Is this the end of TikTok as we know it?
Longer run times on TikTok mean that we are potentially staring down the barrel of repurposed content on the channel from influencers and brands alike in an attempt to make-up 10 minute runtime quotas. But it is up to expert digital and Influencer marketing agencies such as ourselves at Mighty Social to diagnose the doldrum and produce specially made subject matter that speaks directly to the audience who are there to see it.
For the last decade, the advent of short-form video has burst onto the scene, and has shown no signs of slowing down, continuing to steam forward with the emergence of YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and of course the current reigning champion: TikTok.
Understandably though, while the runtime of videos tick down shorter, the odds of opportunities to monetize and advertise external brands get longer. You can't possibly expect to insert mid-roll ads into a fun 60 second meme video without testing the patience of a significant amount of the viewer base that made the platform the burgeoning success that it is today.
Currently, we can already notice a remarkable uptick in video length on TikTok, with the platform's time limit per clip originally being capped at 15 seconds, before being extended to 60 seconds, then 3 minutes, and the latest expansion in video length came last August, with users being given the option to upload 5 minute long videos. Now though, many TikTok users are being notified of upscaling in their upload capacities: 10 minute TikToks are not just on the horizon, they are already here and among us.
TikTok Advertising Options
Knowing what we do, what does this mean for advertising opportunities? Taking a look at how the platform currently incorporates ads, in addition to the daily featured video ad which is displayed upon opening the app, you can generally expect to see a paid video ad on your For You page once every couple of minutes, lightly interspersed in between curated videos. However, with longer videos now on the horizon, it is predicted that midroll ads are on the cards, similar to that of YouTube's offering.
This may work to the benefit of the content creator - producing longer form video which is able to be monetised natively - although it may end up eventually turning viewers away from the platform, as attention spans wane and frustrations begin to fester - a once fast-paced and facile way to consume and share light-hearted curated content slowly morphs into yet another video-sharing offering, identical to those that came before it.
However this needn't necessarily be the case. On one hand, while we are potentially staring down the barrel of repurposed content - created natively for one platform and shoehorned into another in an attempt to make-up 10 minute runtime quotas - expert agencies such as ourselves at Mighty Social will look to diagnose the doldrum and produce specially made subject matter that speaks directly to the audience who are there to see it.
Interesting and dynamic shop ads - which are a growing offering on TikTok - can be utilised in a way like never before during longer-form video. Trending music choices could perhaps be mixed, captivating new viewers browsing from the shortcut button in the bottom right hand corner. Filters with an uptick in popularity could perhaps be a similar story - just one hashtag away.
What does increased video length mean for TikTok User growth?
With its already versatile range of entertainment and advertising potential, there is a plethora of potential ways in which TikTok can maintain its status as king of bitesized shareable video content, long after it creeps into longer territories. Although it will certainly be interesting to see whether or not there is a noticeable impact on user behavior and interest, and if they can successfully extend user engagement within the app itself, beyond the behemoth numbers it already boasts.
Boasting aside, although TikTok already has a $500 million creator fund, as well as donations and tips, these options don’t come close to facilitating similar earning potentials as on YouTube for example. However, it seems as though this is TikTok’s attempt at giving its creators the capacity to generate direct revenue on the platform.
Is long form content on TikTok here to stay?
Longer-form videos are well underway to becoming a mainstay on the platform, and you'll most likely see the communities start to shift to reflect that - with new trends generating around the longer clips, quality of life updates within the app itself such as ways to specifically filter video length or perhaps even searchable playlists purpose built for longer videos as opposed to one-track audio clips.
On the other hand, if this expansion into newer territories isn't well received by the audiences that make up the billion users on TikTok, we could expect to see some push-back from the very same people, migrating toward different platforms. It is due to this potential fallout, that it is imperative that TikTok listens to the users that have built it up into the household name that it is today.
Going by the way we've seen social platforms come and go in the past, it's easy to see either of these outcomes come to fruition. However, where the current 5 minute offering wasn't the starting point for the app, I don't believe 10 minute video lengths will be the end. I think we're just getting started.
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