TikTok has partnered with Barnes & Noble to unveil a new initiative to help promote literacy on the app: the #BookTokChallenge.
We’re bringing back summer reading like it’s never been done before! Starting today, we’re encouraging our community to discover new books to read and then share their reactions on TikTok using #BookTokChallenge. https://t.co/uqlkQhyVZC
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) June 29, 2022
The social media platform announced the news Wednesday morning through a news release, noting that it’s partnering with Barnes & Noble in the process.
@bnbuzz The moment you didn’t know you were waiting for! The #booktokchallenge ♬ original sound – Barnes & Noble
“We are looking forward to exploring these new avenues within TikTok,” Michele Laikowski, head of social media for Barnes & Noble, said. “The #BookTok community has been such a driving medium in discovering favorite paperbacks and bringing worthy titles back to the forefront of customers’ minds.”
“Helping more readers enjoy good books is key to Barnes & Noble’s purpose, and when you pair our local Bookseller recommendations with #BookTok recommended reads, any reader can consider their summer plans booked,” she continued.
The #BookTokChallenge will go on throughout Aug. 31, and it’s centered on “encouraging people to discover and read new books and authors and then share their reactions with the TikTok community.”
“As teens are home from school and families are looking for engaging offline activities to do over the summer, diving into a new book is something everyone can do whether at their favorite bookstore or local library,” TikTok said in its news release. “Once they’re done reading a new book, they can share what they’ve read on TikTok and how it’s meaningful to them, and [they can] inspire others to do the same.”
Currently, the #BookTok hashtag has over 60B global views and nearly 11M videos, so there’s already plenty of material to check out if you’re interested!
It’s also worth adding that TikTok is partnering with several content creators who create book reviews to help spread the word about the #BookTokChallenge, including @kendra.reads, @bookpapi, @thebooksiveloved, @aymansbooks, @maistorybook and @kevintnorman.
@kendra.reads Join the #BookTokChallenge this summer! #ad #TikTokPartner #bookreview #bookish #reading #booktok ♬ original sound – Kendra
Are you planning on participating in the #BookTokChallenge? Let us know in the comments, and don’t be afraid to drop a few book recommendations, too.