Content monetization with TikTok Live subscriptions

26 May 2022

Leaving aside solicitation for donations during live broadcasts, TikTok hasn’t really offered a way for influencers to monetize their content. The situation is about to change, with the launch in beta of a paid subscription feature called “Subscribe Direct”. explanations.

This was done. On May 26, TikTok just launched the beta version of its “LIVE Subscription” monetization feature targeting the most popular influencers and content creators on its platform. The Chinese app has kept its users online for more than a week, and it streams to its own creative account (tiktoklive_creator) Videos of TikTok characters promoting the features of the upcoming feature.

Those who choose to subscribe to their favorite influencer channel will be able to:

• Use exclusive badges and emojis in the public chat forum;
• join the cats Spread;
• Access to exclusive content.

To Francis Getty, Consultant and Coach in digital content strategies, particularly for EsartaTikTok’s strategy is clear: the Chinese app is striving to attract the best content creators which is currently what is happening between YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and TikTok.

All platforms – even Facebook Live – currently allow content monetization, not to mention platforms like Patreon and OnlyFans that offer interesting options for content creators who want to make a living from their art. »

The social media specialist anticipates that the major media outlets will eventually be able to take advantage of the feature as well, at a later stage.

TikTok considers itself a platform that focuses on entertainment; It compares to Netflix and TV channels more than social networks according to their offerings to agencies. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see this offer finally made available to popular media accounts in order to boost content sharing and monetization. »

Designed to support creators with a large number of subscribers, LIVE subscriptions cannot be used directly by brands seeking to appear by distributing their content “for free”. Francis Getty still sees the potential to engage with this new type of content.

Brands need to diversify their approaches and find ways to take advantage of these new options to shine through content from digital creators, in a way that is more organic and less promoted.”

An alternative to targeting ads

On a larger scale, the new TikTok feature is also part of a movement in which major platforms are seeking to monetize their content other than ads. With Announce the end of cookies for navigation And with its accompanying advertising targeting, more and more media are reactivating their firewall, in order to sell their content in a “direct” relationship with consumers.

Diversification of revenue sources has become absolutely necessary as regulatory authorities have tightened the screws on advertising targeting, which relies on personal data collection.” He provided, moreover, in the analysis, a headline from Les Affaires.

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