TikTok allows media to directly monetize their content

Media will now be able to directly monetize their posts on TikTok, with a balanced revenue sharing. The social network has just announced the launch of a new media offer, a sign of a change for the video-sharing application, which has historically focused on independent creators.

According to the “Wall Street Journal” who revealed the information, this product, dubbed Pulse Premiere, is in fact an evolution of TikTok’s Pulse program for the most popular creators, launched last year. Media in partner groups such as Condé Nast (behind “Vogue” etc.), NBCUniversal or Hearst Magazines (“Cosmopolitan” etc.), as well as pure-players (Buzzfeed etc.) will therefore be able to monetize the video advertising that advertisers want to place directly on their posts. They will benefit from half of the proceeds.

Pulse was previously only available to the top 4% of creators’ posts – based on metrics like likes, watch time and comments.

“Pulse Premiere allows brands to choose where their ads appear next to content from our premier publisher partners,” TikTok said in a statement.

Small against Meta and Google

“TikTok has worked a lot on monetization in recent years and consolidated its advertising model in 2022. This announcement broadens the pool of creators concerned, including the media, and clearly specifies the sharing of value, explains Diego Ferri, director of the strategy at EY Fabernovel. It’s a way for the group to put the spotlight back on the creators in the broad sense, who make the success of its model. Kinda YouTube does “.

Even though the app known for its much-maligned short and highly viral videos for teens and young adults hasn’t seen “m***ive leaks from creators so far, it might fear this: Pulse and Pulse Premiere are a way to build loyalty in your ecosystem through value sharing,” adds the specialist.

The social network wants to maintain its momentum, based on content: it was the most ********ed application in 2022 and the time spent TikTok in the US now tracks time spent on Netflix .

The company is expected to hold 2.5% of the U.S. digital advertising market this year, according to forecasts from research firm Insider Intelligence. Although growing, TikTok remains small compared to Google and Meta, which should together take nearly 45% of digital advertising revenue in the United States in 2023. “TikTok wants its share of the cake”, summarizes Diego Ferri , even if the digital advertising is not in its best shape .

On the media side, they use the platform to develop their brands (like “Vogue” with its “Beauty Secrets”) but have sometimes regretted not being able to monetize their content directly on it, underlines the WSJ .

Uncertainties about the future of TikTok

This announcement comes at a time when the social network, owned by the Chinese ByteDance, is being singled out everywhere for supposed links with Chinese intelligence services and national security risks. The short video application is even going through one of the worst crises since its creation in 2016.

For example, the US government has demanded, in recent weeks, that ByteDance separates from TikTok, failing which the social network could be banned in the country. In France, a senatorial commission of inquiry was launched in March.

This initiative can therefore appear as a means of showing “white paw”, by strengthening its partnership with well-known media. “Working with the media can perhaps help them improve their image. In any case, it could bring in new media and especially new brands, while some sectors are still hesitant to advertise on TikTok,” adds Diego Ferri.

The Chinese group indicates to “Echos” that Pulse Premiere is currently only deployed in the United States, without specifying whether there are projects in this direction in France.