TikTok recently confirmed testing of the 'Nearby' content feed, which will appear in addition to the already existing 'Following' and 'For You' tabs. With this feature, users will be able to see content that has been posted from around the user's current location. Thus, the recommendations will become more relevant, useful, and effective. Since the user will see those restaurants, hiking trails, shops, and other attractions that are in the immediate vicinity, and therefore they can be visited right there.
Such a decision will undoubtedly be the key to the marketing strategy of brands. The popularity of TikTok is truly impressive, and by the end of the year, it is likely to have an audience of about 1.5 billion users, which is second only to YouTube and Facebook in terms of numbers. This means that content recommendations based on location will be a powerful tool for improving brand awareness and sales. The advertising opportunities with this feature are truly impressive because even when looking for a place to dine, this factor will play a key role.
However, it is still difficult to assess the possibilities and potential of this novelty since it is still going through the testing stage among the inhabitants of Southeast Asia. Representatives of TikTok have not yet begun to make loud statements but only carefully noted that their goal is to increase the usefulness of the application, and such recommendations would be extremely convenient.
Recently, comments from Google clearly indicate that the threat of TikTok as a competitor is quite serious. And given the young audience of the application, in the long run, a local feed can push even Google's SEO algorithms.
Do you find it helpful to have A ‘Nearby’ Content Feed on TikTok? How will this affect the development of brands using the application? Please share your thoughts below.