Kakao revamps KakaoTalk Channel with short-form feed and card-style posts
In short
Kakao said on 20 October that it has revamped the home screen and posts of KakaoTalk Channel. It added a content-type channel home that shows posts and short-form videos in a grid, and card-style posts with up to 40 photos and videos. It also opened business-channel conversion to individuals with professional qualifications.
Read the full story 2 min read
Kakao said on 20 October that it has revamped the 'Channel Home' and 'News' (소식) features of KakaoTalk Channel. The main addition is a 'content-type channel home', which shows a channel's posts and short-form content in a grid. After opening an item of interest, users can swipe up or down to keep viewing the channel's other content. Channel operators can choose between the existing general type and the new content type, depending on their line of business and how they operate, according to Yonhap and Newsis. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Kakao also introduced 'card-style news' posts. Operators can attach up to 40 photos and videos showing new products, store scenes or event sites, and users swipe left and right to view them. Each post can also carry one link and one location. For long text, operators can still use the existing 'blog-style news'. Newsis, Asia Economy and Seoul Economic Daily reported that the writing process was changed so that editing, preview and publishing settings can be done on a single screen. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
On the channel home, operators can place shortcut buttons such as coupons, reservations and phone calls to match the services they offer. Channels are introduced with a profile photo, an introduction and a category, and business channels can set the background with photos, videos or colors. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Kakao also widened who can apply to convert to a business channel, from existing businesses to individuals with professional qualifications. Those approved in a review can use a newly introduced 'career card' to present their field of expertise and career. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Newsis said KakaoTalk Channel is a window through which brands and stores post information inside KakaoTalk and communicate with customers, including by one-to-one chat for inquiries, reservations and consultations. It said the revamp appears to be a strategy to grow the channel from a place for sending notices into a space for browsing content and moving on to reservations and inquiries. Hwang Jun-yeon, Kakao Business domain leader, said: "We will continue to advance the service so that partners and users can communicate conveniently on KakaoTalk Channel." [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The changes give stores and brands more ways to present products and events inside KakaoTalk, and widen who can run a business channel. Newsis described the revamp as an apparent strategy to turn the channel from a notice window into a space for browsing content and moving on to reservations and inquiries.
Key facts
- Kakao said on 20 October that it revamped the 'Channel Home' and 'News' (소식) features of KakaoTalk Channel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- A new 'content-type channel home' shows a channel's posts and short-form content in a grid; users open an item and swipe up or down to see other content from the same channel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Channel operators can choose between the existing general type and the new content type. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- New 'card-style news' posts can carry up to 40 photos and videos, which users swipe left and right to view. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Each post can include one link and one location. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- Eligibility for converting to a business channel was widened from existing businesses to individuals with professional qualifications. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Approved individuals can use a new 'career card' to present their field of expertise and career. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kakao announced the revamp of KakaoTalk Channel's Channel Home and News features on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- The content-type channel home displays posts and short-form content in a grid and lets users swipe up or down to continue through the channel's other content. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Card-style news allows up to 40 photos and videos per post. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Business-channel conversion is now open to individuals with professional qualifications, who can introduce their expertise and career through a career card after approval in a review. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the revamp reflects a broader strategy to make channels a place for browsing content and booking. Only Newsis offered this reading, saying the change 'appears' to be such a strategy; Kakao's statement in the other documents does not say so.
- Which professional qualifications count and what the review involves. The documents say only that individuals with professional qualifications can apply and must be approved in a review.