TikTok's users know the feeling of being limited by character counts, but not anymore, as the platform recently updated its limit, which is a huge step forward. Video descriptions offer another way to captivate an individual and can also be a way to provide additional information. But when capped, it can be hard to get the message across.
Recently, TikTok made updates to its platform. It included editing tools and new ways to share posts. But one overlooked change is description character limits. Once limited to 300 characters, the allowed usage has increased.
Character limits may not seem important to some users, especially the viewers, but for content creators, it changes the game. TikTok has increased the maximum to 2,200 characters. Think of the possibilities of additional information creators can provide their audience. For a cooking profile, that is space for recipe ingredients. And for a finance guru, that is extra room for information that could help their followers. But more importantly, that means it is a way for the account to use SEO to reach its target audience. Several social media platforms depend on keywords to get their content onto the proper user's screen. TikTok is no different, especially since more people are heading toward TikTok to find their favorite skin care product. With 2,200 words, the content creator can now make the descriptions keyword friendly in a way that benefits their audience. Whereas previously, creators relied on hashtags that did not lend any extra help to their followers.
TikTok Is Taking On Instagram
TikTok says that the increase stems from the addition of their newest feature, Photo Mode. But that indicates much more about the future of TikTok than anyone could imagine. TikTok is known as a short-form video platform favored by teens and adults. Still, they have two significant competitors, YouTube and Instagram. Both are successful in different ways, but both platforms have integrated TikTok-like features into their apps to keep up with the young social app. Still, adding Photo Mode and increased captions is hard not to recognize that it is very similar to Instagram's iconic photo-sharing feature. Up until now, that is what distinguished the two platforms.
Even if TikTok is using the new feature to be more competitive with Instagram, the increased description limits are still beneficial for content creators and viewers alike. Users don't have to rely on a sea of hashtags to narrow down a specific result, and creators can ensure their content reaches the people who will engage with their posts. Though nobody knows TikTok's actual algorithm, it's constantly changing, so experiment by trial and error.
Sources: TikTok