WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TIKTOK’S NEW BRANDED CONTENT RULES

It wouldn’t be a week in the influencer marketing world if there wasn’t some sort of interesting development, right?

Here at The Outloud Group, we’re constantly working to stay aware of the various industry changes happening every day so we can adapt and help others navigate those changes.

One of the changes that really caught our attention this week and led to a lot of discussion was TikTok’s new branded content rules.

If these rules were largely similar to branded content rules that other platforms have rolled out, it wouldn’t have caught our eye. What really caught our attention was the broad scope and surprising additions.

TikTok has not only matched what other social platforms have done, but they have gone even further.

What do you need to know about these changes? Glad you asked.

Here’s our take…

The standard “sin sectors” weren’t all that surprising. This includes alcohol, tobacco, weapons, contraceptives, gambling, porn, etc.

But wait, there’s more. TikTok is restricting healthcare and pharmaceutical products as well. This includes everything from prescription drugs to over the counter drugs to CBD, and beyond.

Any content advocating for a political candidate is now off limits. This isn’t too surprising but somewhat unexpected.

The more striking additions are dating apps, financial products, and professional services.

These are the categories that were bigger head scratchers for us. These restrictions mean that familiar brands like Match.com or Capital One or H&R Block would be restricted from any branded content on TikTok.

What does this all mean? Is TikTok planning a move into one or more of these industries? Time will tell.

For now, the key takeaway is that your brand will need to be very tuned into these rules and any further developments to know whether you’re allowed to work with creators on TikTok.

And when you need help, you know how to find us.