This has been floating around in the app for a while, but today, TikTok has officially announced that it’s launching its “Nearby feed” of local content and recommendations to users in France, Germany, Italy and the U.K., before a broader expansion in future.
As you can see in this example, TikTok’s Nearby feed enables users to view public posts that have been shared from a specific geographical area, which could provide more insight into events, places to visit, local businesses, etc.
As explained by TikTok:
“The Nearby Feed helps people explore what’s happening close to them, from discovering local creators and trending spots to everyday moments that reflect their community. To improve this experience, people will soon see the option to share more accurate information if they choose when they access the Nearby Feed. This helps TikTok show content and recommendations that are more relevant to your location, making it easier to discover what’s trending nearby.”
So the idea is that this will assist in local discovery, and with 40% of young people now referring to TikTok or Instagram instead of Google Search for such, that could make this a valuable discovery option.
TikTok’s nearby feed will be accessible from the home screen, with the name of the tab reflecting the location you’re near.
“Posts in the Nearby Feed are shown to people based on location, the topic of the content, and when the content was posted. For example, people can see local content related to travel, events, food & drink and other services based on their interests and engagement. For creators, this means their public posts may be available to people located in the city/region where they posted or tagged a location or service.”
So TikTok will seek to show users content that’s valuable for regional discovery, not just random clips, which could make this a significant consideration for local businesses trying to attract customers.
That could prompt local businesses’ to invite TikTok influencers in to help promote their offerings, with the hope that it will then make it to the Nearby feed and provide a free promotional boost.
The relative value of this will depend on how many people actually use the option, but it could be another consideration in your strategy.
As noted, TikTok’s actually been testing this for some time, with users in South East Asia first getting access to the Nearby feed back in 2022. So it’s taken a while for TikTok to expand this to more regions, which either suggests that users didn’t find it overly valuable, or that TikTok has had to refine its algorithms to improve its utility.
Which, maybe, it now has, and that could make this an interesting discovery and engagement tool.
Either way, another element to consider in your TikTok planning.
