There's no respite for social networks, it seems, which are continuously innovating to better engage their users. From a special e-commerce tab on TikTok, the option of saving your audio recordings for longer on Twitter, and Twitch taking inspiration from Clubhouse, here are the latest features to discover on your favorite social networks.
TikTok is testing a shopping feed in Indonesia
Shopping on social networks continues to be one of the major opportunities for such platforms. And TikTok clearly intends to tap into this market. In Indonesia, the Chinese social media giant has launched the trial of a special new e-commerce feed called "Shop." Accessible alongside the "For You" and "Following" feeds in the application, the new tab offers a selection of products available to buy in various categories: from beauty to kitchenware, electronics, accessories and bags. Users can also use a search bar to facilitate their shopping session.
According to screenshots provided by Watchful.ai, the tab offers a variety of settings similar to other e-commerce sites. In addition to being able to select items to be placed in a shopping cart, the "Shop" tab has a menu featuring addresses, orders, messages, payment methods, as well as still valid, expired and already used vouchers. For the moment, TikTok has not said whether this option will be deployed in other markets.
TikTok previously explored e-commerce functionality through a partnership with Shopify in 2021, in the US, the UK and Canada. Merchants with a "TikTok For Business" account could then propose a selection of items to buy on their profiles. Livestream shopping is also more and more common on TikTok, which makes no secret of its desire to develop trade directly on the platform.
Twitter, the new podcast host?
In addition to e-commerce on social networks, audio has become an increasingly popular format on these platforms. With the success of Clubhouse, Twitter has, for example, developed its own Spaces tool. After allowing users to make recordings and keep them for 30 days on the social network, Twitter has announced plans to extend access to Spaces recordings. Creators will have full control over deletions and sharing. With this new feature, Twitter confirms its desire to get closer to the world of podcasts, a sector that has been booming in recent years and which continues to make an impression on the market.
Twitch introduces collaborative streams
Collaborative content is becoming popular on social media sites too. Twitch is now offering to let guests -- both creators and viewers -- participate in video streams. The platform will allow up to five guests through the "Guest Star" feature, available on desktop and on the mobile app. As in Google Meet, viewers will be able to "raise their hand" to ask to speak, allowing creators to invite their guests to participate directly in the stream. Twitter already offers a similar option via its Spaces tool, as does TikTok in its Live feature.
Participants will need to have a Twitch account to access this feature. Creators will have full control over removing a participant, but also over vetting potential guests by verifying their account, as well as the age of the user.
For now, "Guest Star" will only be available to a handful of carefully selected users, but Twitch has already expressed its willingness to roll out the option more broadly this fall.
