TikTok Updates for 2025: What Marketers Need to Know

Are you keeping up with TikTok's rapid evolution? Wondering how to leverage its newest features for your business?

In this article, we'll explore TikTok's game-changing updates, including extended video lengths, enhanced DMs, and the revolutionary TikTok Shop.

What's New for TikTok Marketing Trends

TikTok has emerged as a powerhouse platform, continuously introducing new features and opportunities for businesses and content creators alike. 

Recently, video marketing strategist Keenya Kelly shared her expert insights on the latest TikTok trends and features that marketers must be aware of to leverage the platform successfully. 

#1: The Evolution of TikTok's Messaging System

One of the most significant changes Kelly highlighted is the transformation of TikTok's direct messaging (DM) feature.

Previously, the platform's messaging capabilities were limited, allowing only mutual followers to communicate privately. However, TikTok has opened up its messaging system, making it more accessible and user-friendly.

The new DM interface bears a striking resemblance to Instagram's messaging system, with message requests now displayed more prominently. This change allows users to see and respond to messages from non-followers more easily. 

Additionally, TikTok has introduced a novel feature where comments on TikTok stories are automatically directed to the creator's DMs, fostering more intimate conversations between creators and their audience.

This update presents a golden opportunity for businesses and marketers to connect more directly with potential customers.

Kelly suggests leveraging this feature by employing a virtual assistant (VA) to manage incoming messages. This strategy ensures prompt responses and better engagement with the audience, potentially leading to increased conversions and customer loyalty.

#2: The Rise of Long-Form Content on TikTok

While TikTok initially gained popularity for its short-form video content, the platform is now actively encouraging creators to produce longer videos. This shift opens up significant possibilities for content creators and marketers.

For example, TikTok is now monetizing videos that exceed one minute, incentivizing creators to produce more extended content because they can earn more from longer videos.

The platform has also expanded its recording capabilities, allowing users to create videos up to 10 minutes long directly within the app. And for those who prefer to pre-record their content, TikTok now supports uploads of videos up to 30 minutes long.

However, creating engaging long-form content for a platform traditionally known for quick, snappy videos presents some challenges.

To maintain viewer interest throughout longer videos, treat them as mini-productions, incorporating frequent visual changes to keep the audience engaged. Things to consider are B-roll footage, text overlays, and relevant images.

Pro Tip: Make sure something changes in the video every 5-7 seconds. This rapid pace of pattern disruption helps to maintain viewer attention, mimicking the quick-cut style that TikTok users have grown accustomed to in shorter videos.

Kelly also mentioned that some creators are finding success with even longer content. One successful creator produced a 52-part series about her marriage, each video lasting 10 minutes. This demonstrates an appetite for long-form, episodic content on TikTok when the story is compelling enough to keep viewers engaged.

#3: Horizontal Video: TikTok's New Frontier

In a surprising move, Kelly revealed that TikTok is actively encouraging creators to record horizontal videos, even offering to boost the visibility of such content.

To support this new format, TikTok has introduced a “full screen” button that allows viewers to expand horizontal videos, providing a more immersive viewing experience.

While this push toward horizontal video content may be part of TikTok's strategy to better integrate with TV apps and capture a share of the connected TV market, it presents an opportunity for creators and marketers to create and repurpose content easily.

Pro Tip: Film your content in 4K horizontal format. This approach allows for easy repurposing of the footage into vertical clips for other platforms while also future-proofing content for TikTok's evolving landscape.

#4: Harnessing the Power of Live Streaming on TikTok

Live streaming has become a cornerstone of TikTok's content ecosystem. The platform heavily prioritizes live content, and its algorithm pushes live streams to users' For You pages, significantly increasing their visibility and reach.

Kelly shared an impressive success story to illustrate the potential of TikTok live streaming: a creator who generated $100,000 in revenue over just four months through TikTok live sales. This anecdote underscores the significant monetization potential of live streaming on the platform.

One way to maximize the effectiveness of your live streams is to encourage viewers to tap the like button frequently during the stream. This interaction boosts the stream's visibility in TikTok's algorithm, potentially exposing it to a larger audience. Additionally, offering exclusive, live-stream-only deals can incentivize purchases and drive sales during the broadcast.

For creators looking to elevate their live streaming game, Kelly recommends using desktop tools like StreamYard or Ecamm. These platforms allow for more professional-looking streams with on-screen graphics, multi-camera setups, and other advanced features. For example, StreamYard enables creators to display screen comments and add branded banners, enhancing viewer engagement and reinforcing brand identity during live streams.

Regarding the duration of live streams, Kelly advises that creators should aim for a minimum of 20 minutes, with 45 minutes being the ideal length for maximum reach and engagement. This extended time frame allows more viewers to join the stream and increases the chances of the content being pushed to a broader audience.

#5: The Unexpected Rise of Image-Based Content on TikTok

In a move that may surprise many, TikTok is now prioritizing image-based content alongside its traditional video offerings.

This new feature allows users to create photo carousels containing up to 10 images, similar to Instagram's carousel posts. 

However, TikTok has added its own twist by enabling users to include music with these image-based posts, blending the visual appeal of still images with the platform's signature audio-centric approach.

The feature allows businesses to present a complete product range or tell a more complex story than a single image or short video might allow.

For example, a skincare brand created a carousel post titled “The perfect skincare for summer.” Each slide in the carousel featured a different product, such as SPF, allowing the brand to showcase its entire summer skincare line in a cohesive post.

To make the most of this new format, use a strong, attention-grabbing image as the first slide in the carousel to entice viewers to swipe through the rest of the content. The successive images should tell a cohesive story, with each slide building upon the last to maintain interest.

Pro Tip: Kelly advises keeping your text short and engaging, ideally limiting the text on each image to one impactful sentence. This approach prevents overwhelming the viewer with too much information at once. For additional context or calls-to-action, Kelly suggests utilizing the caption space effectively.

#6: TikTok Shop: A Game-Changer for eCommerce

Next up is the development of TikTok Shop, a feature that Kelly describes as a potential game-changer for e-commerce. This new capability allows businesses to sell products directly through the TikTok app in a seamless shopping experience that has the potential to boost conversion rates for businesses significantly.

For example, one business owner in Houston made $1 million in sales in just 30 minutes during a TikTok live shopping event. While this level of success is exceptional, it demonstrates the immense potential of combining live streaming with direct shopping capabilities on the platform.

One of the most exciting aspects of TikTok Shop is its live shopping events, which Kelly compares to QVC-style presentations. These live events allow businesses to showcase their products in real time, answer questions from potential customers, and drive immediate sales.

TikTok has also introduced an affiliate program for creators with at least 5,000 followers. This program allows influencers and content creators to earn commissions on sales generated through their TikTok content, creating a win-win situation for businesses and creators.

Which brings us to a feature called “showcase” for content creators. This tool allows creators to display products they've purchased or are promoting directly on their TikTok profile. For instance, Kelly mentioned she has a wireless microphone in her showcase that she bought through TikTok. When her followers ask about her audio setup, she can direct them to her showcase, where they can easily purchase the same microphone.

To join TikTok Shop, businesses need to go through an application process. TikTok has strict requirements for sellers, including the ability to ship products within two days of purchase. This emphasis on quick fulfillment helps ensure a positive experience for shoppers and maintains the platform's reputation.

Note: While TikTok Shop works with multiple e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, the exact requirements and compatible platforms may vary by region, so check TikTok's current guidelines for your geographic area.

Bonus: Upcoming TikTok Features

As TikTok continues to evolve, Kelly shared insights on potential future developments that marketers should keep an eye on.

One such feature is TikTok Notes, a new image-based platform currently being tested in Canada. While details are still emerging, this feature could potentially compete with platforms like Instagram, offering users another way to share and consume content on TikTok.

Finally, there's TikTok Series, which Kelly speculates could be a platform for selling digital products and courses. This feature could open up new monetization opportunities for educators, coaches, and other knowledge-based businesses on the platform.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

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