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TikTok is testing its own version of Instagram’s ‘broadcast channels’
TikTok is testing 'bulletin boards', a messaging tool that allows brands and creators to share public updates similar to Instagram's broadcast channels. Only the creator can post, while followers can react with emojis. Initial testers include major brands, but the feature's wider rollout is uncertain.
Key points
- TikTok is introducing bulletin boards to enhance communication between creators/brands and followers.
- The feature allows public, one-to-many messages, similar to Instagram's broadcast channels.
- Only creators can post updates; followers can react using emoji.
- Bulletin boards can host text, images, and videos, offering better engagement.
- Initial testing includes brands like People Magazine and Paris Saint-Germain.
- This follows TikTok’s history of adopting features from competitors like Instagram.
Why it matters
- Similarities between TikTok's bulletin boards and Instagram's broadcast channels reflect ongoing competition in social media.
- These developments coincide with the trend of social platforms incorporating messaging features to foster closer community interactions.
- As of 2025, the use of ephemeral and one-to-many communication formats continues to rise, emphasizing user engagement.
TikTok's testing of bulletin boards signifies its strategy to compete with Instagram by enhancing creator-follower interactions, following a trend of feature borrowing among major social platforms.