TikTok, the Beijing-based social media giant, has unveiled a new platform called TikTok Notes, which appears to be a direct attempt to challenge Instagram’s dominance in the photo and text-sharing space.
The app bears a striking resemblance to Instagram’s platform, and even shares the same name as one of Instagram’s recent feature additions, Instagram Notes, which allows users to share short status updates, including text, music, and emojis, on their profiles.
According to reports, TikTok Notes is designed to be a dedicated space for users to share their creativity through photos and text, much like Instagram’s platform.
Some TikTok users have reported a pop-up when sharing photo posts that say their photos will also be shared on a coming soon platform called TikTok Notes, with an option to opt out.
As the spokesperson from TikTok told TechCrunch, “As part of our continued commitment to innovating the TikTok experience, we’re exploring ways to empower our community to create and share their creativity with photos and text in a dedicated space for those formats.”
The Copycat Phenomenon in Social Media
The copycat phenomenon is not uncommon in the world of social media, as Mike Proulx, a research director at analysis firm Forrester, noted, “The copycat phenomenon runs rampant across social media platforms.”
However, when these copycat features are done well, they can pay off, as seen with Instagram’s introduction of the “Stories” feature to rival Snapchat.
A Glimpse into TikTok Notes
While the design and release date details for TikTok Notes have not been finalized, the website, notes.tiktok.com, is currently live, offering a preview of Polaroid-esque photo posts with still photos and text in the open white space, much like Instagram.
As TikTok continues to explore new ways to innovate and expand its platform, the introduction of TikTok Notes signals the company’s ambition to challenge Instagram’s dominance in the photo and text-sharing space.
With the growing popularity of TikTok, it will be interesting to see how this new venture fares in the highly competitive social media landscape.
