be allowed to post the content – images or videos they’ve already created from the phone’s library. Once the content is created, various elements like text, sound, stickers or effects can be added as well.
TikTok says, “Currently we’re experimenting with ways to give creators additional formats to bring their creative ideas to life for the TikTok community.” The feature will be simply called TikTok Stories and seems to have been running for quite some time already.
Introducing TikTok Stories ✨🔥Plot twist!h/t @amanfirdaus pic.twitter.com/gvQMzixYtSAugust 4, 2021
If launched, TikTok stories will be available alongside other features like Duets, Live, and Stitch and works exactly like stories on any other platform. Users will be able to see the number and the names of viewers of the story and TikTok will also let users read and respond to the comments left by the viewer.
Before TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Twitter all copied the feature from Snapchat. The latest one was Twitter with Fleets, and after toying with the idea of monetizing them, has axed it already.
Twitter seemed to be confused with where Fleets could go, and after lower-usages from its users, it was decided to cut the feature, with Spaces taking the place of where Fleets would be in the app.
However, Stories on other platforms has given an easy way to users to share their thoughts and expressing themselves without the worry of the content being there on the profile forever.
Analysis: jumping the shark?
It's no secret that TikTok has already seen huge growth in the last few years, thanks in part to the pandemic, which drove new users to the platform so they could document certain 'hacks' in the home and even brands advertising how their products are made on certain profiles.
However, the appeal with TikTok is the For You screen, where its algorithm can curate new videos based on others that you've either watched through, or flicked through in an instant.
Stories seems to be for the influencers and famous celebrities, where they can tell their fans what they're up to. But it seems irrelevant with what TikTok offers, and already it could go the way of Fleets on Twitter.
TikTok is an app where you watch video with every swipe of your thumb, not one to look at Stories on. This could be a fleeting test from the company, and while curiosity may be the main reason behind this feature now being tried out by some users, that may be all it should be for the platform.
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