ByteDance Ltd, the Chinese multinational internet technology company which owns TikTok, has enabled its different video service platforms to connect and communicate in a coordinated way, without effort from the end-user.
A few days ago, Platforms of ByteDance like Toutiao, Xigua Video, Douyin (Tiktok), Huoshan Short Video and Wukong, have realized the inter-operation of video content, that is, the content published on one platform supports one-key synchronization to another platform.
It’s worth noting that the content to be circulated on the five major platforms also includes some videos with product links. That is to say, the advertising video published on one platform can be transferred to the five platforms at the same time.
Since then, will talents and creators be able to sweep all platforms with just one click? Can one-click “uni-marketing” change the games of brands? What’s behind this interoperation of ByteDance?
Interoperable video content among ByteDance platforms
The above-mentioned platforms are undergoing internal testing to gradually realize the interoperable function between these 5 social networks.
According to the backstage display of Douyin, it is inviting high-quality authors to join the “Fan + Project” so that with just one-click, their videos will be synchronized to the 5 platforms. At the same time, Xigua Video also announced the launch of the “video synchronization” function.
Currently, only some content-generated users are invited to an internal test. In the future, it will gradually be released to all users.
In the content of Douyin synchronized to Video Toutiao, we can find videos with product links. These links forward traffic to small individual stores and third-party websites such as Taobao.
The synchronization of Xigua Video content to Douyin is achieved through the Douyin mini-program. In addition, Douyin and the Bytedance mini-program have been connected. Users can log in to Douyin and Xigua Video with just one account.
Insiders pointed out that in the future, there will be more in-depth traffic interoperation among the five major platforms of ByteDance. For example, a Tab will be added at the bottom of the TikTok homepage as the entrance to the Xigua Video, just like the homepage of Toutiao, which contains Toutiao articles, Xigua Videos, Douyin Videos and Wukong.
Xingtu – intelligent commercial content trading management system
In fact, in 2019, there are signs of content interoperation on these five platforms. At that time, the commercial content intelligent trading and management platform “Xingtu” of this giant company has completed a major upgrade, which led to a connection of Douyin, Xigua Video, Huoshan Short Video. As a result, brands can directly work with experts and MCNs on the three platforms through “Xingtu”.
Based on this, industry brands, service providers, and experts generally expressed their understanding and expectations for this new action of content interoperation on various platforms.
“These platforms all belong to ByteDance, so it’s reasonable to be interoperable. The value of the fragmented traffic is of little value. Only when the entire traffic market is activated can there be greater value.” said a certified “Xingtu” MCN provider.
Improve User experience
Another Douyin user said: “I have tested a new account. Before multi-platform content interoperation, the average playback volume of my single Douyin video was about 500. After the interaction, my average video playback amount has increased by 3 to 5 times. Now, the average video playback volume is stable at 10,000 to 20,000.”
Since the video content can now be synchronized among these platforms, will it be possible to apply one-click synchronization to live-streams? Will those videos and live-streams with product links be freely available on the major platforms of ByteDance? This undoubtedly left a huge imagination.
Problems of “Adaptation” among platforms to be solved
Up to now, some brands and experts have tried a uni-marketing on Toutiao’s platforms, and these initiatives have achieved certain success.
For example, when the mobile phone brand iQOO launched its new products, IQOO tried to connect Douyin, Xigua Video, Toutiao, and Pipixia, using advertising and brand/KOL account to redirect traffic. Eventually, this initiative has attracted more than 1.73 million views, and led the iQOO official account on Douyin to raise 70,000 fans in only 5 hours!
The connection at a technical level of all platforms is a good thing for ByteDance. This means the traffic volume of the giant is getting bigger and bigger, and the traffic of each platform is closely linked. Thus, the behavior trajectory of users on each platform is well recorded. Based on these data, it is more beneficial for brands and talents to do marketing.
Problems in this inter-operation
However, we have to mention a problem: ByteDance’s platforms are technically connected, and users/traffic can basically be considered to be fluid and interoperable, but there is a certain gap between creators and MCNs. The top talents on Douyin should be reluctant to change platforms. This interoperation means to them not a big deal, but just one more distribution channel.
Moreover, although Toutiao, Douyin, Xigua Video, Huashan are all ByteDanse platforms, the style of each platform is different. Talents/creators may not be able to suit every platform.
For example, Xigua Video provides horizontal-screen long videos, while Douyin is vertical-screen short videos. After the synchronization, the user experience will not be fantastic.
In addition to the adaptation of user products, this interoperation also needs to consider whether commercial products can be synchronized.
The commercial products of Toutiao’s platforms are mainly concentrated in three aspects: traffic exposure, content marketing, and traffic redirection, which are roughly the same, but as for the background system, operation process, and product interoperability, there is still a long way to go.
Solutions of ByteDance to platform adaptation
However, ByteDanse seems to be solving the problem of “adaptation” among platforms:
- In response to the impact of the epidemic, Douyin has successively launched the “Support Plan for Small and Medium Businesses” and “Support for industry-owned Businesses”, that is, the Douyin e-commerce is fully open to industry-owned businesses, and official traffic support will be granted when those businesses start to do the live-streams.
- The number of merchants entering Douyin e-commerce has surged in the first half of this year and is now close to one million. It seems that in order to strengthen the control of the supply chain, Douyin is preparing to launch the “Luban selection”.
- Douyin is testing a new function of live-streams – “Live Commerce List”. This list ranking rule only counts the sales of goods in shops, while third-party products such as Taobao and JD.com are not counted.
- Except for Douyin, Xigua Video and Huoshan are not yet in the real circle of e-commerce. As far as the Xigua Video is concerned, it’s positioning is not sure until the latest brand strategy adjustment in 2019. Xigua Video is defined as a multiculturalism comprehensive video platform, with multiple business lines such as short video, long video, PUGC, live streams, etc.
ByteDanse are facing big challenges
When a single platform is facing endogenous growth pressure and the group needs greater motivation, connecting the five major platforms is a new option for ByteDance. However, it should be noted that ByteDance is not the first to connect all major platforms to open up global traffic.
In 2020, in “Taobao Live Annual 330 Ceremony”, Taobao Live publicly stated that Taobao Live will link the entire Ali economy in 2020 in order to connect global partners and provide users a more open platform.
Until now, Taobao Live has not only connected all internal traffic but also cooperate with Baidu and others to distribute traffic.
A person in charge of a content marketing agency emphasized: “Taobao Live is not the only one competing with ByteDanse platforms for traffic. Xigua Video also has a competitive relationship with Youku, iQiyi and Tencent Video, and many others.
Today, ByteDance and its major traffic platforms are facing a great challenge, but also a big opportunity. The competition among Internet giants will often give businesses a new leap forward.
This new is also a good opportunity for advertisers and brands because you don’t need anymore to do your marketing on all those platforms. If you want to know more details and find someone capable to make you a successful marketing strategy, contact GMA, a professional Chinese marketing agency.
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