Some great news! TikTok is receiving a new feature that looks a lot like something we've seen before in other social media channels. Since the addition of the "retweet" button in 2009, the "retweet" feature has been a mainstay of Twitter for both casual and professional users. TikTok is now beta testing a new "repost" feature, which some are referring to as the app's retweet. This new button may be a great way to expand your TikTok experience.
To see if you're part of the beta community, touch the "share" button on a TikTok video from your "For You" feed, and the new repost option will appear. The feature is also one that hails back to a TikTok videos precursor Vine, the popular short-form video platform, which was acquired by Twitter and shut down years ago.
Vine used to have a repost button (or, in Vine's case, a "revine" ) where users could repost a video for further exposure. However, some artists abused Vine's button by giving "revine 4 revine" — that is, groups that agreed to "revine" all of the group members' videos in order to promote each other's content.
Instagram, too, is dealing with a similar issue, with groups of Instagram users agreeing to exchange likes and comments in a systematic manner in order to fool the service's algorithms. If artists tried to scam the algorithm with the new Repost option, TikTok, which is known for its eerily accurate, highly tailored For You stream, would appear to risk diluting its suggestions with "reposts."
But, at least for the time being, TikTok is attempting to remedy this issue by making its Repost button behave differently from the "revine." Users who are mutual friends with the person who reposted the video will only get re-shared suggestions.
That means you won't see a larger creator's recommendations unless that creator also follows you for some reason. TikTok mitigates the risk of creators collaborating by limiting recommendations to mutuals. However, it reduces the potential for reposted content to obtain a large number of new views – for example, if it is re-shared by a well-known creator.
TikTok's new repost button repost button has generated a big buzz on Twitter since some beta users have caught on to the new feature. I guess we will see if the mitigation works sooner than later! https://twitter.com/search?q=tiktok%20repost%20button&src=typed_query&f=live
What does TikTok's "retweet" function entail?
The repost feature on TikTok allows users to share videos with mutual followers with a single tap. The new yellow repost button can be seen beside your friends' icons in the "Share" option for some videos.
You can leave a comment on the reposted video, but it will not be published as your own. Any likes or comments that the republished video receives will go to the original creator. Repining is similar to retweeting on Twitter in this way.
However, only specific videos can be reposted. The repost option is now limited to videos that show on the "For You" tab. You won't be able to republish videos from your "Following" feed, searches, or email.
Replacing a video, unlike duets and stitching, does not necessitate the creation of new content. This is one of the reasons TikTok decided to implement the feature. People who use TikTok on a more casual basis or who choose not to publish their own content will appreciate its convenience.
Who has access to videos that have been re-posted?
TikTok's reposts differ the most from Twitter's retweets in terms of visibility. A repost, unlike a retweet, does not appear on your profile. In fact, not all of your followers will be able to see it. Only mutual followers, or people you follow who follow you back, can access reposted videos. This includes friends and family for the majority of us.
This makes reposting a video on TikTok a simple method to share it with several friends without having to send it to each one separately. Instead of promotion, it appears that this is what TikTok intends for the function to be used for.
What does it mean for creators to use the repost button?
The retweet twin option on TikTok might be quite useful for creators.
If a creator wants to promote their own video, sharing it again and over won't help because it will only reach their mutual followers. The same anti-abuse architecture prohibits inflated mutual reposting, which is common in social media "follow for follow" demands.
Reposting, on the other hand, is beneficial to creators. It enables other users to effortlessly share and promote content created by creators. The true value of a creative resides in their audience's ability to disseminate their videos with the click of a button.
Because retweeting on TikTok is so much easier than emailing a video to individual pals, content providers might use reposts to expand their reach. Increased video sharing may also aid in the development of a valuable brand reputation for creators, since their material may easily reach far beyond their own audience. TikTok's version of retweets might potentially help creators grow even faster.
While TikTok does not disclose the mechanics of their algorithm, reposts are likely to be a positive factor. Videos that are often reposted may be recommended to more new users by the algorithm, especially if they originate from "For You" pages. It's unclear how much reposting affects a video's favorability with the TikTok algorithm.
The addition of the Repost button will be interesting. It may lead to new ways for creators to get their work discovered on a platform that is increasingly about algorithmic suggestions than personal recommendations. But because many TikTok users already use its in-app messaging system just to send videos to friends, it's now attempting to figure out how to incorporate that signal into the For You feed itself.