As influencer marketing continues to shape the social media landscape, TikTok recently announced a new feature called Jumps which allows users and brands share information such as recipes and lifestyle hacks through third-party partners. This is just another way business is influencing media platforms. 

How does Jumps work?

Jumps will be displayed as links on images that will take the consumer into an approved section of third-party content. This update is similar to Snapchat’s recent expansion of the Spotlight feature which supports third-party apps within its own platform.

How far along is Jumps?

While TikTok has been testing this application for quite some time, they have recently expanded the brands included in its launch phase. Launch partners consist of Quizlet, Whisk, and StatMust to name a few.

How should brands use this expansion?

TikTok states that this feature is aimed towards expanding the programs and services within its app stating, “Users around the world can click these links to explore recipes, take quizzes, discover useful learning tools and much more, creating more dynamic and practical experiences for our community.” Rather than an online shopping tool, this new feature is aimed towards developing brands and providing a more individualized approach to content creation. For example, a user would be able to share a favorite recipe through this new update thus personalizing an experience for their audience. If a brand would like to use this function when collaborating with an individual, they should take advantage of its individual nature - an approach that works particularly well with gen-Z - rather than directly emphasize a product. It may work in a long-term marketing strategy by gradually building an influencers notoriety with a certain hobby but it won’t be a direct product link as that is a separate feature.

From TikTok’s website, “Through TikTok Jump, we're creating that "last mile" of our community's discovery journey and helping to spark action and deeper interaction both on and off the platform.”

Overall

As a brand, make sure you are staying up to date with the latest developments even if they seem long-term. For now, this function appears to be centered around content creator development rather than connecting brands directly. As Jumps is still in the early stages, however, the third-party connection might expand or update to focus on brands upon its launch.