There’s a quiet shift taking place throughout social platforms — and it’s not about algorithms or viral soundbites. It’s about group.
Instagram has broadcast channels. YouTube has group posts. Snapchat leans on personal tales. Messaging options are exhibiting up inside apps that when solely cared about public feeds.
Now, TikTok is becoming a member of the social gathering with bulletin boards, a brand new broadcast messaging software that lets creators and types share updates immediately with followers, proper contained in the TikTok inbox.
This isn’t only a random function drop. It’s TikTok’s model of closing the loop — providing a direct line to the audiences that already observe you, outdoors of the unpredictable For You Web page. And for those who’ve ever felt the hole between your rising follower depend and precise engagement, this software is perhaps what it’s worthwhile to fill it.
So what precisely is a bulletin board? Who can entry it, and the way must you use it? Let’s break all of it down.
What are TikTok Bulletin Boards?
TikTok Bulletin Boards are a brand new one-to-many messaging function that lets creators and types publish updates on to their followers, bypassing the algorithm completely.
Consider it like a gaggle chat you possibly can’t reply to. Solely the account proprietor can publish, and followers can’t reply — although they can react with emojis to point out help or curiosity. The result’s a streamlined, low-noise feed of updates that lives proper contained in the TikTok inbox.
Right here’s what you are able to do with a Bulletin Board:
- Put up as much as 20 bulletins per day
- Share textual content, pictures, or movies (every message restricted to 1,000 characters)
- Allow a Be a part of button in your profile to ask followers in
- Hold all messages in a scrollable, chat-like feed
- Use it as a broadcast-only channel — no replies, no DMs flooding in
It’s similar to Instagram’s Broadcast Channels, which launched in 2023, and a part of a broader shift towards personal, interest-based content material streams inside public-facing apps.
On the time of writing, entry remains to be restricted. TikTok has confirmed the function is in testing, and early entry appears to skew towards:
- Excessive-profile publishers like Individuals Journal
- Main sports activities accounts like Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami CF
- Musicians and celebrities like The Jonas Brothers, Zara Larsson, James Charles, and Martha Stewart
- A small variety of regional creators and digital-first influencers (together with my common salon)
For those who don’t have entry but, you’re not alone. TikTok hasn’t shared official rollout timelines or eligibility standards. However as extra boards go reside, adoption habits will probably observe. And if the platform sees sturdy efficiency from early testers, we will count on this software to roll out extra broadly within the close to future.
Why TikTok Bulletin Boards matter for creators and types
TikTok has all the time been a discovery machine. The For You Web page (FYP) is unmatched in its potential to floor content material to new viewers, nevertheless it’s much less dependable for staying linked with the individuals who already hit Comply with.
That’s the place Bulletin Boards are available.
They provide creators and types a brand new technique to communicate on to their viewers, outdoors of the algorithm’s unpredictable ebbs and flows. Whether or not you’re saying a brand new product, teasing behind-the-scenes content material, or simply staying top-of-mind, Bulletin Boards supply one thing TikTok has been lacking: a constant communication channel.
Right here’s what makes them useful:
- Attain your followers reliably: Posts in a Bulletin Board present up in a follower’s inbox, not buried of their feed.
- Drive engagement earlier than launch: Use the board to construct anticipation for upcoming content material or product drops.
- Ship reminders that truly land: Whether or not it’s a livestream, a brand new sequence, or a sale, a direct ping can enhance turnout.
- Scale back reliance on exterior instruments: As a substitute of pushing individuals to affix a Discord, e-mail checklist, or Telegram, you possibly can construct that connection inside TikTok.
It additionally solves a deeper downside many creators have felt: TikTok’s follower system usually feels passive. Individuals may love a video however by no means see you once more. Bulletin Boards shift that dynamic, letting creators flip informal followers right into a group that sees, reacts to, and appears ahead to your updates.
The function should be early, however the intent is obvious: TikTok needs to assist creators personal their viewers relationships, not simply chase new attain.
5 methods to make use of TikTok Bulletin Boards
For those who’re fortunate sufficient to have entry to Bulletin Boards — or simply planning forward — the important thing to success will likely be utilizing the function strategically, not simply reactively. It’s not about flooding your followers’ inboxes. It’s about exhibiting up with intention.
Listed here are 5 use instances that can assist you get began:
- Preview new content material earlier than it drops: Let your most loyal followers know what’s coming — whether or not it is a behind-the-scenes reduce of your subsequent video, a sneak peek at a collab, or the primary take a look at a brand new sequence. It builds momentum and provides your viewers a motive to maintain checking again.
- Announce time-sensitive promos or drops: Promoting on TikTok Store? Use your Bulletin Board to share flash gross sales, limited-time low cost codes, or restock alerts — particularly helpful for creators with fast-moving stock or seasonal launches.
- Ship reside occasion or livestream reminders: TikTok Dwell might be hit and miss with visibility. A bulletin delivered straight to your followers’ inboxes — moments earlier than you go reside — can considerably enhance attendance. Get extra recommendations on internet hosting TikTok Lives.
- Share unique or uncooked behind-the-scenes content material: Bulletin boards are excellent for the sort of casual, unpolished updates that don’t all the time belong in your most important feed. Use them to construct connection: each day check-ins, bloopers, mini voiceovers, or “right here’s what I’m engaged on” moments.
- Create a paid-feeling expertise — totally free: Though Bulletin Boards are free, the supply technique makes them really feel unique. Use this to your benefit by positioning your board like a VIP feed: early entry, insider updates, or personal ideas that by no means hit the principle grid.
Issues earlier than making a bulletin board
Bulletin boards are filled with potential, however they’re nonetheless early, they usually include a number of caveats that creators ought to remember.
1. Follower conduct on TikTok is totally different
In contrast to Instagram or YouTube, TikTok’s tradition is constructed round discovery, not ongoing connection. Most customers spend their time on the FYP, not checking DMs. Which means it would take time for followers to undertake bulletin boards as a part of their common in-app conduct.
Tip: Don’t assume individuals will auto-join. Promote your board in your bio, movies, pinned feedback, and livestreams. Let individuals know why it’s price becoming a member of.
2. No replies or threaded interactions (but)
Followers can solely react with emojis. There’s no technique to reply, remark, or ask questions. For those who’re hoping for dialogue, you’ll must immediate individuals to DM you individually or have interaction elsewhere.
Tip: Deal with this extra like a mini broadcast e-newsletter, and direct followers to different channels for those who want two-way suggestions.
3. Restricted formatting and performance
Bulletins are capped at 1,000 characters. There aren’t any clickable hyperlinks (but), and no potential to tag merchandise or add wealthy interactivity. Instagram’s broadcast channels at present have extra bells and whistles. Right here’s a visible from TikTok consumer Ayaz QA:
Tip: Hold it visible and concise. Prioritize updates that really feel informal, quick, and mobile-friendly — not long-winded or overly polished.
4. Nonetheless in testing, with no clear rollout timeline
TikTok hasn’t shared when (or if) Bulletin Boards will roll out to all creators. Proper now, entry seems to be restricted to bigger accounts or chosen check markets.
Tip: For those who don’t have entry, use this time to watch how different creators use it — and begin drafting concepts for a way you’ll make it work as soon as it’s obtainable to you.
Must you use TikTok Bulletin Boards?
TikTok Bulletin Boards may nonetheless be in testing, however they’re a transparent sign of the place the platform is headed — towards deeper, extra intentional creator–viewers relationships.
If you have already got entry, use this time to experiment. Don’t simply repost what’s already in your most important feed — consider your board as an area for connection, not efficiency. Lead with character, share issues that don’t match elsewhere, and provides individuals a motive to remain tuned.
For those who don’t have entry but, that is nonetheless a function price watching carefully. Each platform is constructing its personal model of direct, inbox-level communication:
- Instagram has Broadcast Channels
- YouTube has Neighborhood Posts
- Snapchat has Non-public Tales
- TikTok now has Bulletin Boards
The aim? Hold audiences shut. Contained in the app. Inside your world.
Bulletin boards received’t change your most important content material technique, however they can be the lacking layer that helps you flip informal viewers right into a extra loyal, linked viewers.