TikTok has embarked on testing a new messaging tool known as “bulletin boards,” designed to facilitate public communication between brands, creators, and their followers. This fact was corroborated by TikTok in an emailed statement to TechCrunch on Friday. With the new feature, users can easily publish public one-to-many messages. In fact, this function is super similar to Instagram’s own brand new broadcast channels.
The bulletin boards are just the latest move into TikTok’s evolution since the platform launched Stories and photo support in 2022. By enabling brands and creators to reach their audience more effectively, TikTok aims to enhance user engagement and interaction on the platform. Christina Garnett, a fellow Threads user, was the first to notice the bulletin boards feature. Her discovery is telling of the recent increase of social networks adopting these types of functionalities.
TikTok’s new feature is pretty much an exact copy of Instagram’s new broadcast channels, introduced on Instagram in the first half of 2023. Both features are an opportunity for creators to communicate directly—and even one-on-one—in public. This is a momentous change in how social media platforms have operated. These changes represent a broader national trend. So now, social networks are literally stealing the best features from each other to protect their users’ attention and engagement.
Aisha Malik, a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch who holds an honours bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University, reported on TikTok’s initiative. Her insights provide context for the increasing competition among social media platforms as they innovate to attract and retain users.
TikTok’s introduction of bulletin boards is not merely an isolated case. It is part of a larger strategy within social media. The industry remembers Instagram’s heavy-handed tactics in response to TikTok’s explosive growth. In 2020, Instagram rolled out new features such as Reels to maintain competitiveness. This competitive nature makes for an ever-developing set of features designed to create the smoothest user experience.