Long before the combative Congressional hearings and the Kia Boys were bragging (from behind bars) about going viral, there was a little corner of the internet where a gummy bear could live its best life.
The content wasn’t necessarily wholesome — but it belonged to the people. It’s almost like Reddit — but for people who hate to read. Almost like YouTube — but for people who weren’t born in the 1900s.
Nowadays, you don’t even have to be on TikTok to hear about what’s trending, to watch videos on other platforms, or to be spied on by TikTok pixels. But if you’re a business trying to make money, don’t ignore this platform!
In this article, we’re taking you inside the world where 3-second video plays rule the metrics dashboard; where we can celebrate being demure; where girl dinner videos make you feel tragically, beautifully seen; where sipping a little Ocean Spray while jamming to a little Fleetwood Mac appeals to the masses.
If you’re contemplating doing some marketing with Facebook/Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok videos, this is for you. But tread lightly: the way to be successful in these channels is wholly different from most other forms of marketing – even other modes of video marketing.
One major advantage of TikTok and other social media, of course, is that brands can afford to experiment and gain some momentum even with video content made on a budget.
To help you maximize your investment of time and money, we’ll focus on how you can integrate short-form video with other campaigns and use TikTok for marketing. We’ll also give you some essential tips for creating better video content, how TikTok works for brands, and more.
If you don’t mind reading (and indeed you were born in the 1900s), then you are exactly in the right place. Let’s go!
The Rise of TikTok and Why It Matters for Marketers
TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts are shaping the future of content and internet culture.
These channels are the new powerhouses of video, especially among younger, highly engaged audiences. So, if your marketing team only feels cool for two months during the summer when the interns arrive, keep reading.
In a few short years, TikTok has changed the game. It’s the go-to for Gen Z and younger Millennials (and people who wish they were younger in general), with more than 1 billion active users worldwide.
Why does this matter for your brand? If you want to reach today’s young, digital-first consumers, short-form video is the most direct — and engaging — path. But this strategy isn’t just for the iGeneration. The older crowd still hangs out on Facebook and Instagram, where rapid-fire or short-form videos are increasingly essential.
Influencer content, especially, is potent on these platforms. We’ll touch on that in this blog but bear in mind the dynamics of influencer marketing alone could fill a book (and have – many times over!).
For now, let’s start with 8 essentials for creating short-form video content.
Crafting Engaging Short-Form Video Content
While there are some differences between what works on TikTok vs. Instagram vs. Facebook vs. YouTube, these tips are generally platform-agnostic:
- Optimize Video Specs and Length: If you’re cross-posting and not using new creative, at least take the time to make sure your video is high-res and designed to fit the platform (such as a 1:1 aspect ratio for some ad content on Facebook). Aim for 15 to 60 seconds in length and ensure your content looks polished and captures attention from the first frame, maximizing its visual impact.
- Target and Tailor to Your Audience: If you’re going the paid placement route, utilize the platform’s targeting options to reach a precise audience. Consider demographics, user interests, and online behavior to create highly relevant, engaging content.
- Capture Attention Immediately With a Strong Hook: It’s really easy to get scrolled past or skipped. Whether you’re producing a video ad or organic social video content, start with an engaging hook, a bold visual, or an emotional appeal. Assume the average mobile video viewer will only give you 2 or 3 seconds before moving on.
- Optimize Text Overlays and Captions: Viewers might not have their sound on. Use text overlays to convey key messages and highlight calls-to-action (CTAs).
- Leverage Trends Cautiously: Trend-driven content can increase engagement and visibility but should align with your brand to avoid feeling forced or disjointed. Don’t jump on every single trend – you might only get one or two golden opportunities per year when the internet is collectively doing something that you can authentically take a bite out of. Forcing your brand in all the things all the time is just a little tacky (and ineffective).
- Repurpose Content Across Platforms: Maximize reach by adapting your ads or other video for all social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This can apply both to short-form video and repackaging longer-form content for new audiences.
- Continuously Test and Track Performance: Here’s one thing to love about short-form video. You can fail fast! A/B test different ad elements — like visuals, messaging, and CTAs — and monitor key video marketing metrics (views, engagement, CTR, and conversion rates) to refine and improve future campaigns.
- Engage With Your Audience: Respond to comments, ask questions, and encourage engagement. Algorithms prioritize content that drives interaction, so let your audience feel involved.
And that last tip leads us to a full-circle moment …
The Value of Organic Content
Remember: The people of TikTok, Reels, and Shorts are looking to be entertained (or at least decently distracted) – not deeply educated, thoroughly sold to, or generally made to feel that they’re being held hostage by a time-share salesman.
Organic content – particularly influencer content about your brand – may well be far more effective than video ads when it comes to the short-form space.
Here’s some quick advice for working with social media influencers:
- Be picky: Find influencers whose audience, values, and style align with your brand. Don’t just focus on follower count — micro-influencers with smaller but engaged audiences can work great!
- Be clear: Define what you want from the partnership (e.g., awareness, sales, engagement) and align your content strategy with measurable objectives. Be clear about messaging but allow creative freedom.
- Be heads-up: Track engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments, conversions) to gauge success. Use this data to adjust future campaigns for better results.
- Be chill, bruh: Allow influencers to present your product in their own voice, which builds trust with their audience. Encourage influencers to incorporate trends (like #GRWM) into their videos. This makes the content feel more relevant and shareable.
Influencers aside, short-form video platforms can be a great place to pressure-test your next video marketing campaign. Keeping things short has been proven to boost ad recall and generally drive “top-of-funnel” engagement. But to go beyond brand awareness, you’ll probably need more than TikTok.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using TikTok for Business?
Like any other social media marketing channel, the point of a business being on TikTok revolves around reaching likely customers.
Brands that cater to the youngest crowd of consumers not only need to be on TikTok but also need a robust strategy for breaking through the noise and stopping people mid-scroll. It’s also a no-brainer for e-comm and direct-to-consumer product sales.
For everyone else, this is a tougher question to answer.
Take, for instance, the fact that 70% of users on TikTok are between the ages of 18 and 34. For plenty of businesses, this is an important demographic. But the majority are 18 to 24-year-olds (or younger).
Even if your target demographic (or wannabe demographic) is on TikTok, if you can’t figure out how to be cool, you won’t reach them. The platform’s algorithm heavily favors viral content and videos produced by a relatively small group of creators, unfortunately.
Now, consider how this compares to Facebook and Instagram: By posting or buying spots for video ads through Meta, you’re reaching a much larger (and broader) consumer base. The platform mostly appeals to young adults but holds its own with the older crowd – which usually has more money to spend. The average Facebook user, data suggests, is around 32.
While there’s no downside to experimenting with social media or new channels, the disadvantage for businesses using TikTok is that you probably don’t have an endless amount of resources. It’s best to invest strategically (and be consistent) on proven channels where your content is more likely to perform well.
Sure, at Hackstone, we’re a little biased. We make commercials for people who hate commercials (and we don’t do it for the ’Gram). Everything has a time and a place. If your objective is to truly convert your audience via video marketing, we recommend at least a layered approach – one that includes more than a few seconds of content!
That being said, there’s a lot of room between TikTok and full-length brand films. Working with a professional video marketing agency can help you find the sweet spot. That’s where Hackstone comes in!
If your brand could use a little less “corporate” and a lot more “cool,” drop us a line. Let’s make some content that doesn’t just talk to your audience but speaks to them.