TikTok is Getting Into Long-Form Video. You Should Be, Too.

Have you heard the news?

TikTok started beta testing 30-minute videos in January.

Since bursting onto the social media scene eight years ago, TikTok has come to dominate the short-form video space. Legacy platforms have scrambled to launch their own version of vertical short-form video, including Facebook’s “discovery engine” feed. They are all trying to adapt to the way TikTok has reshaped how today’s social users behave, shortening attention spans and sparking a shift toward authenticity in all social media spaces.

Now TikTok seems poised to disrupt the social media landscape once again.

TikTok is Coming for YouTube’s Crown

Beta testing long-form video is the strongest signal yet that TikTok is seeking to steal more market share from its competitors and is aiming squarely at the king: YouTube.

YouTube is the most widely used online platform, according to a Pew Research Center survey, which estimates that nearly 8-in-10 U.S. adults use the platform. It is the platform best suited to tell longer, more detailed, and more personal stories, allowing users to dive deep into whatever their heart desires. If short-form video can create a spark, long-form video can fuel a fire.

For example, if you catch a podcast clip on TikTok, you have to leave the platform to watch the full episode. If TikTok were to allow long-form videos, creators could use shorter videos to hook a viewer and then keep them on the platform if they wish to dig deeper.

TikTok’s Long-Form Video is a Growth Opportunity

TikTok has more than one billion active users. They are the present and the future of social media marketing. If you’re not paying attention to what they’re doing, now is the time to start.

If you are already active on YouTube, TikTok could be an opportunity to draw in more viewership once long-form video is available to everyone on the platform. It could even prove to be a more effective platform for reaching your target audience, giving you the chance to optimize your long-form video if it hasn’t been performing as well as you had hoped on YouTube.

But if your current social media strategy does not already include long-form video, don’t wait until TikTok’s long-form video is out of beta testing before you start considering it. If you don't have the internal bandwidth to handle video production, consider adding an agency partner to your team. An agency partner can not only help produce long-form video but can also inform the strategy driving it — ultimately increasing the return on your investment in the platform.

At Spinutech, for example, we plan to roll out tests of TikTok’s long-form video once it has been made available to the public. These tests will be to ensure our clients’ target audiences on the platform have a seamless experience discovering the brand with short-form and researching for more information in long-form, leading to lower CPAs and higher awareness. 

If you need to kick-start your long-form social video strategy now, let’s chat.