Written by: Emma Tessler, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Embarrassed. Cringe. Trying too hard. Gen Z wannabe.
If any of these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, it’s probably because you just finished filming a Reels or TikTok video.
When it comes to marketing your brand on social media, video content is absolutely necessary in today’s world of online marketing. The problem is that if you’re a business owner or the face of a brand, recording video content might not be the most comfortable activity of your day. In fact, you might be avoiding it like the plague until it “passes”.
Unfortunately, video content and the major impact it can have on the performance of your digital marketing campaigns as a whole, isn’t going anywhere. The landscape of marketing was changed forever in 2020 when TikTok hit the scene and consumers realized that seeing others go about their daily activities (+ dancing along to trending songs) actually made them feel more connected than ever in a world where human interaction was limited.
As we’ve reconnected in real life again since, video content has proven its longevity and popularity, not only through TikTok becoming one of the most popular social media platforms, but also in the integration of Reels on Instagram. YouTube has also hopped on the trend with “Shorts”, their own short-form video platform.
What does this tell us about the future? That video content is here to stay and it’s about time you begin to understand how to utilize this form of marketing to your advantage to continue scaling your brand online. As intimidating as it sounds, there are a few key ways to begin recording TikTok and Reels content that you should know about. They might just change the game for you.
3 TIPS TO CREATING SUCCESSFUL, NON-CRINGE TIKTOK CONTENT
Approach your content as entertainment
Too often, brands look at content as transactional. Meaning, they make their content too product/offer/service heavy – when really, consumers are just looking to be entertained on social media.
But it’s marketing after all, right? So how can you find this balance? By approaching your content as entertainment rather than selling; all while positioning your product/offer/service discreetly behind the scenes. Because the purpose of video content is to get new eyes on your brand. Video content is NOT here to directly convert. It’s purpose is to bring in new eyes and pique their interest in what you are then selling.
If all of your video content currently is based around what you are selling, it’s time to change up your strategy. Consider:
How can I serve my audience?
What would be entertaining to them in relation to my offer?
What is a common interest that I can weave into my videos that would connect with them?
From these answers, you’ll have tons of ideas around how you can start recording content that truly connects with your audience outside of directly selling. Here is an example of a bachelorette party brand that shared a video which connects to a common experience their audience has. It doesn’t mention their product at all, but it’s one of their highest performing videos.
Keep it short
While it can be tempting to talk for several minutes about something completely relevant to your brand and what you sell, this isn’t the place. Consumers are looking for short, bite sized content that grabs their attention quickly as they’re scrolling Reels and TikTok.
Keeping it short, and teasing the juiciest content in the first 3-5 seconds, is a great way to ensure that consumers watch the entire video. It also increases your chances that they will actually watch it multiple times!
This video above showcases a trend from a few months back discussing how a 7 second video with a lot of text on it will result in multiple views from the same account because they won’t be able to read it all in one play. This trend caught fire and was all over social media for several weeks. You’ll still see this trend today on videos like this one.
Unless you’re telling a story, keep all content under 30 seconds. Preferably under 15 seconds, to guarantee more views and shares. Moreover, our attention spans are under 6 seconds today, so keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to create long form content on a platform people turn to in boredom.
Follow the trends
It can be tempting to look at trends and want to rebel against them. You might be the type of person who likes going against the grain. I’m right there with you. But when it comes to trending content on social media, this isn’t the time or place to ignore trends.
Jumping on a trend can actually exponentially increase your reach and engagement. Why? Because the algorithm is always looking to show users content that it knows they will like and find entertaining, which in turn, keeps them on their preferred app longer. When it comes to trending content, your audience has probably already seen and engaged with content created by other users following this trend. Therefore, the algorithm knows that your audience likes that content. By creating similar content with the same sound, there is a higher chance that the algorithm will push your content to the same people (aka outside of your existing audience – new eyes!) because it knows that they already enjoy this type of content.
Don’t sit on a trend for long though, trends move fast and furious on TikTok. Typically this is how trends happen on the apps:
A new trend pops up on TikTok
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It’s relevant here for about 1-2 weeks
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2 weeks after it started gaining traction on TikTok, the trend begins on Instagram Reels
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About 2 weeks after that, it’s really picked up on Reels
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This trend lasts about 1-2 months on Instagram Reels
This Reels is a great example of an audio that went viral on TikTok months ago and has been continuously used on Instagram ever since.
With these three tips in hand, tackling your next short form video post will be a breeze. Get started today and it will only become easier the more you do it!
Emma Tessler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Emma Tessler is the founder and CEO of Ninety Five Media, a new-age Digital Marketing Agency. After discovering digital marketing at a college internship and falling in love with it, Emma put this on the back burner to pursue her major of Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. However, just a few years later, she left this career to form her own Digital Marketing business, Ninety-Five Media. Today, Ninety Five Media works with scaling brands to monetize their online presence on social media platforms using strategic, current marketing strategies ‒ this is their signature Ninety Five Media Method. This Method helps their clients connect with ideal customers, build community, and convert audience members into paying clients. As a former Designer, Emma brings both creativity and strategy to her client's accounts to exponentially scale their online brand awareness.
