Real estate agents have a lot of excuses for not using TikTok. But the ones who jumped on early are seeing incredible results:
@byronlazine How @glenndabaker ♬ original sound – Byron Lazine
Social media apps are constantly evolving and releasing new features to keep their competitive edge, and TikTok is no exception. Whether you’re brand new to the platform or one of the original users, here are the new TikTok features you should be aware of.
PHOTO MODE
The first big feature TikTok has rolled out is photo mode. This is huge for people who say they don’t know how to make TikTok videos.
TikTok’s Photo Mode enables users to share multiple photos in a post that essentially mimics Instagram’s Carousel feature—the IG feature that gets the most likes and comments, according to a HubSpot report.
TikTok’s Photo Mode allows users to share carousel posts of still images that automatically display one after another. Viewers can also swipe through at their own pace. A major difference from Instagram’s Carousel is the option to add music, creating a soundtrack for the photos.
Photo mode is handy for agents, as it’s a way to showcase high-quality listing photos.
To use photo mode:
- Update the TikTok app
- Start a new TikTok with the “+” sign
- Hit “upload” in the bottom right corner
- Select the photos you want to include in your carousel and hit “next” in the bottom right corner
- Click “Switch to photo mode” at the bottom of the screen
LONGER DESCRIPTIONS
On top of photo mode, TikTok announced longer descriptions for content, jumping from the 300-character limit to 2,200 characters allowed on each post.
Everyone has dealt with the frustration of running out of space in the caption of a TikTok, especially when you’re able to fit your caption in and have no room for tags.
Longer descriptions allow you to talk about anything you want at length and can lead to better SEO within the app. Never be discouraged by character limits again.
TikTok Now
In a not-so-transparent effort to mirror the app BeReal, TikTok has unveiled the TikTok Now feature.
BeReal is a social media app that asks users to post unfiltered photos of themselves once a day. Gaining massive popularity with Gen Z this year, it’s meant to encourage people to be more authentic instead of posting filtered photos and edited videos. The concept of TikTok Now is the same.
TikTok Now sends out a notification once a day, at a random time, encouraging users to take one photo with their smartphone’s outward-facing camera and one selfie at the same time to show people what they’re really doing at a specific moment.
Source: TikTok Newsroom
Both apps advocate for transparency and sharing unfiltered, uncrated versions of yourself that wouldn’t usually be seen on social media.
As an agent, using TikTok Now could be a creative way to show your audience the mundane parts of your day that you wouldn’t necessarily brag about on other social media platforms. It could also be a way for clients to see all the crazy things agents do on a daily basis!
Which new TikTok feature are you most excited about?
