Creating a long-form TikTok video may seem like a fool's errand, but doing so is becoming increasingly common. The popular social network is known for influencer-themed videos that run under a minute and a never-ending stream of dances that don't even run that long.
Few would want to post footage of them presenting a conference paper to a service that usually attracts hilarious lip-syncing videos.
Article Shortcuts:
- Getting a Message Across in Three Minutes
- Separating Informative from Sales Content
- Emerging Video Technologies to Improve Your Content
- Keeping Long-Form Videos Concise
However, marketing specialists have noticed that the amount of time people spend on it has increased dramatically.
One TikTok study suggests that users watch over 58 minutes of TikTok content daily.
Researchers also found that approximately half of all Gen Z-aged users would like to tune into something longer without leaving their preferred social network.
Businesses wanting to reach a growing market segment should consider expanding their offerings without violating TikTok's infamous time limits.
Getting a Message Across in Three Minutes
Select influencers have been able to post 10-minute videos to TikTok for some time now, but these are still rare and experimental.
While it's likely that they might eventually give creators the privilege of posting material as long as they do on every other site, those who want to start exploring long-form content will normally have to stick to 180 seconds.
Considering the average length of a video on TikTok, that's an eternity by comparison. Frequent viewers want authentic content, so don't consider this an opportunity to pack three minutes of advertising into a single link.
Use the extra time to engage with your target audience.
Specialists have found that around 90% of TikTok users want to see what it's like behind the scenes at the startups they support.
Try making videos introducing your team to the world and help build a story surrounding them.
The best way to start getting ideas for this material is by closely examining what your competition is doing.
You've wanted to find out what ads perform best for a given search and get a few extra insights on the demographic you're marketing to.
Using a TikTok ad library tool is a solid way to snoop on the most prominent players in your field.
Separating Informative and Sales Content
In a way, all customer engagement is a form of advertising, but there are plenty of markets loaded with people who want to avoid being hit over the head with repeated campaigns.
If you've never used TikTok to promote your brand, you'll want to start by posting material that positions you as an expert in whatever field it competes in.
A full third of all customers would stop doing business with brands they lose trust in.
Managers dealing with a lousy image may even want to do a total brand makeover.
Extra-long videos provide plenty of time for business owners to completely reframe the discussion surrounding their companies, though they must remain as authentic as everything else they post.
How-to videos and in-depth technical discussions might be the best way to boost a firm's image without looking fake. Enterprising young companies may also want to explore some developing trends.
Try making videos introducing your team to the world and help build a story surrounding them. Here are some effective storytelling tips to help you decide your content strategy on TikTok.
Emerging Video Technologies to Improve Your Content
YouTube influencers and podcasters have been rushing to adopt double-end recording technology, so it's only a matter of time before it impacts TikTok.
Long-form social video posters have a rare opportunity to beat the market by posting double-ended material on TikTok before it becomes too popular, but they must act fast.
Influencers planning to host many guests can remotely record their videos at each end and mix the feeds into a single video before posting it.
It reduces the common glitches when uploading a Skype or Discord feed to TikTok, so it's a great way to ensure that videos don't suddenly cut out or turn into a mess of pixelated tiles.
These same tricks should work for those posting videos on Instagram Reels and other competing services.
Marketers who don't plan on having guests and want to connect with their audiences directly can still use emerging audiovisual technology to make their long-form content more palatable.
One of the biggest problems with TikTok content is its ephemeral nature. Material shot with subpar recording equipment tends to be noisy and grainy.
Recording someone practicing the latest dance craze isn't much of an issue, but it irritates anyone watching a video for more than a few minutes.
Raising the signal-to-noise ratio is the traditional way of addressing this age-old malady, but that's a tall order when the best equipment you have is attached to your smartphone.
New noise filter apps can spruce up audio without making your voice sound like it's coming from a toy robot.
Though some marketers are promoting the use of generative artificial intelligence to create whole videos, the TikTok management team has placed some restrictions on its application.
That means most business owners will instead want to stick with more demure AI-based tools like these noise filters.
Keeping Long-Form Videos Concise
Whether TikTok lets people upload hours of content at a time or keeps a strict limit, it's still a good idea to keep things concise and avoid taking up more time than needed to get a message across.
Try writing a script or at least a general outline before you start putting together your next online presentation.
Those three precious minutes on TikTok are more than enough to give your viewers everything they need to know. Explore more strategies for concise communication to maximize engagement on your TikTok channel.
And don't forget to follow POWR on TikTok!
Author Bio:
Hey, it's Mick and I'm the Growth Marketing Manager at POWR. My marketing career spans two decades, primarily in growth marketing in the healthcare space, with stints in broadcast television, advertising and copy editing.
I went to the College of Journalism at the University of Louisiana - Monroe and a storyteller at my core. My wife Elizabeth, son Gavin, and pup Jolene currently call Lafayette, Louisiana home.
Follow me on TikTok
