Get Commissioned, Personalised Videos From Your Favourite TikTokers
TikTok appears to be testing a new feature ‘Shoutouts’ – described as an in-house Cameo competitor – that allows users to pay for personalised videos from their favourite creators.
Information surrounding the new feature was leaked by Fabian Ouwehand, the cofounder of Amsterdam-based TikToker management company Many. He described how users will be able to “request birthday wishes, pep talks and other messages” from the biggest TikTok stars.
TikTok launches Shoutouts – fans can request birthday wishes, pep talks and other messages from their favourite creators.
Fans can directly pay in-app, through TikTok’s in-apps currency (also used for live-stream gifting). pic.twitter.com/i5zQJKNfP5
— Fabian Ouwehand 法比安 (@woshifabian) July 4, 2021
How Will Shoutouts Work?
Creators with access to the feature will have a slim red button appear on videos they’ve made. Located above eligible creators’ usernames will be a button directing users to their ‘Shoutouts’ order page.
On this order page, the process follows the below steps:
- A user sends an official video request to the creator with an upfront payment.
- The creator has three days to accept the request.
- If the creator does not accept the request, we can assume that the upfront payment gets refunded into the commissioner’s account. It’s likely that, within this three-day period, creators can negotiate with commissioners on details of the video.
- When a creator accepts the Shoutout request, they have “about a week” to send the finished clip to the commissioner via direct message.
‘Shoutouts’ could be a smart move for TikTok, particularly considering the success of Cameo (recently valued at $1 billion) and the range of other services that allow people to get commissioned videos from their celebrity idols. It seems highly likely that a Charlie D’Amelio or Addison Rae devotee would push the boat out to get a personalised Happy Birthday clip.
It’s also likely that TikTok will take a cut from – yet another – monetisation feature that builds a lucrative eco-system for creators, in turn creating a new source of revenue for themselves.
Finally, for our previous #SocialShort, click here.
