TikTok Tests a New ‘Repost’ Feature

The most visited site of 2021, TikTok, is testing out a new repost feature which allows viewers to share and amplify content from other creators with their own followers. The repost button appears in sharing options but is only available to a select number of users on the app—for now.

How does it work?

According to a recent article from TechCrunch, the repost feature will only share video clips onto the ‘For You’ pages of friends and followers (unlike a Twitter retweet or Instagram story share which allows users to post content on their own feeds). 

In addition to only being available for select users, the repost button only appears on videos that were already suggested by the TikTok algorithm in your ‘For You’ page. In other words, any video shared/reposted by a friend or viewed on your ‘Discover’ page cannot be reposted. This gives users the opportunity to amplify content without having to stitch or duet with their own video.

TikTok is also testing a ‘Recommend’ button in-place of a repost button for some users. For both buttons, it prompts the sharer to explain why they are reposting the video. This can be avoided by simply DMing the video, but could be inconvenient if you plan on sharing with a wider audience. Reposted videos will also show all comments made on the video (unless you choose to unshare).  

How could reposting affect engagement and user experience?  

While TikTok is testing an easier way for users to share content, other social media platforms have been experimenting with the removal of some of their sharing features. Earlier last year Instagram disabled the ability to share or reshare feed posts on personal stories to test how it would affect engagement. While some community members reported feeling overwhelmed by too much feed-to-story posting, others argued that it was crucial to promoting small artists, organizations, and businesses. Ultimately users can still post from their feeds, but the question of how to balance sharing versus content overload still stands. 

From a user-standpoint, this new feature could provide a frictionless way to share and engage without having to duet or overwhelm friends’ inboxes. This could also be a great opportunity for collaborations between businesses and content creators, as they can reshare posts with a larger audience base. 

When popular social media apps give consumers the power to control what content surfaces, it is imperative for businesses to know their audiences and have more authentic narratives—especially when considering the demographic on TikTok. 

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