SOCIAL
TikTok’s Planning to Open its Own ‘TikTok Kitchen’ Chain of Delivery-Only Restaurants
I’d like to see Instagram copy this.
In a move that I doubt many would have seen coming, TikTok is opening a new chain of delivery-only restaurants across the US, which will see the platform convert viral recipe videos from the app into themed menu items.
Partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts and Grubhub, TikTok’s restaurant service will update its menu quarterly, and will see TikTok-branded foods delivered to your door.
As reported by TechCrunch:
“The menu at the restaurants will draw upon the most popular viral food posts on TikTok, which people can then have delivered to their door via Grubhub. TikTok plans to launch around 300 locations that will start delivering dishes in March, with plans to open more than 1,000 restaurants by the end of next year.”
The model for TikTok’s food service is essentially the same as the one that YouTube celebrity Mr. Beast recently used to launch his chain of delivery only ‘Mr. Beast Burger’ restaurants, which has since delivered over a million burgers, and is expanding into new regions.
The process involves using staff and kitchens from other, existing restaurants to handle local orders, which means lower overheads, due to not operating physical stores, and more flexibility in scale and expansion.
Virtual Dining Concepts was involved in the Mr. Beast Burger project as well, so the company’s well-versed in such an operation, and TikTok will be leaning on its expertise to stretch its branding into a whole new area. TikTok says that it will allocate half of any profits from food sales to the creators of the menu dishes.
So what can you expect to see on the TikTok Kitchen menu?
This could provide some indication – earlier this month, as part of its overview of product trends on the platform, TikTok shared this listing of the most popular foods of the year, based on video engagement.
Safe to say there’ll be a chicken sandwich on there someplace.
So why is TikTok getting into the restaurant game?
Well, it’s not, in any significant, long-term way. The TikTok Kitchen project will be more of a branding vehicle for the platform, to help generate more buzz, and tap into rising trends in food delivery. The project also aligns with TikTok’s broader eCommerce plans, in getting even more users to order and pay for things in the app.
Once you’ve established transactional behaviors, that then leads to more comfort in the same, and that could be another way for TikTok to generate more interest in in-stream shopping for other products and services.
But it does also feel like a challenge to Instagram, which essentially copies everything that TikTok does, just weeks behind.
Will Instagram also move into virtual restaurants and food orders? ‘Insta-Burger’ maybe?
It seems unlikely that IG will follow-suit in this case, but then again, maybe, if TikTok’s project works, and helps generate more hype around the app.
Who are we kidding – if it works, Instagram’s going to copy it. Prepare for a ‘Reels Risotto’ and an ‘IGBLT’ by about May or so next year.
SOCIAL
Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?
In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.
The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.
According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.
Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.
Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.
The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.
This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.
Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.
As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?
Only time will tell.
SOCIAL
Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach
While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.
When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.
“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.
Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.
“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.”Â
“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.
“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.
Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.
SOCIAL
Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement
Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.
As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.
That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.
Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.
That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.
Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.
Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.
We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.
Google Core Update Volatility, Helpful Content Update Gone, Dangerous Google Search Results & Google Ads Confusion
10 Paid Search & PPC Planning Best Practices
5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails
Weekend Google Core Ranking Volatility
WordPress Releases A Performance Plugin For “Near-Instant Load Times”
The power of program management in martech
Daily Search Forum Recap: April 15, 2024
20 Neuromarketing Techniques & Triggers for Better-Converting Copy
Reddit Post Ranks On Google In 5 Minutes
Google Clarifies Vacation Rental Structured Data
-
SEARCHENGINES7 days agoGoogle Core Update Volatility, Helpful Content Update Gone, Dangerous Google Search Results & Google Ads Confusion
-
SEO7 days ago10 Paid Search & PPC Planning Best Practices
-
MARKETING5 days ago5 Psychological Tactics to Write Better Emails
-
SEARCHENGINES5 days agoWeekend Google Core Ranking Volatility
-
SEO6 days agoWordPress Releases A Performance Plugin For “Near-Instant Load Times”
-
MARKETING6 days agoThe power of program management in martech
-
SEARCHENGINES4 days ago
Daily Search Forum Recap: April 15, 2024
-
PPC5 days ago20 Neuromarketing Techniques & Triggers for Better-Converting Copy
