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TikTok is making waves yet again: According to reporting by Axios, TikTok is gearing up to enhance its social networking capabilities. The goal is to keep users engaged—and to facilitate in-app conversations.

Essentially, it sounds like TikTok is tired of their content being shared and discussed outside the app. They want those conversations to happen in-app as much as possible.

The tip-off came from recently posted job listings that hint at TikTok’s ambitions to bolster its social networking and private messaging features.

The main concern within TikTok is that users are frequently sharing TikTok videos on other social media platforms and messaging apps. This external sharing could be a potential loss of engagement for TikTok, especially as the broader trend in social media sees users sharing more content via Direct Messages with smaller groups.

According to the job listings, TikTok is looking for engineers and product managers who can help build a platform that allows users to "meet and interact with their real-life friends seamlessly on TikTok."

While TikTok currently offers direct messaging, its functionality is quite limited, with the platform acknowledging that its messaging experience is still in its "infancy."

“One job posting for a backend tech lead on behalf of TikTok’s messaging team acknowledges that TikTok’s messaging experience is in “its infancy.””

— Axios

Some of the main goals that have been teased out of these job postings include:

• Engage with Real-life Friends: TikTok aims to make it easier for users to connect with their real-world contacts, enhancing the direct messaging feature.

• Share Life Moments: The platform wants users to share more personal moments, not just viral content.

Why it Matters

The shift in TikTok's focus is significant for social media marketers. While the platform initially gained popularity due to its AI-driven content recommendations, this move indicates a desire to foster deeper social connections among users.

All of this points to a broader range of engagement opportunities. Depending on how this evolution unfolds, it could redefine how brands and users interact on the platform.