Wide-base Strategy for Short-form Videos

TikTok’s algorithm surfaces new accounts. This has led some marketers to take a “wide-base” or “horizontal” approach to short-form video promotion.

With this tactic, a business owns several TikTok accounts. Each publishes the same or similar videos. The tactic aims to earn more total views than if the company had shared these short-form videos only on a single account.

New Heights

The wide-base account strategy appears most common with content creators.

For example, consider Travis and Jason Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast, one of the most popular U.S. sports-related shows.

“New Heights Show” is one of the most popular sports channels in the United States.

The show’s primary TikTok account, @newheightshow, has 3.9 million followers.

According to an individual familiar with the podcast, several other accounts publish the show’s content under different names, such as @newheightsfootball, @newheightsrewind, and @newheightsclips.

“New Heights Football” publishes nearly the same content as “New Heights Show.”

Views before Followers

The wide-base strategy aims to get more views and earn more followers. The approach is noteworthy because the primary metric is how many times folks watch the content. The follower count — often the lead KPI for social media marketing — is secondary.

A hypothetical example might help. Imagine you are the marketer at Fee Brothers, a brand that makes cocktail bitters and egg replacers for drinks such as the classic whiskey sour.

Your content marketing efforts include a series of cocktail recipe videos.

The recipe videos are relatively long and published on X and YouTube. And each episode is sliced up into short clips. With the wide-base strategy, the brand would release those clips under several unique, albeit small, accounts.

TikTok’s algorithm would surface all the videos to relevant users, expanding or widening the impact. Fee Brother’s primary account may receive the most views, but the wide-base accounts would contribute, too.

If the aim is to sell more cocktail bitters and egg replacers, more video views could lead to more customers visiting the brand’s online shop. Mission accomplished.

Secondarily, those short-form clips introduce viewers to the long-form recipe show and the primary Fee Brothers account.

Account Ideas

Publishing identical clips on multiple accounts is likely effective, but a little variety doesn’t hurt either. Here is an example.

• Primary account. Named after the business, this account publishes all of the clips and may have its handle (name) shown on the clips.

• “Clips” account. This one has a handle such as “FeeBrothersClips.” It republishes just about everything from the primary account.

• “Fans” account. This one also republishes nearly everything from the primary account.

• “Best of” account. Named with “best” or “bestof” in the handle, it publishes top-performing and high-priority clips.

• “Mistakes” account. This account shares clips featuring bloopers or behind-the-scenes action from the primary show. These clips may be unique, sharing the message and implied product promotion.

Follow a similar pattern to create a wide base of small accounts.

Short-form How-to

Marketers should monitor short-form views across all accounts. Follower count, the secondary KPI, is measured only for the primary account.

To connect views to sales, include a coupon code in the clips or otherwise track when clips correspond to increases in traffic and transactions.

For best wide-based results:

• Use the proper format. Even if your primary videos are in a standard horizontal format, make vertical clips for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat, and X videos.

• Have a clear hook to grab attention. This might be an image, the video clip’s title, or a thumbnail.

• Keep it short. Seasoned marketers typically recommend 11-to-17 seconds for TikTok, about 10 seconds for Instagram Reels, and up to a minute for YouTube Shorts, X, and Snapchat.

• Post consistently. Short-form video platforms often have a target cadence. WordStream, an agency, recommends publishing one to four times daily for each TikTok account.

• Show products in use. Remember the hypothetical Fee Brothers example. A long-form cocktail recipe shows the company’s bitters in use. Do the same whether you sell clothes or power tools.

• Use humor. A short-form video is often best when it is funny and informative. Don’t be afraid to make viewers laugh.

Execution

This wide-base video clip strategy is meant to produce relatively more short-form video views than a business can generate from a single account. It appears to work best on TikTok, although it’s worth testing on any social media network.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for March 2024

Content marketing in March 2024 can go beyond St. Patrick’s Day and college basketball. Instead, marketers could focus on puppies, other forms of “March Madness,” the time change, spring fitness, and do-it-yourself crafts.

Content marketing is the act of creating, sharing, and promoting content such as blog posts, videos, or podcasts to attract, engage, and retain shoppers. Content marketing can be a key part of search engine optimization, lifecycle marketing, and customer loyalty.

What follows are five content marketing ideas your business can use in March 2024.

National Puppy Day

If content marketing is about attraction, National Puppy Day on March 23, 2024, might be one of the best topics. Puppies are fun, cute, and adorable.

Puppies are so cute they attract prospects, which is one of the main goals of content marketing.

Like many “greeting card” holidays, National Puppy Day’s origins are unclear. However, the American Kennel Club and numerous animal advocacy groups support the event.

Online shops selling pet products will have the most opportunity to publish National Puppy Day blog posts, podcasts, and the like. Still, all sorts of ecommerce businesses can produce puppy posts. Here are a few examples.

• Online used bookseller: “10 Top Puppies from Fantasy Literature.”
• Garden supply store: “How to Grow a Puppy-friendly Garden.”
• Internet camera shop: “How Your Pup Can Help Build an Instagram Following.”

March Madness but Not Basketball

“March Madness” content does not have to be about basketball.

Ecommerce content marketers can take some liberty with “March Madness” and focus on “mad” activities that don’t include college basketball.

For these articles, frame the products your store sells or the shoppers it serves as some kind of “March Madness.” Here are a few examples.

• Movie memorabilia merchant: “March Movie Madness: 10 Best Movies Ever Released in March.”
• Women’s apparel boutique: “March Fashion Madness: 10 Spring Outfits to Up Your Dating Game.”
• Online Toy Store: “March Madness: Top 25 Toys Right Now.”

Daylight Saving Time

Ben Franklin was among the first to recommend daylight saving time.

On March 10, 2024, the clocks in the United States will spring forward for daylight saving time. Searches on Google for the term will soar in early March.

Marketers can use the heightened interest to produce content related to the time charge.

The aim is not to create a sales pitch but rather to offer engaging, educational, or helpful content relevant to the products sold and the industry served.

Here are a few example article titles.

• Workwear store: “The Ultimate Guide to Spring Workwear.”
• Art supply boutique: “Spring Art Projects Inspired by Longer Days.”
• Online game stop: “Adjusting Your Play Schedule around Daylight Saving Time.”

Another angle could be historical or political. For example, a rare book merchant could publish an essay about the history of daylight savings time and how it impacted America’s growth. The essay might mention several rare books on the topic, making the connection from content to products.

Spring into Fitness

Spring fitness can be a good content marketing opportunity.

Jay Baer’s book, “Youtility: Why Smart Marketing Is about Help Not Hype,” was published in 2013 but remains relevant for content marketing.

One of Baer’s concepts in the book was that content marketing works best when it assists the marketer’s audience to achieve a goal or decision.

“Spring into fitness” could be a March 2024 content marketing idea that does what Baer recommended. Stores that sell products related to health, fitness, getting outdoors, travel, or similar healthy habits can create content that teaches, engages, and ultimately aids their readers.

National Craft Month

Crafty content in March could include profiles of a store’s customers.

March is National Craft Month in the U.S. The event emphasizes the broad range of crafts folks might participate in.

National Craft Month can be a good opportunity for content marketers to showcase customers. Start in February by identifying and interviewing customers who have used the products a store sells to build a project. Then, profile those customers throughout March.

These efforts combine good content with word-of-mouth marketing since every featured customer will likely share and promote the profile to their family and friends.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2024

In February 2024, content marketers can produce articles and videos about pizza, marriage, evolution, wine, and the rarest of birthdates.

Content marketing is the act of curating or creating content to attract, engage, or acquire customers. What follows are five content marketing topics your business can use in February 2024.

1. Pizza Day

Pizza Day is an opportunity for content marketers to tap into something most folks like.

February 9, 2024, is National Pizza Day in the United States. While the pseudo-holiday’s origins are unclear, pizzeria owners and pizza enthusiasts presumably don’t need much of an excuse to celebrate and enjoy a good pie.

The task for ecommerce content marketers is connecting that pizza enthusiasm to their products. While the most obvious fit is merchants selling kitchen-related items, pizza is a broad enough topic for different kinds of shops.

Here are a few examples.

• A travel brand such as Away, which sells luggage, could publish a “Pizza Tour Guide” for major cities like New York or Chicago.
• Party City and similar shops might publish a pizza-party-planning post.
• Plant and seed sellers such as Woodies Garden Goods might produce a “how to plant the perfect pizza garden” article or video.

Content for National Pizza Day could include social media posts to attract shoppers. Or it could be featured in an editorial email newsletter to engage loyal subscribers.

2. World Marriage Day

Wedding Day could interest couples, wedding planners, or folks looking to improve their relationships.

World Marriage Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in February each year. In 2024, it falls on February 11. This special day is dedicated to honoring the beauty of marriage and the importance of strong, loving, and committed relationships. It’s an occasion to celebrate and reflect on the significance of marriage in our lives. 

For ecommerce content marketers, World Marriage Day provides an excellent opportunity to create content that resonates with couples, those planning to get married, and anyone interested in strengthening relationships. 

The content might include gift guides, dating ideas, book reviews, couples wellness, or wedding planning, perhaps including a subscription or product bundle offer. 

3. International Darwin Day

Charles Darwin is a celebrated researcher. His birthday is an opportunity for marketers interested in science and evolution.

International Darwin Day occurs annually on February 12, commemorating the birth of Charles Darwin, the famous English naturalist, biologist, and author of “On the Origin of Species.” 

Darwin Day is dedicated to promoting science, popular reason, and the contributions of Charles Darwin to our understanding of evolution and the natural world.

For an ecommerce content marketer, International Darwin Day is an opportunity to create engaging content aligning with science, evolution, and intellectual curiosity. 

Here are a few possibilities.

• STEM toy store: “Darwin’s Discoveries: Toys Showcasing the Wonders of Evolution.”
• Christian book shop: “Books That Challenge Evolutionary Theories.”
• A home decor retailer: “Evolutionary Home Decor Trends for a Stylish Space.”

4. National Drink Wine Day

Wine is a popular and celebrated beverage worldwide. Its production is an art form.

National Drink Wine Day is observed on February 18 each year. The occasion celebrates the enjoyment of wine in various forms and flavors. It’s a fun and engaging opportunity for content marketers, particularly those in the wine and beverage industry, to connect with their audience while recognizing the importance of responsible drinking.

As with every idea on this list, content for Drink Wine Day should help, inform, or entertain customers and prospects to drive sales. Hence be sure to connect that content with the products your shop sells.

For example, a woodworking retailer could publish a tutorial for building a wine cabinet using an associated kit for sale. The tutorial article and videos demonstrate how to build a great-looking cabinet, while the kit, which can be ordered online, provides the materials and tools.

5. Leap Year Day

February 29 is an opportunity to celebrate and profile individuals born on that date.

February 29, Leap Year Day, occurs once every four years to sync calendars with Earth’s orbit around the sun. It’s a rare date and thus a special occasion for those born on that day. It’s also a good content marketing opportunity.

Ecommerce marketers can identify related celebrities, innovators, or leaders with February 29 birthdays.

An example for music stores is Gioachino Rossini — the Italian opera composer of “The Barber of Seville” and “William Tell “— who was born on Leap Year Day. A music shop could publish a Rossini profile and offer related products.