TikTok's latest feature takes on broadcast channels by Instagram
What's the story
TikTok has launched a new feature called "Bulletin Board," allowing brands and creators to share public messages with their followers. The move is seen as a direct competitor to Instagram's broadcast channels, introduced in 2023. The Bulletin Board allows only the creator to post messages while followers can react with emojis. It supports text, image, and video posts for enhanced interaction between creators and their audiences.
Access
Who can use the Bulletin Board?
The new feature will be available to creators who are at least 18 years old and have a minimum of 50,000 followers. The main aim of the Bulletin Board is to help creators and brands build a community by sharing news, updates, and exclusive content with their followers. Instead of using Stories or regular posts on TikTok for updates, creators can now use their Bulletin Board for this purpose.
Testing
Testing phase and early adopters
The launch of the Bulletin Board feature isn't surprising as TikTok was seen testing it back in June. During its beta phase, artists and musicians leveraged this feature to share newly-released music with their followers and invite them to pre-save upcoming releases. Notably, People Magazine and Paris Saint-Germain also used the Bulletin Board for sharing news and updates during this period.
Safety measures
Community guidelines and safety tools
In a blog post, TikTok stressed that all content shared on the new feature must comply with its community guidelines. The company said it uses both technology and human moderators to enforce these rules. Further, TikTok has integrated its safety tools like muting, blocking, and reporting users/content within the Bulletin Board to keep communities safe and positive.
User guide
How to access a creator's Bulletin Board?
Creators can start their own Bulletin Board by going to their inbox and selecting the option. They can toggle the "Show on profile" setting on or off to control visibility of their Board. Users can join a creator's Bulletin Board by clicking its name under the bio on their profile. Once they join, they'll get notifications in their inbox whenever that particular creator posts something new.