Last week, TikTok released the Spotlight tool, which allows users to identify the movie or series in a video posted on the platform. The new feature will help studios and streaming services promote their content, but it will also make life easier for users. The Spotlight button appears just above the account name and takes you to a dedicated page with information about the content.
As TikTok itself reveals in the Spotlight announcement, the goal of the tool is to allow studios to evaluate and monitor their productions on the platform. The social network explains that Spotlight will help companies decide which excerpts should be removed and see the public’s reaction to the productions, in addition to monitoring which films and series are currently trending.
Consequently, the information gathered from these analyses will be used to improve production campaigns and help studios make decisions, about whether to cancel, renew or make changes to the story. Studios can also use the functionality to encourage creators to produce videos.
TikTok Spotlight could change engagement
For accounts that post clips from movies and TV shows, Spotlight can have a negative effect on engagement. You know when you see a video that is clearly from a movie or TV show and the account doesn’t say where it came from? This feature solves this omission.
You’ve probably already commented asking for the movie/series or scrolled through the comments to find out the source. By omitting the origin of the video, the creator takes advantage of the social network’s business model, which favors accounts that engage users the most.
This omission helps the creator increase their metrics. With more views, “what’s the movie” comments, and time on the video, the better for them. Spotlight looks terrible for the “creators.” If it’s terrible for them, the better for us.
However, the Spotlight button only appears for accounts that follow TikTok’s brand safety policies — basically, the video must not contain content that is harmful to users, such as any editing with inappropriate jokes or messages with hate speech.
New feature makes it easier to access films and series
By clicking on the Spotlight button, the user is taken to a page dedicated to the content. Through this page, it is possible to add a film/series to favorites and find out which streaming service you can access it on. The landing page also allows you to open the streaming app to watch the production. For films that are currently showing in theaters, users can purchase tickets from the page.
With information: Android Headlines and Hollywood Reporter
