TikTok Sees Publishers as Opportunity While Meta, X Step Back

TikTok has created a new team called 'publisher monetization operations' to focus on increasing monetization opportunities for publishers. This team is reportedly headed by Harish Sarma, although his LinkedIn profile still lists him as the global head of sports and gaming at the platform. Other key members include Natalina Manni, Edward Lindeman, and Annie Jacob, who have taken on roles within the global publisher solutions team.

TikTok is making efforts to help publishers with monetization through various initiatives. These include creating a dedicated 'publisher monetization operations' team, increasing upload length, and prioritizing watch time in the algorithm. Additionally, TikTok rewards publishers with ad credits for spending on the platform and is testing new ad products like static image galleries. The Pulse Premiere program also allows brands to place ads directly after top brand-suitable content, providing more monetization opportunities.

TikTok's Pulse Premiere program, launched in May 2023, is an expanded part of TikTok Pulse, the platform's first contextual advertising solution. It enables brands to place their ads directly after the top 4% of brand-suitable content from the platform’s publisher partners across various categories like lifestyle, education, sports, and entertainment within the For You Page (FYP). Initial partners included BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, Dotdash Meredith, Hearst Magazines, MLS, NBCUniversal, UFC, Vox Media, and WWE. This has since expanded to include British broadcasters like ITV, Channel 4, and BBC Studios, as well as Paramount Global and the National Hockey League (NHL).

Publishers are optimistic about TikTok because the platform is making significant efforts to prioritize and support them through new monetization opportunities. Despite TikTok's uncertain future in the U.S., the creation of a dedicated 'publisher monetization operations' team and the introduction of programs like Pulse Premiere indicate that TikTok is committed to helping publishers generate revenue. Additionally, TikTok's initiatives such as rewarding ad credits and testing new ad products provide further incentives for publishers to remain hopeful.

Publishers face several challenges in monetizing content on TikTok. These include lower average watch times compared to other platforms, making it harder to command higher CPMs. Additionally, while TikTok is working to increase upload length and prioritize watch time, the monetization potential is still evolving. Programs like the creator rewards program and Pulse Premiere are steps in the right direction, but they are currently only available for select publishers. Despite these challenges, publishers remain cautiously optimistic about the platform's potential for revenue generation.