The Evolution of TikTok – New Features and Direction

Live Commerce is continuing to come in hot, and the team at Stickler are excited over the evolution of the Live space.

We noticed that TikTok recently launched some new features to optimise their LIVE operations and incentivise competition between sellers, and we’ve been privileged to have a front row seat to all this progress.

What’s new?
They added 2 new features to their mobile functions for moderators, by adding a “Voucher Management” tab and a “LIVE Giveaway” tab in the basket. This was previously done through the TikTok Shop website, requiring an additional staff member to manage it from off-camera, or requiring the hosts to spend time (while streaming) to manage via an additional device.

What does this mean?

This allows moderators to manage these two factors directly through the mobile app, streamlining the operations process by allowing the host to modify it directly on their mobile application, reducing the need for additional behind the scenes staff support. Turning the host into a 2-in-1 host and moderator, who can frictionlessly adjust these factors based on the ongoing stream. If this works, this idea is that this would optimise their LIVE operations and make it more seamless.

Video Inspiration!

“Video Inspiration” allows sellers to view other seller’s short form content based on a ranking system of various factors such as highest revenue and highest conversion. We assume that they’re aiming to build a one-stop hub for sellers to monitor their competitors’ content under the guise of providing inspiration for them to replicate.

How Stickler can compliment these updates?

Stickler has built the world’s first listening tool that allows users to track and analyse LIVE data across streams, channels and regions. Delivering insights, allowing sellers to optimise their Live strategy and get more sales effortlessly.

Where we go from here?

These new features are meant to incentivise sellers into creating better short form content through showing what works from competitors. Nothing new here, a digital platform increasing the level of competition between sellers, and results in an atmosphere of tension as sellers compete to increase their Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).

It is inline with the recent rolling out of the TikTok Service Partner (TSP) tier system which ranks TSPs based on multiple factors, incentivising them with support benefits which were previously offered to everyone. This demonstrates TikTok’s progress of moving towards a hands-off platform, in which external parties like Stickler, and TSPs manage most of their own processes in an internal ecosystem without TikTok’s direct support.

As they reach critical mass we expect to see more of the standard Network Effects of the internet kick in as TikTok continues their mission to become the next big platform with market power!