From Content to Conversion TikTok's New All-in-One Funnel Tools

From Content to Conversion: TikTok's New All-in-One Funnel Tools ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/gce739VpATA/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [From Content to Conversion: TikTok's New All-in-One Funnel Tools](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [tiktok-marketing, ai-content-creation, social-commerce, influencer-marketing, video-marketing, search-optimization] > author: [MISSING] > source: Social Media Marketing Podcast > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: From Content to Conversion: TikTok's New All-in-One Funnel Tools >  ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - TikTok is building a comprehensive marketing ecosystem with AI-powered content creation (Symphony), search optimization (Search Hubs), and commerce integration (TikTok Go). - Symphony Creative Studio uses Seedance technology to generate video content from text prompts, avatars, and existing assets, with multi-language support. - Search Hubs allow brands to control branded search experiences, similar to Google's sponsored results but integrated more naturally into TikTok's interface. - TikTok Go enables in-app travel booking, representing a shift toward keeping users entirely within the platform ecosystem. - Key concerns include AI content "slop," ethical implications of AI avatars making false personal claims, and platform lock-in effects. - Bottom line: TikTok is positioning itself as a complete marketing funnel solution, challenging traditional advertising platforms while raising questions about content authenticity. ## 📖 Main Content TikTok is aggressively expanding beyond short-form video into a complete marketing ecosystem that handles content creation, search optimization, and commerce transactions. The three major developments discussed are Symphony Creative Studio, Search Hubs, and TikTok Go. **Symphony Creative Studio** leverages Seedance (ByteDance's AI video platform) to generate content from text prompts, images, or existing assets. Users can create AI avatars that speak in over 30 languages, potentially replacing human influencers and actors. The tool offers daily auto-generated video suggestions customized to brand activities. **Search Hubs** function as branded search destinations that appear at the top of TikTok search results, similar to Google's sponsored listings but more integrated into the user experience. Four types exist: branded search (your brand name), e-commerce (TikTok Shop integration), category ownership (keyword-based), and sponsor search (cultural events/trends). **TikTok Go** enables in-app travel booking for hotels, attractions, and tours, keeping users within the platform while creators earn commissions. This represents TikTok's move into transaction completion rather than just discovery. ### Ethical and Strategic Concerns The discussion reveals significant concerns about AI-generated content authenticity. Example scripts include AI avatars making personal claims like "my friend told me about this lipstick" when no friend exists. While content will be labeled as AI-generated, the quality is reportedly indistinguishable from human-created content. The concept of "AI slop" emerges as a major concern—low-quality, auto-generated content flooding feeds if daily content generation becomes widespread. However, experts suggest TikTok's algorithm and user feedback will naturally filter out poor-performing content. Platform lock-in effects are another consideration, as TikTok creates tools optimized specifically for their ecosystem, making it harder for brands to maintain platform-agnostic strategies. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=0) Symphony Creative Studio Introduction - AI-powered creative suite for TikTok-first content - Works for both organic and paid content - Can create video from text prompts and existing assets - Multi-language translation capabilities #### ⏱️ [00:02:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=150) Keenya Kelly's Seedance Experience - Downloaded Seedance a month ago as precursor to Symphony integration - Found it superior to Sora for video generation - Particularly useful for busy content creators and businesses - Quality has been improving rapidly #### ⏱️ [00:05:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=345) AI Avatar Ethical Concerns - Discussion of AI avatars making false personal claims - Example: "My friend told me about this lipstick" with no actual friend - Comparison to hiring human actors with scripts - Content will be labeled but may not be obvious to users #### ⏱️ [00:12:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=735) AI Slop and Daily Generation Concerns - "AI slop" - low-quality auto-generated content flooding feeds - TikTok offering daily auto-generated video suggestions - Concern about 5% creators becoming 20% with poor content - Expectation that algorithm will filter out poor performance #### ⏱️ [00:18:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=1110) Platform Lock-in vs Agnostic Tools - Recommendation to use platform-agnostic tools when possible - TikTok creating special platform-specific features for lock-in - Comparison to editing in CapCut vs native platform editors - TikTok claims Symphony has no algorithm connection #### ⏱️ [00:22:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=1320) Search Hubs Overview - Branded search destinations at top of TikTok search results - Four types: branded, e-commerce, category, sponsor - Similar to Google sponsored results but more integrated - Users currently unaware these are paid placements #### ⏱️ [00:28:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=1725) Search Hub User Experience - Pattern similar to existing TikTok ad placements - Users don't feel annoyed because it's relevant to their search - Opportunity for businesses while user awareness is low - Comparison to early Google sponsored results adoption #### ⏱️ [00:35:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=2120) Additional TikTok Updates - Keyword Amplifier for owning search terms - Music Autofix for copyright issues in viral content - Collage Carousel for multiple product showcases - Smart+ placement across TikTok ecosystem including Lemon8 #### ⏱️ [00:40:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=2415) Lemon8 Platform Discussion - Image-based platform like Instagram alternative - Automatic cross-promotion with TikTok - 50,000 followers from just 8 posts due to TikTok integration - Part of potential US acquisition along with CapCut #### ⏱️ [00:42:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=2550) Music and Audio Trends - Trending audio less important than previously - TikTok automatically matches music to uploaded content - AI platforms creating original music to avoid licensing - TikTok partnering with creators for brand music creation #### ⏱️ [00:48:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=2880) TikTok Go Travel Integration - In-app booking for hotels, attractions, tours - Location-based promotional targeting - Creator commission opportunities - Comparison to Expedia but within TikTok ecosystem #### ⏱️ [00:52:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gce739VpATA?t=3135) Future of Integrated Commerce - Expectation of full travel booking capabilities - Platform strategy to keep users within ecosystem - Early stage with bigger creator partnerships likely happening privately - Travel industry particularly suited for social commerce ## 📚 References - [TikTok Symphony Creative Studio](https://www.tiktok.com/business/symphony) - [Seedance AI Video Platform](https://seedance.com) - [Keenya Kelly's "If You Create It" Podcast](https://kenyakelly.com) - [Social Media Marketing World Conference](https://socialmediaexaminer.com) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase TikTok is transforming from a video-sharing app into a comprehensive marketing platform that handles content creation, search, and commerce. Their new AI tools can generate professional-quality videos from simple text prompts, while search optimization features let brands control what users see when searching for relevant terms. The platform is even moving into travel booking, keeping users engaged throughout their entire purchasing journey. However, this raises concerns about AI-generated content quality and authenticity, as well as whether businesses should build their entire marketing strategy on a single platform's ecosystem. ## 📰 Newsletter TikTok is making some serious moves that WordPress businesses should pay attention to! Their new AI-powered Symphony Creative Studio can generate professional videos from just text prompts - imagine creating product demos or tutorial content without filming anything. Even more interesting for e-commerce sites: their Search Hubs let you control what users see when they search for your industry keywords, similar to Google Ads but more naturally integrated. While TikTok Go focuses on travel booking, the underlying technology points to where social commerce is heading. WordPress site owners should consider how these integrated shopping experiences might influence customer expectations for their own checkout flows and product discovery. The key takeaway? Start experimenting with AI content creation tools now, but keep your content strategy platform-agnostic so you're not locked into any single ecosystem. ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Test Symphony Creative Studio for technical product demos and developer tutorials - Evaluate AI avatar potential for multilingual documentation videos - Monitor Search Hubs adoption for developer tool keywords and competitive analysis #### Community - Research TikTok's creator commission model for community monetization strategies - Analyze Search Hubs impact on organic community content discovery - Document AI content labeling best practices for community guidelines #### WordPress - **Core:** Investigate TikTok Shop integration possibilities for WooCommerce - **Marketing:** Test Symphony-generated content for WordPress feature announcements - **Documentation:** Explore AI video generation for tutorial content creation - **Community:** Monitor social search trends affecting WordPress-related queries ## 🧪 Hypotheses - AI-generated content will initially see high engagement due to novelty but will plateau as users develop detection skills - Search Hubs will create a two-tier system favoring brands with larger advertising budgets over organic creators - TikTok Go's success in travel will lead to expansion into other high-consideration purchase categories - Platform-agnostic content creation tools will gain adoption as businesses seek to avoid lock-in effects - "AI slop" will trigger algorithm adjustments that prioritize human-created or human-curated content - Multi-language AI avatars will democratize global marketing for small businesses ### 📊 Methodology - Comparative analysis of AI-generated vs human-created content performance metrics over 6-month periods - A/B testing of Search Hub placements against organic search results for conversion rates - Longitudinal study tracking user awareness and acceptance of AI-generated content labels - Cross-platform analysis of content performance when using platform-specific vs agnostic creation tools ### ❓ Questions - How will FTC disclosure requirements evolve for AI-generated endorsement content? - What percentage of TikTok's daily content will become AI-generated within 12 months? - Will other social platforms develop competing integrated commerce solutions? - How will small businesses compete with AI-scaled content production from larger competitors? ### 🔮 Future Research - Long-term effects of AI avatar proliferation on human influencer market dynamics - Consumer psychology research on trust and purchase behavior with AI-generated recommendations - Platform dependency risks for businesses building on TikTok's integrated ecosystem - Regulatory landscape development for AI-generated commercial content ### 💡 Implications - **Practice:** Marketers need platform-agnostic strategies while testing platform-specific AI tools - **Policy:** Need for updated disclosure requirements and authenticity standards for AI content - **Education:** Content creators require training on ethical AI use and disclosure practices - **Funding:** Investment shift toward AI-powered marketing tools and away from traditional production ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: Flesch-Kincaid Grade 12.2 (college-level due to technical marketing terminology) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Screenshots of TikTok interfaces, before/after content comparisons - Improve: Add Symphony Creative Studio workflow diagrams, Search Hub placement visualizations #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Original podcast audio, discussion format - Improve: 3-minute executive summary audio, key takeaway voice notes #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of Symphony, Search Hubs, and TikTok Go - Improve: Glossary of AI content creation terms, analogy-rich explanations #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Step-by-step descriptions of using Symphony Creative Studio - Improve: Hands-on checklist for testing TikTok's new features, interactive tutorials #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Structured comparison of platform features, cause-effect relationships - Improve: Decision matrix for platform selection, ROI calculation frameworks #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Panel discussion format, community concerns about AI content - Improve: Discussion prompts for marketing team meetings, peer review processes #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual action items, self-assessment questions - Improve: Personal strategy worksheets, reflection prompts on ethical AI use #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem metaphors for TikTok's integrated platform approach - Improve: Lifecycle thinking about content creation, sustainability considerations for AI usage ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear headings structure, timestamp navigation - Improve: Alt text for mentioned screenshots, ARIA labels for complex UI descriptions #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard web navigation for referenced links - Improve: Skip links for timestamp sections, keyboard shortcuts documentation #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast text formatting - Improve: Ensure timestamp links meet 4.5:1 contrast minimum #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive text scaling - Improve: Test readability at 200% zoom, optimize line length #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided for video content - Improve: Chapter markers for key sections, downloadable transcript #### Forms and interactions - Present: Accessible reference links - Improve: Clear error handling for broken links, descriptive link text ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Discussion of global marketing through multi-language AI avatars - Improve: Examples from diverse geographic markets, cultural considerations for AI content #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-neutral business terminology - Improve: Plain language explanations of technical concepts, avoid marketing jargon #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear section structure, consistent formatting - Improve: Executive summary for different processing preferences, visual hierarchy #### Representation - Present: Diverse expert perspectives in discussion - Improve: Include perspectives from global creators, varied business sizes #### Psychological safety - Present: Respectful discussion of ethical concerns - Improve: Content warnings for discussions of job displacement, clear ethical frameworks ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - **Analogical reasoning** (16:30): Comparison between AI avatars and human actors following scripts demonstrates logical parallel in commercial endorsement practices - **Causal reasoning** (28:45): Link between user search behavior and advertiser opportunity shows clear cause-effect relationship in platform adoption patterns - **Inductive reasoning** (42:30): Pattern observation that trending audio importance has decreased suggests broader platform algorithm evolution #### Fallacies - **Appeal to novelty** (05:45): Assuming AI video generation is superior simply because it's newer technology without considering context-specific use cases - **False dilemma** (18:30): Presenting choice between platform-specific vs agnostic tools as binary when hybrid approaches exist - **Hasty generalization** (52:15): Extrapolating TikTok Go travel success to all commerce categories without considering industry-specific factors #### Tone of voice - **Conversational expertise**: "I haven't played with it in the last couple of weeks. But when I compare it to what Sora was, it was light years ahead" - informal yet authoritative - **Ethical concern**: "And to me, that's where it was- Who is your friend?" - questioning tone revealing moral considerations - **Balanced optimism**: Technical enthusiasm tempered with practical cautions about platform dependency ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis No DARVO patterns detected. The conversation maintains balanced criticism of platform strategies while acknowledging both benefits and concerns. Experts openly discuss ethical implications and platform risks without defensiveness or victim-reversal tactics. ## 🎯 Conclusion TikTok is evolving from a social media platform into a comprehensive marketing ecosystem that could fundamentally change how businesses approach content creation, search optimization, and commerce. The AI-powered Symphony Creative Studio, Search Hubs, and TikTok Go represent a coordinated strategy to capture the entire marketing funnel within one platform. For businesses, this presents both opportunities and risks. The immediate opportunity lies in early adoption of these tools while competition and user awareness remain low. However, the long-term strategic consideration involves balancing platform-specific advantages against the risks of ecosystem lock-in. The ethical implications around AI-generated content authenticity require careful attention to disclosure practices and consumer trust. As AI content becomes mainstream, successful marketers will need to focus on providing genuine value rather than relying solely on technological advantages. Practical next steps: Begin testing TikTok's AI tools while maintaining platform-agnostic content strategies, establish clear ethical guidelines for AI avatar usage, and monitor how these changes affect organic reach and user behavior patterns. --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] So first we gotta talk about TikTok Symphony. [00:02] You can create video from text prompts, from existing assets. [00:05] Yeah, I feel like it's a really great tool for product-based businesses, [00:09] service-based businesses, and just people that want to create content [00:12] just from text or voice or just an image. [00:15] If I'm able to do it right there in Seedance with TikTok, it's just [00:19] simplifying the process of being able to do that, and I'm not having to pay [00:23] any additional money. [00:24] The stuff coming from Seedance is some of the best video quality stuff that [00:28] anybody has seen. [00:29] As a business, I would be able to control exactly [00:33] what is said, how it's said, how he or she shows [00:37] up. The downside of that is, is that there's a lot of [00:40] manipulation. [00:41] On TikTok's actual page, there's a whole demo there, and the [00:45] script in the demo says, "Hey, guys, my friend told me about this [00:49] amazing lipstick and you've got to try it out." [00:52] Hmm. [00:52] And to me, that's where it was- [00:54] Who is your friend? Yeah, exactly. [00:56] Right. You don't have a friend. You don't even have lips- [00:59] Right [00:59] ... at that point. Right? [01:01] Okay. There is a phrase called AI slop, and [01:05] my concern about a daily, "Here's something you can just [01:09] publish," is that we're going to see our feeds completely full [01:13] of slop. [01:16] Today, we're looking at what TikTok is doing, as they seem to be rebuilding the [01:20] entire marketing funnel in one platform, including TikTok's new [01:24] AI tools that could dramatically change how brands are creating organic and [01:28] paid content. There's one industry in particular that's going to let people go [01:32] from discovery right through to purchase, and the interesting thing is it's not a [01:35] low-ticket industry either, and an amazing AI tool that I have some [01:39] ethical questions about, though, which is something I think that all of us have [01:42] been thinking about as marketers using AI. [01:45] We're very excited to be joined by Keenya Kelly. [01:47] Keenya's a TikTok and Instagram Reels expert and runs a social media agency and is [01:50] host of the "If You Create It" podcast. [01:53] Today, Keenya, Mike, and I are going to explore what these latest updates from [01:55] TikTok mean for small business marketers and owners like you. [01:59] Keenya, welcome back to the show. [02:01] Yay. Thanks for having me. So excited to be here. [02:04] So first, we've got to talk about TikTok Symphony, and this is their generative [02:08] AI-powered creative suite, and they've added a bunch of new things to it. [02:11] The whole idea is that brands and agencies can produce TikTok-first [02:14] content more efficiently, and this applies to both organic and [02:18] paid. That's always my first question. Do you have to buy ads to use this stuff? [02:22] And it's being described like a fully equipped photography or [02:26] video studio. You can create video from text prompts, from existing [02:30] assets. For example, you can upload a photo of two of your products and then [02:33] describe the person that you want using them in the video. [02:36] You can translate your video's original voiceover into multiple [02:40] languages. All of these different things. [02:42] But I've got to ask upfront, Keenya, as somebody who obviously you create a lot of [02:46] content, too. As marketers, we obviously love new tools, but when you're already [02:50] slammed, it can be hard to break out of your routine, [02:54] right? Like, "No, this is how I do things." [02:56] Yeah. [02:57] So have you played with this? And if so, do you see smaller brands that previously [03:00] didn't have much of a production budget kind of diving into this? [03:03] Yeah, for sure. So I haven't played much with it as it pertains to Symphony on [03:07] TikTok. I know it's powered through Seedance, and so I downloaded Seedance [03:10] about a month or so ago, and I started really playing with it, and I was like, "Oh, [03:14] this is going to be the new integration with TikTok." And so when I was playing [03:18] with it, I said, [03:19] for me, I was like, "This is really cool," because as someone who creates a lot of [03:22] content, sometimes you just don't have it. [03:25] You don't have it in you to do something like that, and I work with a lot of [03:28] clients who they want to be able to create content like that on a regular [03:32] basis, but sometimes they are just too busy. [03:35] But for me, I feel like it's a really great tool for product-based [03:39] businesses, service-based businesses, and just people that want to create [03:42] content just from text or voice or just an image. [03:46] So I think it's a really great addition to [03:50] what TikTok is doing and what social media is doing. [03:53] I honestly feel like TikTok is just leading the way on it, but I think it's going [03:57] to come to other platforms sooner than later. [04:01] Can you share some examples of some of the videos you've been making with the [04:04] generative video with Seedance? [04:06] Yeah, for sure. So for me, and originally I was creating videos on [04:10] Sora. You know how Sora was doing what it was doing. [04:12] I was so confused at times learning how to use Sora, but with [04:16] Seedance, it feels very much like using a ChatGPT or a Claude [04:20] where I just say what I want it to create. [04:22] I may put an image of me or a video of me, and I am finding that it is [04:26] creating really great [04:29] videos. It's not perfect. Obviously, a lot of times it gets my hair in this [04:33] weird way, but I am finding that it is making [04:37] using AI to create videos a lot easier within the app. [04:42] Because obviously we know there's a lot of different tools out there that you can [04:44] use to create AI-generated content, but if I'm able to do it right there in [04:48] Seedance with TikTok, it's just simplifying the process of [04:52] being able to do that, and I'm not having to pay any additional money to use [04:56] another tool to create AI-generated content for me [05:00] and/or for products. [05:04] For folks that don't know, [05:06] Seedance is part of ByteDance, and ByteDance [05:10] is the company that founded TikTok. [05:13] And [05:16] if you think about what [05:18] ByteDance has done here, they have created an incredibly high-quality [05:22] video platform that they've trained, obviously, on all the [05:25] TikTok and all the-- [05:28] I forget what the Chinese version of TikTok is called. [05:30] Do you know what it's called, Keenya? [05:32] Oh, no. No. [05:33] There's a name for it, but- [05:34] Yeah [05:34] ... it's got a Chinese name. But they have all this great content that's lived on [05:38] TikTok and the Chinese equivalent of TikTok. [05:41] The stuff coming from Seedance is some of the best video quality [05:45] stuff that anybody has seen. As a matter of fact, I interviewed a guy named [05:49] Jared Liu, and that podcast episode dropped [05:53] on my "AI Explored" podcast on June 30th. [05:55] I'm not sure exactly where that falls in with the publication date of this. [05:59] But this is his favorite [06:01] platform for peoplefor characters. [06:05] And that is where it gets really interesting. [06:08] So Kenya, when you were messing around with C Dance, [06:12] and we know C Dance is at the root of what is powering [06:16] this- [06:16] Mm-hmm [06:16] ... symphony, right inside of [06:19] TikTok. Were you able to create an avatar of yourself and did it look and [06:23] sound and act like you? [06:25] When I first started it, it wasn't that great. [06:28] I haven't played with it in the last couple of weeks. [06:31] But when I compare it to what Sora was, it was light [06:35] years ahead of what Sora was doing, and it [06:39] made me [06:41] want to create a very detailed avatar, and I actually wanted to create the [06:44] AI version of me. [06:46] So it made me more excited about creating content utilizing it. [06:50] I just haven't done it in a couple of weeks to see what the new advancements are. [06:54] This is where it gets intriguing, and I know, Jerry, you might want to go here, but [06:58] if you have a product, a physical product, let's say, and you don't [07:02] have the budget to [07:03] go hire, quote unquote, "real actors," we're moving towards this [07:07] AI actor, right, where you basically give this [07:11] AI actor a script. And if you think about this, [07:15] this is how I rationalize this. If you were to hire a real [07:18] actor or an influencer, you're going to give them a script, okay? [07:22] Mm-hmm. [07:22] And they're going to say what you want them to say- [07:24] Mm-hmm [07:24] ... whether they believe it or not, right? [07:27] Because they're paid to endorse the product. [07:30] Yes. [07:30] So how is that any different than having an AI actor [07:34] do a similar script, right? It's different than an influencer, [07:38] but it is effectively paying someone, in this [07:42] case, the someone is not a real person, to effectively act out [07:46] a script for you. And I'm just curious, Kenya, what your thoughts are on that. [07:50] Honestly, I feel like [07:54] two things. [07:56] As an influencer- [07:57] Here we are. This is the ethical thing I was talking about. [07:59] Yes. [08:00] Yeah. [08:00] It's like, okay, first, as an influencer, I feel [08:04] like it's messing with the influencer's bank account because now they [08:08] don't need them anymore. [08:11] As a business, I don't know how to say this, but [08:15] as a business, [08:17] I would be able to control exactly what is said, how it's [08:21] said, how he or she shows up. [08:24] If I want her wearing certain things or doing certain things, if I want [08:28] him or her in a certain environment. [08:31] I can literally control exactly what happens in [08:35] that particular ad. [08:38] The downside of that is that there's a lot of [08:41] manipulation that can now be taking place [08:44] for the customer on the other side of, if everything is being sold [08:48] by A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and it's not actually true. [08:53] For example, I have blush on my face, and if they have this- [08:56] Yeah [08:56] ... AI-generated brown girl with this blush, I'm thinking the blush is going to be [09:00] great for my skin. And then it comes in, and I look ashy, [09:04] then it's like, it's not- [09:05] Yeah [09:06] ... the real. [09:07] Well, in television ads, they put [09:11] actor endorsements- [09:12] Yes [09:12] ... on the bottom. [09:13] Yeah. [09:13] Something like this. So the real question is, you'll still be held to the same [09:17] standards- [09:17] Yeah [09:17] ... of advertising, right? I don't know. Jerry, what are your thoughts on all this? [09:21] I think this is a discussion that we're all going to continue to have for the next [09:25] couple of years, and I had to laugh when Kenya said, "Yeah, I haven't tried it in a [09:29] couple of weeks." So I don't know how it is now because AI is getting better [09:32] that fast. But when it comes to this, just to share a little bit more, they [09:36] said that what it does is it lets you use avatars of licensed [09:40] actors- [09:41] Okay [09:41] ... to voiceover a script available in over 30 languages. [09:45] And I had the same thought you did, Mike, about, well, if I'm hiring [09:49] an actor to play this customer, that's one thing. [09:53] Is it any different if I'm hiring an avatar or I'm paying for credits or [09:56] tokens or whatever? But the thing that struck me is on TikTok's actual [10:00] page where they explained this, there's a whole demo there, [10:04] and the script in the demo is this woman who looks like she's [10:08] maybe in her early 20s, and she says, "Hey, guys, [10:12] my friend told me about this amazing lipstick and you've got to try it out." [10:16] Mm. [10:16] And to me, that's where we're getting into- [10:18] Who is your friend? Yeah, exactly. [10:20] Right. [10:20] You don't have a friend. You don't even have lips- [10:23] Right [10:23] ... at that point, right? [10:25] Yeah. [10:25] So to me, if you are saying- [10:27] Yeah [10:27] ... "Hey, I want to tell you about this lipstick, and here's why it's healthy and [10:30] organic and all of those things" and an avatar is doing that, that I feel [10:34] okay with because it's like hiring an actor or a presenter. [10:37] Right. [10:37] Right. [10:37] But if you're getting to the point where you are now making up a backstory- [10:42] Yeah [10:42] ... that's where we're getting questionable. [10:43] Although it did say everything created will be labeled. [10:46] You cannot tell. It's that good, right? [10:48] Yeah. [10:49] You would not know that that was AI generated. [10:51] Right. Unless you see the little label at the bottom. [10:53] No. Other than if they say it'll be labeled. [10:54] Yeah. [10:54] Yeah. [10:55] Mm-hmm. [10:57] So it is interesting, but here's the applications. [11:01] What if you don't show the face? What if you just have a voice? [11:04] What if you just have a narrator, and if you show your products? [11:07] Now all of a sudden you have a really cool voiceover ad that could [11:11] focus on a particular product. [11:12] Mm-hmm. [11:12] I don't know. I just think this is where we're heading, and I do think [11:16] that [11:18] consumers are going to be more okay [11:22] with it- [11:22] Mm-hmm [11:23] ... but as long as it's done in an honest way. [11:26] Yeah. [11:26] But we'll have to see how it works, and what happens. [11:29] I agree. I used to have this thought process about ChatGPT [11:33] images that were coming out on social media, and just kind of being annoying that [11:36] everybody's looked the same, until I kept creating more images for myself, and I'm [11:40] like, "No, this is really saving me so much time, and my customer does not care [11:43] that this was generated in ChatGPT. [11:45] They want the thing that I'm advertising." And I think that our audience will [11:49] become, this will be a normal part of things. [11:52] I watched, what's that, "Jurassic Park?" I watched the recent "Jurassic Park," and [11:56] you knew a lot of AI was happening in that movie. [11:59] We didn't care. We wanted to see the thing eat the person, and we wanted to see [12:03] the ending. And so I think that it's going to be to the point where people don't [12:06] really care as long as it says AI generated. [12:09] Same way as a commercial says paid actor. [12:11] Well, and let's be honest, you're not going to say AI generated all the time [12:15] because everything is going to be AI generated. [12:17] Right. [12:17] I think it's going to be contextual, right? [12:20] Like, instead you're going to say real actor. [12:23] Yeah. [12:23] You're going to actually have a real human- [12:27] Yeah [12:28] ... instead of AI generated. [12:29] Yeah. [12:29] Because who cares if an image is AI generated, as long as the image is [12:33] useful. Anyways, we've gone down a rabbit hole, but [12:37] interesting discussion. [12:39] But I- [12:39] Yeah, this is going to be an ongoing discussion, and I think Kenya, just to [12:41] reiterate, I think you nailed it. As long as the consumer knows, [12:45] I think they're fine with it. [12:46] Mm. [12:46] And it's when they're misled that's when they're offended. [12:50] I have friends that watch influencers on TikTok and [12:53] Instagram that they know is all an AI-generated, [12:57] manufactured character. [12:58] Yeah. [12:58] And they don't care because it's entertaining, as we said. [13:01] So, another part of this too is they've [13:06] added a part where it will actually give you, they call it your daily video [13:10] generations, and it'll give brands a fresh auto-generated video [13:13] option every single day, customized for your brand and products [13:17] based on past activities that you've done inside of Symphony [13:21] Creative Studios. So, it's like there are no limits here. [13:25] Yeah. It reminds me of Clock Cowork. [13:26] You can go into Clock Cowork and say, "Every day, every week, give me X, Y, and [13:30] Z," and now TikTok is making it easy for brands to [13:34] be able to do this with their content. [13:35] I think it's really smart because even though people know TikTok, it's still the [13:39] little guy in the back room in terms of advertisers. [13:43] It's not like the number one place where people go, and because people feel like [13:46] they don't know how to create content on TikTok or whatever, I think this is a [13:50] really smart, innovative thing that CDance and [13:54] ByteDance and TikTok are doing for innovation for [13:57] brands and advertisers. [14:00] Okay. There is a phrase called AI slop, okay? [14:04] Mm-hmm. [14:04] Which if you haven't listened to some of the shows that we do on [14:08] AI, this is a real thing. And my concern [14:12] about a daily here's something you can just publish kind of [14:15] thing, is that we're going to see our feeds completely full of [14:19] slop. And then will people even want to go [14:23] on the platforms anymore? [14:25] Mm. [14:25] I honestly do feel like that's the flip side of this. [14:28] If they just auto-generate stuff for you every day, that [14:32] effectively makes it so that you don't have to do anything, I feel like that's kind [14:35] of a line I don't want to cross. [14:37] Mm. [14:38] I can see that. [14:40] I wonder if it's going to be auto publishing or if it's just going to be living in [14:43] the back end of their [14:46] platform. [14:46] Well, even if it's not published, and you choose to publish it because you think [14:49] it's better than what you can produce. [14:50] Yeah. [14:51] And if you think about it, let's just say hypothetically that [14:55] 5% of people on TikTok are content creators, and that's probably very [14:58] generous. What if it goes to 20% as a result of this? [15:02] Yeah. [15:02] What's going to happen is a heck of a lot of trash. [15:05] Yeah. [15:05] Right? [15:06] Or there's never going to be any views on those kind of things. [15:08] So anyways, that's just- [15:09] Right [15:10] ... my thoughts. [15:10] That's what I was going to say. I was going to say even if people start putting out [15:14] this kind of slop content, I think that they're going to see where this is not [15:17] working. It's like sometimes when people take a Zoom class, and they'll turn it [15:21] into short clips and they put all this stuff out on Instagram or TikTok and it [15:24] doesn't go anywhere. I think that people will initially just start putting out [15:28] content and going like, "This is not working," and they'll stop doing that. [15:31] And the consumer is going to be telling them, "We don't like that." Because one of [15:34] the things that TikTok has right now- [15:35] Yeah [15:35] ... is when you put out content, if it feels like it's promotional, [15:40] there's a little banner that pops up and asks you, "Hey, is this promotional?" And [15:43] I think eventually when people are posting those AI-generated videos, that the [15:47] person who watches it is going to get that pop-up that says, "What do you think [15:50] about this?" And it's going to really tell TikTok if it's keeping people on the [15:53] platform or not. And I think they're testing it, but I don't think it's going to [15:57] last in terms of the auto generation because it's going to be terrible for the [16:01] experience of the person being on the platform watching. [16:04] But if this is for ads, that's a whole different story, right? [16:07] Right. [16:07] So if this is for ads and there's a new ad it creates for you every day, and it's [16:11] intelligent enough to cycle out the ones that aren't performing or bring in- [16:15] Yeah [16:15] ... the high performers, that would be really interesting. [16:17] Yes. I agree 100%. [16:19] I think that's the dream for some businesses. [16:21] Yeah. [16:22] And it feels like we're going that way where you literally go in and you go, [16:25] "Here's who I want to reach. Here's my product." [16:28] Yeah. [16:29] "Bring me buyers." [16:31] Yeah. [16:31] And it does everything. [16:33] I would run more ads on TikTok. If it [16:36] went in the way that my ads person would go in and check and see what's performing [16:40] best, turn on, turn off, I would run way more ads. [16:43] And if ByteDance, TikTok can do that, I think that they're [16:47] onto something. [16:49] There you go. Well, the other thing I'm intrigued about is this multiple language [16:52] thing. So you can not only have an avatar speaking all these [16:56] different languages, but you can also do this with your own videos. [17:01] On a lot of platforms, I'm pretty sure on TikTok, certainly with third-party tools. [17:04] Have you seen anyone using the same content in multiple languages, Kenya? [17:08] I have not seen that, and it might be because I am an English [17:11] speaker. [17:13] Yeah. [17:15] No, I haven't seen that, but I'm sure it's happening, but I haven't seen it [17:18] yet. [17:20] Okay. And with this type of world, if you're [17:24] building yourself in where you're creating the content, you're publishing it. [17:28] We always say, "Don't build your business on rented [17:31] land." [17:32] Mm-hmm. [17:32] Should we be concerned about turning more and more of what we're [17:36] doing over to a single platform? [17:41] Yeah. So I [17:43] love TikTok. That's my favorite platform, but I [17:46] am convinced, this is [17:50] rented. And so I don't think anybody should be putting all their eggs [17:53] in any basket, whether it's CDance, TikTok, or Facebook, [17:57] because stuff happens. I just had my Facebook gone for me for two weeks. [18:01] And so I think that people should use TikTok and what [18:05] they're doing with this as a way to test, as always. [18:09] Because one of the things that we've done for years is you're testing content on [18:12] TikTok to see what performs well, and then you run it as an ad on Meta. [18:16] I think that it still should be a lot of brands testing platforms, and then if Meta [18:20] allows for AI-generated content, then they should bring stuff over, [18:24] but still use TikTok and all of them as your lead generator [18:28] for your email or text message list. [18:31] Everything else. Yeah. [18:32] Yeah. [18:33] And just a couple of thoughts on this. [18:37] Meta, Facebook, right, Instagram, [18:40] they're making major bets in AI, as is ByteDance. [18:44] And they're going to create tools that are optimized for [18:48] the platform, and they're also, or if they do it well, they're going to create [18:51] tools for people that do not use the platform. [18:54] It's in our best interest to use tools that are platform-agnostic, I [18:58] believe, down the road. [18:59] Mm-hmm. [19:00] Because that way we can create whatever we want to create on these agnostic [19:03] tools, and then we can port them wherever the heck we want to go. [19:07] Mm-hmm. [19:07] But what these platforms are trying to do is create a lock-in effect, right? [19:10] Yeah. [19:11] So what they're trying to do is create special things that most people only know [19:14] that you can do on this platform. [19:16] Yeah. [19:17] But the truth is that there are tools that can do all these things that live off [19:20] the platform. [19:21] Mm-hmm. [19:21] Mm-hmm. [19:21] And as someone who creates content, ideally, you want to use the [19:25] best tool, and then you want to figure out where to publish that [19:29] content. [19:29] Yep. [19:30] So in this particular case, I would recommend people go mess with [19:33] CDance if they- [19:35] Yes [19:35] ... understand that if they want to learn how to create video- [19:38] Mm [19:38] ... rather than using TikTok Symphony, because CDance will allow you [19:42] to do whatever you want, and you can publish it wherever you want. [19:45] Yeah, I'm a fan of that. I don't edit in Instagram [19:49] edits. I don't edit in TikTok. I edit in CapCut because it [19:53] lets me put my content anywhere. So like with CDance, I have the [19:57] app CDance on my phone, and that's how I'm planning it. [20:00] I'm not playing with it on the platform because I'm like, "I don't know what [20:03] metadata is going to be on that from the actual TikTok," so I'm like, "Let me just [20:06] play so I can have control." [20:08] Mm. [20:08] But I'm sure somebody else will come out with something. [20:10] But right now, I use CDance on my phone without TikTok. [20:14] It's interesting because obviously people feel like, "Oh, well, when I use the [20:17] Edits app, I get more reach on Instagram," or I believe that. [20:20] Mm-hmm. [20:20] And part of this was TikTok actually came out and said, "If you [20:24] make your content in Symphony Creative Studio, it has [20:28] no connection with the TikTok algorithm at all." [20:32] Mm-hmm. [20:32] Which is the first time I feel like I've seen a company just say that proactively [20:35] up front. [20:36] Mm-hmm. [20:37] That's cool. [20:37] I don't think it's true. [20:39] Well, so a lot of the conversation at-- Wait, did you say, "I don't think it's [20:43] true?" [20:43] I don't think it's true. I think that they all say, that's like Instagram says [20:47] all types of things. You know what I mean? [20:48] Yeah. [20:49] But if I take a video from Edits and put it on TikTok, it's going to stay at zero. [20:53] You know what I mean? So it's like, I think that they say that, but it's in [20:57] their best interest to get people using Symphony. [21:01] It's just so, I don't know, whatever. We'll see. [21:05] That's Kenia saying it's marketing hype. [21:07] Yeah. [21:08] Yep. That's all right. I can totally see that. [21:11] So one of the big conversations at our most recent Social Media Marketing World was [21:15] around social search, which has continued to grow, [21:19] along with at AI Business World, obviously, AI search and showing [21:23] up there. And TikTok is now leaning further [21:26] into search with what they're calling search hubs, and these are [21:30] branded search destinations that appear at the top of TikTok search results. [21:34] And essentially, you can [21:37] control the search experience with videos, banners, creator content, [21:41] calls to action, and official accounts, all around your brand. [21:45] So Kenia, you said you've been seeing these out there, and I mean, [21:49] what's been your experience with them so far? [21:51] Yeah, I think it's really cool for a brand. [21:54] Because initially what would happen on TikTok is I would search lip gloss or [21:57] whatever, and then whatever top video would come up on the feed would be [22:01] whoever indexed their video the best. [22:04] But now what is happening is that if I search red T-shirt or what have [22:08] you, the brands are able to have those, I guess, those [22:11] keywords connected to where the first video I'm going to see may be from a content [22:15] creator, but right next to it, and then the banner below it is [22:19] that brand, where you see their actual product. [22:22] You see the creators who may be promoting their products, and it's just like, it [22:25] reminds me of Google search. You go on Google, and you type in [22:29] whatever you search, and then bam, the things that you're seeing up top are the [22:32] sponsored ones. And so it feels like that is [22:35] what's happening on TikTok. I don't feel [22:38] annoyed by it at all. I feel like, "Huh, what is this?" I feel more [22:42] intrigued to go look at that brand's product because, yeah, the [22:46] creator can say what they want, but the brand is right there. [22:49] And as an influencer, my brain immediately goes to, "Is this [22:53] product on TikTok Shop?" Right? Because if it's on TikTok Shop, I may [22:57] buy it there and promote it. So as a business, I think it's a really [23:01] cool way because people are going to TikTok to search for more things than ever. [23:06] And so now it's like the Google version of you're searching for [23:09] body wash, and if Dove is doing [23:13] what they're doing with the hub, then they're getting pulled up in a search a lot [23:16] faster and easier than whoever else is not in the search. [23:21] Now, my brain skips right over the sponsored results at the [23:25] top of Google. And so you're saying you read those, and [23:28] I mean, is that just me? [23:30] Well, I'm saying back in the day, whenever it came up on Google, [23:34] we trusted those initially until we started realizing, oh, these are [23:38] sponsored, right? [23:39] Yeah. [23:40] But the people who were advertising that got the biggest bang for their buck. [23:43] And so right now, with TikTok, the average person that does a search [23:47] for body wash doesn't really know that this is kind of branded or [23:51] marketed content. They're just seeing like, "Oh, this is the best thing. [23:54] Let me click there and look at that particular thing." So it's a really cool [23:58] opportunity for businesses while people have no idea, quote, unquote, [24:02] why that is happening to really take good market share [24:05] with that type of feature. Eventually, will people say, "Oh, let me scroll [24:09] and find..." Yes, but I think it's going to be a long time before people [24:13] realize what's actually happening there. [24:15] Because I didn't know it was a thing until we started doing this episode, and I'm [24:19] like, "Oh, that makes sense why this and this," and I'm like, "Oh, that's smart. [24:22] How can I get my products up there?" [24:25] So, you feel like jumping in right now is great, because I saw a [24:28] screenshot, but my concern as a marketer is that I [24:32] would search for something, and I would feel like I was presented with an ad, but [24:36] it didn't feel like an ad. It felt more like a well-designed search result [24:40] or...? [24:41] Well, they've been doing it for quite a while. [24:43] I think that they're perfecting it more, but it's been going on for years, where I [24:47] would search about a lip balm or what have you, and I would see the top [24:50] video of the creator, but then right next to it would be an [24:54] ad. Right? So if I type the word circuit, like the circuit printing thing, I would [24:58] see the top creator's video, and then right next to it, you would see the ad [25:02] of the brand. That's been happening for years. [25:04] But now they're doing it to where, I guess when you've got more creators who [25:08] have created content around that particular brand's product are listed there [25:12] with-- so it's like the first top video is, and then video's here, and then the [25:15] actual brand's profile is underneath. [25:18] So that is newer, that's happening, but I don't think that [25:22] we're feeling any type of way about it happening because we're like, "I searched [25:26] for this thing, and here it is." Because it's so new, and most [25:29] brands are not participating in it right now, so we're not [25:33] really feeling like it's an ad so much, but we're already used to, "I searched [25:37] this, here's the creator, and here's an ad," because it's been going on for like [25:39] four years. [25:41] Oh, wow. [25:41] Yeah. [25:42] So it's a nice pattern interrupt right now. [25:45] Yeah. [25:45] There's four types of search hubs. [25:47] One is a branded search hub- [25:48] Mm-hmm [25:48] ... which is if somebody searches for your brand. [25:50] Another one is an e-commerce branded search hub. [25:52] So if you're a TikTok shop seller, you can actually go [25:56] after certain search phrases and have your TikTok shop sitting [26:00] there right at the top. [26:01] Mm-hmm. [26:01] Another one is to own a category, so this would be kind of more keyword based. [26:05] And so then if people are having conversations [26:08] around certain topics that are not your brand- [26:11] Mm-hmm [26:11] ... you can still show up for those. [26:12] And then the last one, they just call a sponsor search hub. [26:15] And it sounds like just premium placement- [26:18] Mm-hmm [26:18] ... where whatever the top cultural [26:22] tent pole type things that people are searching for, major events, you just come [26:25] up for those. And I can see- [26:27] Yeah [26:27] ... certain events you'd want to be associated with for [26:31] certain brands. [26:32] Yeah, for sure. It's like FIFA's happening or getting ready to happen. [26:36] And in Houston, there's so many things going on around FIFA, and so I'm sure [26:40] that a hotel would love to be able to, when someone types the word FIFA, FIFA [26:43] Houston, I'm sure a hotel would want to pop up or a certain event. [26:47] Or the first thing that came to mind was Alex Hormozi's Million Dollar Funnels or [26:50] whatever his thing is called, and I'm sure he would love if someone types in [26:54] funnel marketing, that not only can his video pop up, but his [26:58] profile and the link to his particular product, especially if it's there in [27:02] shop. A business would absolutely love this. [27:05] And then as someone who is searching for a particular product, [27:09] I think I would rather see the best thing come up first than just a bunch of [27:13] stuff until I really know what's good. [27:16] Yeah. [27:17] Yeah, because it is a part of my journey today where if [27:20] I'm buying something, the first thing I do, I used to go to Amazon. [27:24] Now I go to directly to TikTok Shop. Right? [27:26] Because if it's in shop, not only can I buy it or get it for free, but I also can [27:30] promote it and make money. So I think creators on the platform are going to [27:34] love this. Business owners are going to love it. [27:36] Eventually we'll get annoyed, but it's not right now. [27:40] Not right now. And I mentioned how it's social search and AI [27:44] search. I don't know what phrase we've settled on for that, Mike. [27:46] Is it AIO, GAEIO? [27:51] I don't know. [27:51] I don't think anybody has that- [27:53] Okay [27:53] ... call. [27:53] Okay. Well, we'll just call it AI search for now, but [27:57] I feel like the AI search noise is louder or [28:01] the hype is louder, but you're saying social search is here to [28:05] stay, or do you think it's certain industries that are still more social [28:08] or demographics or what? [28:12] I think because we are in the AI marketing world that [28:16] we think that more people are aware of it than they are. [28:19] I think it's people really do not have... [28:23] We have a heightened awareness. I don't think that [28:25] people have that [28:27] big awareness about AI search. I don't think they really know what's [28:31] going on as much as we think that they do. Does that make sense? [28:35] Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I mean, obviously we are in our own AI [28:39] echo chamber here. [28:40] Yeah. I think that it's like every time I go to a conference and people talk about [28:44] AI, I'm like, "That's the AI room." But when I leave that room, they have [28:48] no idea what's going on. So like most people have no idea that I [28:52] can search milk dog bones or whatever, and then the creator's going to come up, [28:55] plus an ad. Most people have no clue of what's happening because they're just [29:00] playing. They're just on the platform consuming, right? [29:03] It's kind of like when Facebook had those skyscrapers. [29:06] Remember when they used to just pop up on the side, and we didn't really realize [29:08] what was going on there, or we didn't realize the ads were happening [29:12] until years later. We were like, "Oh, these are ads." Right? [29:15] So I think that [29:18] right now the consumer just has no idea what's going on. [29:22] And Jerry, just to [29:24] kind of [29:25] level set the AI search thing. [29:30] Basically, the hypothesis is there's a lot of consultants who claim [29:34] they can get you to show up in ChatGPT, [29:38] Gemini, or Claude when you're in the [29:41] chatbot interacting with it. And the truth of the matter is that [29:45] most of it is hogwash. [29:48] But there is truth to it because all these AI models are out there a couple times a [29:52] year scraping the entire internet to set up their learning database. [29:55] But when it goes to the social platforms, all the platforms have [29:59] different algorithms, right? [30:00] Mm-hmm. [30:01] So for example, TikTok probably has an algorithm. [30:04] Well, we know they have an algorithm for the main feed, whatever they call that, [30:07] the for you feed or whatever. [30:08] Mm-hmm. [30:09] And then if you do search, they've got a search algorithm, right? [30:12] Mm-hmm. [30:12] And then they have an ad algorithm, and all these things kind of play together. [30:16] And the truth of the matter is that I think what we're seeing here, Kenya, is [30:20] that when you search now inside of TikTok, there's always been [30:23] some sort of a algorithm behind the scenes that's decided what to show you [30:27] at the top. [30:28] Yes. Correct. [30:29] But now it sounds like advertisers can kind of integrate into this in [30:32] such a wayThat it almost feels natural. [30:35] Yeah. [30:35] And this has to do with all these different algorithms, and [30:39] I don't think anybody understands how these things work. [30:42] If they claim they do, they're always changing, they're always evolving. [30:45] Yeah. [30:46] Right? And there's just no way to predict how in the world you're going to show up [30:49] in any kind of feed on any kind of platform. [30:51] Right. [30:51] That's my take on it at least. [30:53] Yeah. Unless they're paying for it. What's it called? Buzz? [30:56] What is the tool called, Jerry? [30:59] Buzzsprout? Is that what you're talking about? [31:01] No. What's the feature called that we're talking about? [31:04] Oh. [31:05] Oh, search hubs? [31:06] Oh, search hubs. Yeah. So I think that- [31:07] Yeah [31:08] ... because it's so new, I think that [31:11] people just have no clue that folks are paying for that [31:14] particular spot. Because when I see it, I'm like, "Oh, this is cool." Because I ask [31:18] myself, "How can I get that spot for coaches?" You know? [31:21] Yeah. [31:22] Yeah. [31:22] And you're right. If you pay for it, yeah, you're going to get to be there. [31:25] And I do worry a little bit about the smaller brands that won't be able to [31:28] compete. Previously, they could've had a really well-loved [31:32] video on TikTok that might come up at the top of search results. [31:36] Are they going to get squeezed out, you think? [31:38] I think they may get squeezed down a little bit, but for the most part, [31:42] I think we, as people who consume content on TikTok, we [31:46] don't necessarily go, "Here's this video. [31:47] I'm going to go exactly with what they said." No, I think that we'll look at what's [31:50] up there, and then we're going to scroll down and just see other things. Right? [31:54] If there's an educator who's teaching me, like I was talking about menopause hair [31:57] thinning, and I searched, and the lady who I love talking about menopause, [32:01] oh, I watched her video and bought what she said. [32:03] But if I see hers or whatever comes up and they've got an ad talking about [32:07] whatever, I'm not just going to go and just buy from them just because they came up [32:11] first. It's just that I just saw them first. [32:13] But I'm still going to go and do my due diligence of watching other [32:16] content just to make sure. I'm going to click on their page, click on their shop, [32:19] click on their reviews, the same way as I would on Amazon. [32:22] Yeah. [32:22] Do I think that smaller brands [32:24] will have to make more money to get in those? Yes. [32:28] But I think that brands on TikTok, if they're really focusing on, [32:32] especially using the AI content creation, if they really learn how to create great [32:36] content, then they're not going to have a problem when it comes to the search. [32:39] Because the search is one thing, and the FYP is something totally different. [32:42] And then when you're in TikTok Shop, that's something totally different. [32:45] So there's all these opportunities for big and small brands to be seen. [32:49] But anytime you got more money, obviously you're going to [32:52] have a bigger stake in anything. [32:54] Yeah. [32:55] One of my favorite things about TikTok is that somebody small can [32:59] get on there and blow up, and blow up quickly. [33:01] Yeah. [33:02] It sort of levels the playing field. [33:04] Yeah. [33:04] So, [33:05] some other updates that we're seeing on TikTok that we should talk about. [33:08] One, along with these search hubs, they are [33:12] also adding basically something called Keyword Amplifier so you can [33:16] actually own certain search terms, and it'll actually turn comments and [33:20] recommendations into clickable search links, which I think is really, really [33:23] interesting. Another one, new music autofix. [33:26] So if you've ever had a video on TikTok [33:30] go viral but it uses a Taylor Swift song or some other unlicensed audio, [33:35] and then all of a sudden you're like, "Oh, let's monetize this," or, "Let's make it [33:37] into an ad," obviously you find out that you can't do that. [33:41] Mm-hmm. [33:41] So, I love that. Another new one is what they call the Collage [33:44] Carousel, where it showcases multiple products up front with clickable visuals [33:48] linked to the product pages, which is one of those things I think they maybe had [33:51] for a bit. [33:53] And then also Smart+ automatic placement, which gives [33:56] advertisers manual placement selections options across TikTok, Lemon8, [34:01] TikTok Pangle, which I had to Google. [34:04] I found out it's the ad platform that's in other apps and games, and you can do all [34:08] of that inside of TikTok Ads Manager. [34:12] Is Lemon8 still a thing? [34:14] Yes. [34:14] I mean, really? [34:15] Yes. People are- [34:16] Tell me what that is real quick. [34:17] So I feel like Lemon8 is the Instagram version. [34:21] So it's kind of like Lemon8 is way more images than it is video. [34:24] Hmm. [34:26] It's like anybody who creates content that is image based, so [34:30] mostly carousels. And if a person is trying to build a business, build a [34:34] brand as an influencer, or just sell a product or service through images, [34:38] amazing. And any time you create content on Lemon8, they [34:42] ask you for the option of sharing it on TikTok. [34:45] And if you have content on Lemon8 and you said yes, then your content could show [34:49] up in [34:51] the FYP feed. And then the crazy thing about it is if [34:55] you have a profile on Lemon8 and on TikTok, they're constantly referring people [34:59] to you. So I have eight posts on Lemon8, but I have [35:03] 50,000 followers [35:05] because all of my content that is on TikTok- [35:08] It's like threads [35:09] What'd you say? [35:09] It's like [35:10] threads in Instagram almost, right? [35:12] Yes. [35:13] Where Instagram is always pushing threads and stuff. Interesting. [35:17] Yeah. [35:17] And Lemon8, I feel like it came out a couple years ago. [35:19] Yep. [35:20] And I don't feel like I've heard anything about it in a very long time. [35:23] Yeah. [35:23] So, interesting. [35:24] I think with the US sale, I'm pretty sure that the US version [35:28] of Lemon8 was a part of that acquisition, and I think the US version of CapCut was [35:31] part of the acquisition too, I think. I'm not quite sure. [35:34] But I've been seeing more promotion on TikTok about [35:38] Lemon8. In my feed, I've been seeing more saying like, "Jerry's on Lemon8," and, [35:42] "This person's on Lemon8." Because they had been doing that a lot. [35:45] They were forcing. It was the opposite. [35:47] Now they're telling people to come to both platforms. [35:51] And a person who is not really into video, huge platform to be able to grow [35:55] on because it's all image based. [35:57] Hmm. [35:57] That's interesting. I have an account. I know I have an account. [36:00] I don't think I've ever posted anything, but it was one of those things. [36:02] I think I heard you say- [36:03] Yep [36:03] ... "Yeah. Watch this one. I think it's going to grow." And I was like, "Okay, let [36:06] me grab my account." [36:08] Yeah. [36:08] Now, this music autofix thing I think solves a real pain [36:12] point for a lot of people, because sometimes you get all this reach for a brand and [36:15] then you go, "Oh, well, they're not going to let me use my Kendra Lamar song," or [36:19] whatever it might be. So, [36:21] here where we are right now, [36:25] will content still perform well when it no longer has a hit song behind it? [36:29] How important is that, do you feel like? [36:31] And I guess in other words, should brands start trying to make their content [36:34] without... a hit song if they have the choice, or their organic [36:38] content? [36:38] Yeah. So it used to be a huge deal. As you added a trending audio to your [36:42] video, then you got a big boost. Now I'm not seeing it as much anymore. [36:46] I rarely put music on my content anymore because it [36:50] seems to perform well with just [36:51] organically shot content. So [36:55] now if a brand is thinking about using music, they have to use some [36:59] cool stuff. You can't just do that weird elevator stuff. [37:02] But I don't think brands need as much of the music as they used to, [37:06] because if you come on a TikTok, it's a lot less music [37:10] happening than it was a year or two, three years ago. [37:14] But would it be beneficial if they had some copyrighted music to it? [37:18] Sure, because especially if something's popping, like when Taylor Swift, when she [37:21] launched her album, or I think Taylor Swift just launched a song with "Toy Story." [37:24] I think something like that. Anybody that's using that audio, obviously you get [37:28] quite the boost on your content because it's being pushed out. [37:31] But I don't think it's necessary as it was anymore. [37:36] Okay. [37:37] Yeah. [37:37] That's good to know, because especially when both you and Mike are saying, "Hey, [37:41] make your stuff on third-party platforms." And obviously you get into all kinds of [37:45] copyright issues if you try and put commercial music elsewhere and then [37:49] upload it to a platform and maybe they don't have the same [37:52] licensing rights and all of that. [37:54] Mm-hmm. [37:55] Well... [37:56] Well, and real quick, it's worth saying that a lot of these AI platforms will [37:59] add ambient sounds and music to the back of it, [38:03] but it's going to be [38:06] something it creates from scratch kind of thing, right? [38:09] Mm-hmm. [38:09] So, a lot of these AI video tools, [38:13] they'll add sounds or music or whatever, but they're [38:17] like custom, you know what I mean? They were created with the video. [38:19] They're not pulling from some sort of audio library or anything like that. [38:23] Mm-hmm. [38:23] So the good news is you won't necessarily run into these kind of licensing issues [38:27] because for a lot of people, they don't even realize, but there's a [38:30] whole AI music [38:33] industry- [38:34] Yeah [38:34] ... out there that is completely original music that's been [38:38] trained on, unfortunately, real music. [38:40] But this is going to be less and less of an issue, I think, down the road if people [38:44] do want to use music. [38:45] They'll be able to create really cool jingles and stuff like that down the road for [38:49] ads. [38:49] Yeah. And TikTok has been working with creators for, I think about 18 months now, [38:53] to create [38:55] music for brands on the platforms. [38:58] So it's like, I constantly get these messages asking me to promote certain songs, [39:02] but it's like TikTok has partnered with some creator on the platform, and they're [39:06] creating audios for brands to be able to use. [39:09] And I will say that recently, I don't know what happened, but I was creating [39:12] something in CapCut, and it added music to it, and I was like, "What's going on?" [39:15] And I was like, "Oh, this is non-licensed music," and that I could bring to [39:19] TikTok if I wanted to. So, like you were saying, Mike, they're already [39:23] starting to bring music. Now, I take mine off and bring it to TikTok, but [39:27] I could probably test and see what happens with that music, but yep. [39:32] So TikTok does allow you to add a music layer. [39:34] I'm obviously not on TikTok, but it does allow you to take a video, [39:38] export it out, and then add a music layer over the top of it- [39:41] Yeah [39:41] ... so you don't have music baked into it. [39:43] Is that effectively what I'm hearing you say? [39:44] Yeah, absolutely. And then one of the things that's happening the last six to eight [39:47] months is that the moment you put a picture or video on TikTok, it [39:51] automatically tries to match the music to whatever's happening in your [39:55] content. [39:57] Wow. [39:57] So that's kind of cool just watching them. [40:00] Because there's this funny trend where it says, "Upload a photo of yourself and [40:04] see what sound TikTok gives you." And some of them are really bad. [40:07] But for the most part, TikTok is learning how to match music to your actual [40:11] video. So if I'm doing a get ready with me, or I'm like, [40:15] whatever it is, it really has learned how to add great [40:19] music to my videos. And I'm like, I don't need to change it but turn the audio down [40:23] because they've learned me. They can see my content. [40:26] It's really cool. [40:29] That is cool. I just want to play with it now, just upload a headshot and be like, [40:32] what are they going to... It's going to be something goofy and adorable. [40:35] Put a goofy one and see what it does. [40:36] You'll be amazed because it'll add like [40:40] Yeah. [40:41] It'll add music. [40:41] Yeah. [40:42] It'll add trending audios. It'll do [40:44] all types of things, and you'll just be like, "How did they know?" And it's like, [40:47] because they know everything. [40:49] Yeah. Well, Kenya, I want to ask you about TikTok Go. [40:53] So we've been talking about, we're seeing this happen where it seems like more of [40:57] the funnel is moving inside of TikTok, at least potentially. [41:00] Yep. [41:00] And so TikTok Go is a new in-app experience, so it's the same app, [41:03] and it's available in the US right now, but it's letting users discover and book [41:07] travel, hotels, attractions, and tours all inside [41:11] of TikTok. [41:12] Mm-hmm. [41:12] And TikTok is already a place that people get influenced for where they [41:16] want to travel- [41:17] Yeah [41:18] ... all the time. So have you seen this in action at all? [41:21] What are your thoughts on this- [41:22] Oh, yeah [41:23] ... the whole thing being right there? [41:24] I get four emails, seven [41:27] notifications a day from brands trying to get me to do things with TikTok Go [41:31] because I'm always on the go doing stuff. [41:32] I was on a cruise last week, and I got a message about book your Virgin [41:36] Cruise, or a Virgin Voyages cruise, and I was like, "Dang, I already booked mine." [41:40] So it's a really cool way for hotels, experiences to be... [41:44] It's kind of like Expedia, except it's on TikTok, right? [41:47] So it's like if you want to book a hotel in New York City with this particular [41:51] hotel, here's how you can book that. [41:53] But also you'll receive some money because you booked it, and you [41:57] talked about it as a content creator. [41:59] But also if you end up booking that, I think whoever the partner [42:03] is with that particular brand might reach out to you to do a more [42:07] deeper partnership. So I am watching that [42:11] just, I'm amazed by how many messages I'm getting of [42:14] companies trying to get me to promote this [42:17] location or this location or wherever. [42:20] Like when I was coming to Social Media Marketing World, I was getting so many [42:22] notifications about everything that was happening in [42:26] Anaheim or Southern California because they could tell where I was, and I was like, [42:30] "This is nuts." [42:33] That's a big piece, is that location piece. [42:36] Mm-hmm. [42:36] Obviously makes this even more powerful. [42:37] And do you think we'll start seeing this in other industries where the entire [42:41] booking funnel-- Because you mentioned Expedia, that's integrated. [42:44] Booking.com is part of it, and [42:47] is this the future of marketing? [42:50] Yeah, I think the [42:52] same thing we can do on Expedia, which is book a flight, rent a car, do [42:56] excursions, I think you're going to be able to do all of that on the inside of [42:59] TikTok without ever leaving the app. [43:01] Because it's beneficial for, like if I was in Bali, and I [43:05] have this trip that's $1,500 for your flight, hotel, and seven nights stay. [43:10] If I can get that on the inside of the TikTok app and person never has to go [43:13] anywhere, that's perfect, right? [43:16] And so I think that TikTok's goal, and all the platforms are like, "How do [43:20] we get you here? How do we keep you here? How do I make money as TikTok? [43:23] How do you make money as a creator? How does a brand make money?" It makes total [43:26] sense that they're starting with the hotels. [43:29] I'm now seeing cruises, and I think it's [43:32] already happening, we just don't know it yet, that they've had bigger experiences [43:36] that are happening with bigger creators. [43:37] But we're only seeing the infancy stages of it, because platforms only [43:41] tell you a little bit until something's perfected. [43:44] Yeah. [43:44] And since TikTok Go has been happening for well over a year, I think they're [43:47] already doing these bigger experiences with creators on the down-low, and [43:51] we're going to hear about them maybe in the fall. [43:56] What do you think, Mike? You ready to sell a social media marketing world travel [43:59] package, including tickets, all-access passes on TikTok? [44:02] I don't know. I just can't get over the name Go. [44:04] It just is flashing me back to Pokémon Go. [44:07] Yeah. [44:08] Where I would go around with my phone and try to get these little Pokémon- [44:11] Yeah [44:11] ... whatever you call them. [44:13] No, I don't know. I [44:15] think there's something here. There's a lot of people that travel. [44:18] Travel industry's huge, and I think it's really cool that if you as a creator [44:24] can actually go to a destination and [44:27] make enough money to help pay for your trip, all of a sudden, this is kind of a fun [44:31] thing that I could see a lot of travel creators going nuts with. [44:34] Yeah. [44:35] Yeah. And I have a friend, I don't think she's taken a trip that she didn't learn [44:38] about on TikTok in about three years. [44:41] Yeah. [44:41] So, for some people, it's definitely already there. [44:44] Well, Kenya, this has been a really fascinating conversation. [44:46] Thank you for joining us today. If people want to explore working with you, where's [44:49] the best place to find out more? [44:51] So guys, I am on every single platform. [44:53] It's LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Kenya Kelly, or my website, [44:57] kenyakelly.com. [44:59] Kenya and Jerry, thank you so much for being on the show today. [45:02] Hey, if you missed anything, we took all the notes for you over at [45:05] socialmediaexaminer.com/722. If you're new to the [45:09] show, be sure to follow us. If you've been a listener for a while, we would love a [45:11] review. And do check out my other show, the "AI Explored" podcast. [45:15] This brings us to the end of the "Social Media Marketing" podcast. [45:19] I'm your host, Michael Stelzner. I was joined by my cohost, Jerry Potter. [45:22] We'll be back with you next week. I hope you make the best out of your day, and may [45:25] your marketing keep evolving. Catch you next time.  ## Highlights - 30): Presenting choice between platform-specific vs agnostic tools as binary when hybrid approaches exist - Note: 🔍 Fallacy: False Dilemma #fallacy/false-dilemma - 15): Extrapolating TikTok Go travel success to all commerce categories without considering industry-specific factors - Note: 🔍 Fallacy: Hasty Generalization #fallacy/hasty-generalization