TikTok Brings in Text Posts to Rival Elon Musk’s X
TikTok, the popular video streaming platform, is venturing into uncharted territory by allowing users to post text-only content for the first time.
In a direct challenge to Elon Musk’s embattled X (formerly known as Twitter), TikTok announced the new post format, aiming to expand options for creators to express their ideas and creativity.
The company stated that text posts would provide a dedicated space for written creativity, building on the existing written expressions seen in comments, captions, and videos. Users can now share stories, poems, recipes, and other written content on TikTok, enhancing their posts with sound, stickers, and background colours, among other features.
In a move that directly rivals the X platform, text posts on TikTok will enable users to tag other accounts and include hashtags related to trending topics. By doing so, TikTok aims to capture a broader audience seeking new ways to engage with written content on the platform.
As TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, continues to innovate and expand its offerings, it poses yet another challenge for Elon Musk’s X. Since Musk’s takeover in October, X has faced significant challenges, including mass layoffs, a notable decline in advertising revenue, and controversial changes to the platform’s verification policy.
Moreover, TikTok’s foray into text-based content comes on the heels of Meta’s launch of Threads, a competing social media site. Threads impressively garnered over 100 million user sign-ups in its debut week, highlighting the intensifying competition in the social media landscape.
In response to the changes, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as X, introducing a new website domain and logo. The battle for user engagement and relevance between TikTok and X is set to continue, with both platforms seeking to capture and retain a loyal audience in the fast-paced world of social media.
