TikTok Moves Into Hallowed Instagram Ground; Q&A with a ‘Bathroom Influencer’

TikTok’s photo mode looks similar to an Instagram post, though it takes some of the elements that make TikTok’s feed so absorbing. TikTok’s new feature displays photos in a carousel that scrolls through slides automatically, so a user doesn’t need to pause scrolling vertically to glance at multiple photos quickly. Like a regular TikTok video, the moving photos take up the full screen. The person posting can pick background music and viewers can like, comment and save those photos in the same way as they can on videos. Photo carousels will show up alongside short-form videos in the For You algorithmic recommendation feed. 

The addition is good news for creators. Posting sponsored photos is a breeze compared to videos, which require a creator to come up with a witty script that stays true to the theme of their content while also advertising a product. Since these photos move automatically and function almost as a short video, it's possible that creators could use carousels to tuck advertisements between photos, rather than dedicate individual posts in their feed to them. Previously, creators could upload slideshows photos as videos on TikTok, a feature that was clunky and little-used by creators. (A TikTok spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to question on whether the photo feature could support ads.)

The feature could also be appealing to everyday users who did not shift into video when social media apps did. 

“For the Millennials who were so accustomed to posting photos, that was the extent of their content creation,” said Jade Sherman, partner and head of digital at Los Angeles–based talent agency A3 Artists Agency, which represents more than 250 creators. “Maybe it brings in a new generation or a new group of people who are not just consuming content but actually creating content—and makes it easier to be a content creator on the platform.”

That could invite new meme accounts, which social media platforms have tried to push into creating video memes, an experiment that has resulted in some strange videos. Popular accounts like @fuckjerry and @shitheadsteve “made brands without even having to show their face,” Sherman said. It’s possible that more of those could now emerge outside Instagram. 

The Takeaway: Despite the rise of TikTok, which has forced other apps like Instagram to chase video, photos aren’t dead. Launching photo-related features could help TikTok generate posts from more users, who may not have the skill or willingness to create videos. The move ups TikTok’s rivalry with photo-heavy Instagram. But the copycat feature also shows that Instagram’s flagship product still has value. 

Here’s what else is going on…

Deals & Debuts

See The Information’s Creator Economy Database for an exclusive list of private companies and their investors.

TikTok-parent company ByteDance told employees its operating losses more than tripled to more than $7 billion last year, The Wall Street Journal reported. It produced an operating profit in the first quarter of this year, indicating a possible turning point for the company, which has spent heavily on marketing and incurred losses to supplement its growth. 

Microsoft has held conversations to lead a funding round of more than $100 million in Zupee, an Indian play-to-earn gaming platform, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. 

Instagram is testing running shopping ads specifically targeted at people who clicked on ads for products they didn’t buy, The Information reported on Wednesday. (Read more on those plans.)

Twitter’s trial for its lawsuit against Elon Musk is still on, the Delaware judge hearing the case said. On Tuesday, Twitter said Musk’s lawyers told the social media company they intended to close the purchase of the company on its original terms, after months of Musk trying to get out of the deal. (Read more background on the deal) 

Voicemod, which creates audio tools and voice modification tools for creators, appointed Andres Diaz as the company’s new vice president of strategic partnerships. He previously led strategic partnership teams at PlayStation, Discord and Electronic Arts. 

Creator Spotlight: @got2gonyc

Teddy Siegel, 23, runs @got2gonyc on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, where she shares bathroom codes and reviews of restrooms in New York City in public places, restaurants and businesses. She has almost 130,000 TikTok followers who look out for her videos rating NYC bathrooms and discussing the public health and social issues that come with a lack of access to such facilities.  

Posting about bathrooms isn’t the most glamorous—and is different from the popular perception of creators posting about beauty, fashion and lifestyle. “I feel like I’m an activist who is a creator,” Seigel said in an interview with The Information. “I definitely would not call myself an influencer, I make fun of it with ‘I’m a bathroom influencer.’” 

How she got started: In July 2021, Siegel said she was at Times Square and could not find a free public bathroom when she needed one. She said she tried a nearby McDonald’s, where the fast-food franchise required her to buy an item before using the restroom. Siegel noticed that instead, she could access the bathroom by just walking up to the second floor,  and decided to make a video about how to directly access the restroom. 

“I made it public just in case anyone else could benefit from that information and it took off from there.” People started commenting on her videos about where else to find restrooms the were free to access, and her videos took off. 

Siegel said she has begun to feel a positive outcome from her posts and videos more recently. In February this year, she said someone commented on one of her videos and wrote, “I used your account when I was homeless.” Another wrote, “as a Black man who does deliveries at night, I don’t even bother trying at this point to find a bathroom.” The comment made her consider the lack of public toilets as an equity crisis, rather than just a health issue. 

Her social media work led her to speak at a City Hall conference with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine in July in support of introducing a new bill that would require the city to identify at least one public restroom in each zip code. Siegel is on the board of ClearPath, a non-profit that provides teenagers exiting the foster care system and homeless youth with resources. She teamed up with the non-profit last year to make a spreadsheet of bathrooms for them to share with homeless youth to access. 

How she manages her accounts: Siegel, who studies opera at Mannes School of Music at The New School, handles posting and creating content on her own. She relies heavily on viewers crowdsourcing codes and their bathroom experiences and sometimes updates codes as they change. 

Advertisers have approached  for sponsored posts but she has turned them down because they haven’t seemed a good fit.

“I really tried to stick to the integrity of my brand and I'm not saying yes to anything unless I feel like it's something that my followers and demographic of people would actually enjoy,” she said. 

Instead, she’s been earning money through creator funds on Instagram and TikTok, but declined to disclose how much. 

Plans for the future: Siegel hopes to launch an app in the future, which she envisions to be like a Yelp of New York City’s public bathrooms, in which users can rate their experiences and for example, label whether it’s accessible, has changing tables, or not. 

Overheard

Anna Sorokin, the fake heiress who pushed her way into New York’s elite circles, on Wednesday won her release from jail, but is no longer allowed to use any social media. 

Sorokin posted photos on Instagram about her lavish lifestyle before she was convicted of fraud in 2019. A German citizen, she  was released early, but was arrested again and placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody for overstaying her U.S. visa. 

📅 What’s Happening

Twitch is bringing back its major convention, TwitchCon, with gamers and fans October 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Meta Connect, a one-day virtual conference focused on the metaverse and augmented reality, will take place October 11. The Facebook parent company said sessions for developers and creators will be available after the show.

DreamHack, a three-day gaming lifestyle festival will take place in Atlanta November 18-20. Festival-goers can watch gaming competitions, learn to stream and test various technologies at the event. 

VidCon Baltimore, the first event the conference has hosted on the East Coast, will be September 29–October 1, 2023 at the Baltimore Convention Center. VidCon Anaheim returns June 21 – 24, 2023 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

What We’re Reading And Watching

• Prominent influencer sues TikTok over ads she says misused her image (Washington Post)

• Game company Roblox enabled girl's sexual exploitation, lawsuit claims (Reuters)

• Charli & Dixie D'Amelio: What it's Like Having Millions of TikTok Followers (Drew Barrymore Show)