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Jan 31 2025

The Rise Of Authenticity: Why Genuine Connections Will Drive Social Media In 2025 via @sejournal, @donutcaramel13

Looking back on last year, fake content has reached new highs, challenging marketers to stand out with authentic, engaging campaigns that resonate with increasingly skeptical audiences.

Overly polished or shallow content – such as slick paid media attempts, spammy posts, or poorly executed AI-generated content – is increasing, creating challenges for marketers to stand out with original material.

Fake content can also impact ad performance and SEO rankings thanks to Google prioritizing helpful, authentic content.

Note that the FTC has released a final rule and banned fake reviews and testimonials in August 2024, which includes AI-generated fake reviews, and encouraged brands to reevaluate their contracts with influencers and ensure compliance.

In this article, I will outline five things that marketers need to know to avoid the pitfalls of inauthentic content.

1. The Growing Demand For Authenticity In A Social Media-Saturated World

According to a 2023 survey, over 70% are concerned about deepfakes that circulate on social media.

My educated guess is that audiences are turned off by misleading content and that they are looking for new platforms, like Threads, to stay connected in a positive way by sharing bite-sized anecdotes with real people instead of bots and sales-focused influencers.

Brands sharing real advice like workplace challenges and authentic storytelling can resonate with audiences in specific industries, be it lifestyle brands or B2B SaaS platforms.

Across TikTok and Instagram, and even Threads, sharing pro advice and motivational tips has always been a trend. Examples include Grammarly’s writing productivity tips on Threads and Nike’s #1000Victories 19-part documentary campaign featuring women in sport community.

Check out this guide on how you can create interactive posts to engage communities on social.

For online shops, here’s an example of a content creator promoting other small businesses for free to potential customers. The desire to reciprocate is a result of the very emphatic conversations and experiences many have shared, prompting each other to become motivated and best practices for industry and protect their livelihood.

By simply listening to people talk about it, truly caring, and engaging in the comments section with the original posters, these interactions create a sense of community in a way that AI or paid sponsorships can’t replicate.

2. The Fall Of Inauthentic Content

Three in four consumers are worried about fake reviews and 63% think brands should be solving this. These insights highlight evolving expectations for brands to put up a fight and to maintain their trust.

49% of U.S. consumers are confident they have seen fake reviews on Amazon for 2024.

But how easy are they to spot?

Learning How To Spot AI Content

It’s not easy to spot at all.

While it can be hard to tell the difference with text (AI art is easier to spot), there are ways to detect it.

Researchers from the University of Michigan used a dataset of 10,000 real and fake hotel reviews in 10 languages to find differences:

“Despite the difficulty humans have in distinguishing between real hotel reviews and those generated by LLMs, we discovered that these posts have noticeable differences in style, structure, and semantics.” (read: MAiDE-up: Multilingual Deception Detection of GPT-generated Hotel Reviews).

A research group at the University of Pennsylvania proves that people can be trained to tell the difference.

They also partnered with CNN to demonstrate how to discern between AI and human-written text and how fact-checking and logic can spell the difference.

If more and more people are trained to fact-check and present their findings in the comments section, it becomes more difficult to pass off AI-generated content as human.

Around 31% of Americans say they are more concerned than excited about AI. Digital marketers need to be aware of how AI-generated content can backfire, especially for highly regulated fields like Law, Medicine, and Media, Finance.

Fraud And Undisclosed Influencer Ads

Deceptive affiliates on YouTube exaggerate “must-haves” and promote products by exclaiming, “Run, don’t walk to the store.”

There are sponsored product reviews by influencers who have never even tried the retail products yet recommend them, and audiences become skeptical and unfollow or unsubscribe.

Because de-influencing content has become very popular over the past year, it could lead to less revenue and a negative reputation for your brand. Among the business categories: Technology, Fashion/Beauty/Wellness, Food/Beverage, and Travel/Hospitality – the fashion/beauty/wellness category has been hit the hardest.

Meanwhile, Instagram influencer fraud was found at 49% in 2023 (buying followers, likes, stories, views, etc.). And according to The Hyper Auditor’s internal research, only 55% of Instagram followers are real people. But these platforms are trying to push back.

Major Platforms Are Pushing Back Vs. Fake Reviews

Yelp had started removing fake reviews and cracked down on fraudulent groups in 2022. Meta has started requiring an AI label on generated posts, too.

Amazon and Google have filed against a fake reviews broker website in October 2024. The latter is also part of The Coalition of Trusted Reviews with other highly popular booking and review sites.

As more and more platforms and consumers fight against fake content, your brand must verify content authenticity and discourage misleading sponsored ads in other to maintain trust in your platform or product on the platform.

3. Threads And The Surge Of Genuine Storytelling Via Microblogging

Instagram seems to have become a highlight reel of everyone’s picture-perfect moments: Weddings, travel, shiny purchases, and branded outfits. However, not everyone can relate to high-end living, so take note, marketers of aspirational brands.

Threads, the microblogging app built by the Instagram people, allows brands to foster real conversations and share relatable messaging. People from all walks of life, regardless of education, language, and nationality, share perspectives through their life stories or give free professional advice.

This is an example of a service business that personalized his handyman content on Threads and found success in the community aside from his recent achievement of 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. Learn how short-form storytelling works on Threads and try it out.

This kind of user-generated content without the ad-heavy feed drives community as more and more users can relate to and reply to these posts.

User-generated content posts that look and feel like everyday life will resonate better with communities on Threads. With this type of content, brands can humanize their storytelling and build trust over time.

4. The Balance Between AI And Authenticity: A New Kind Of Content Creation

There are practical roles for AI in content creation, but there are limits when it comes to creating art with emotional impact.

What AI can do: Help collect and manage customer data, boost customer experience with personalized content, support content writers, and correct human errors to name a few.
What AI can’t do: According to the AI Coke ads they can’t elicit positive emotional responses.

While the AI Coke ads may not have performed as expected, their holiday campaign, Create Real Magic invited fans to create images with ChatGPT-4 and DALL-E using their own archive of assets, successfully appealing to their target Gen Z and Millennial audiences.

For B2B SaaS, AI can be a product offering that ties in seamlessly with your platform. An example is Canva launched More Canva Magic! AI Music Generators which empowers creators to create custom soundtracks for presentations, videos, and social media legally using royalty-free music.

For retailers, it’s nice to know that customers see AI-generated summaries of product reviews as a top feature, and is great to read alongside actual human reviews. Nike’s “By You” uses AI to help customers design their own shoes. Context and execution matter when it comes to AI-produced content using new technology, and campaigns that require active participation seem to be more successful.

5. How To Adapt To Maintain Transparency

Ensure Authenticity

42% of marketers use generative AI to make social media copy. Make sure content is fact-checked by copywriters and editors, integrating a workflow that can catch inaccuracies.

This year, now more than ever, it’s important to build and maintain meaningful customer relationships to stay relevant in 2025. Consumers (64%) wish for brands to connect with them, underlining the growing demand for genuine engagement.

In order to meet this expectation, brands need to align their values, humanize their content, and be consistent in their messaging to foster audiences’ trust.

Disclose Partnerships And Monitor Content

Back in 2022, the SEC fined Kim Kardashian $1.26 million after she was caught promoting cryptocurrency, EthereumMax, without disclosure of her paid partnership.

For influencers, disclosing paid ads partnered with a brand is essential instead of passing it off as organic. The European Commission found 97% of published content with commercial intent, but only 20% disclosed it. Brands need to ensure that the influencers hired follow FTC guidelines.

Additionally, if you use AI when creating content, disclose or add labels for the AI technologies you use.

If you follow FTC guidelines, brands and influencers who are honest can thrive with meaningful connections and steer clear of the backlash surrounding fake content.

Conclusion: Embrace Authenticity As The Future Of Social Media

I personally believe that authenticity is the foundation for social media success. As social media evolves and AI becomes more sophisticated, authenticity is no longer optional – it’s vital.

By prioritizing genuine connections and transparent content, marketers can build trust, drive engagement, and secure their place in the digital future.

More tools are cropping up to filter out the noise and more mods on every platform serve as a village watch group to protect misinformation.

Brands, creators, and platforms could hypothetically run 100% fake content with fake bots spamming the comments to seem engaging. But, real people will exit, and it’ll reflect poorly on the brand and actual product sales.

As online consumers, we are growing in social awareness and learning to discern every post, so it’s time for marketers to ensure their social media strategy addresses that.

If you want to thrive as a business, you need to strive to commit to genuine connections and spark conversations naturally. If you want attention, then what you offer needs to be worthy of it.

Run authenticity audits of your content, listen to customer pain points, and create campaigns that truly resonate with them.

More Resources:

Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

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Jan 24 2025

Short-Form Video Dominance: The Future Of Engagement In Social Media via @sejournal, @donutcaramel13

Short-form videos are no longer a passing trend – they are here to stay.

Short clips on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have taken over our feeds and continue to thrive on social because of their sharply edited content and low investment requirement.

With YouTube Shorts boasting over 50 billion daily views and TikTok surpassing 1.6 billion monthly active users, it’s clear that short-form videos are dominating the social media landscape.

Whether you’re a social media manager, creative artist, B2B professional, or anyone who uses these three main platforms for their business, this article will explore opportunities that may work for your key vertical.

The Evolution Of Social Media Formats

After the massive uptake of TikTok back in 2018, Instagram and YouTube responded with their own version of video shorts.

Each of them brings their own unique selling points to compete for views. Here’s what you need to know at a glance:

Platform	Launch	Key Stats
TikTok	August 2018	Over 1.6 billion active monthly users worldwide. It’s the most used social media platform for short-form videos, with over 40% of U.S. users preferring it vs. others. Android users spend an average of 34 hours a month on the app. Video maximum length: 10 minutes.
Instagram Reels	August 2020	This feature is available to Instagram’s 2 billion monthly active users. Close to two-thirds of users spend their time on Instagram. IG Reels ranks third on U.S. user’s preferred platform for watching short-form videos. Reels maximum length: 90 seconds.
YouTube Shorts	March 2021	YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly active users. 23% of U.S. users prefer YouTube Shorts for short-form videos, making it second place for preference. YouTube Shorts maximum length: 3 minutes.

Let’s take a closer look at each platform:

YouTube Short’s Evolution

Out of the three, YouTube is the one that evolved the most and has been the longest-running platform – known for long-form user-generated content for more than a decade now.

From the 2010 homemade comedy skits (Nigahiga, Fred, KevJumba), Let’s Plays (Pewdiepie), and beauty gurus (Zoella) to travel vlogs (Casey Neistat), kid content (MrBeast), and energetic livestreams (IShowSpeed) – it’s quite a jump in production value.

Speaking of vlogs, YouTube helped popularize this concept.

But slowly, short-form content presented some problems for YouTube’s Partner Program. YouTube partners make money from ads, which are frequently shown in long-form videos.

The rise of short-form content presented a financial challenge for creators not used to producing short videos.

Most creators mentioned earlier are no longer at the top like they used to be, although some have quit due to personal reasons, and others have shifted career focus over time.

Also, with the rising star TikTok, which showcases short clips only, and Instagram Reels, a 2020 product that followed suit, I can imagine that YouTube felt pressured to create a new format to keep up with its contemporaries.

It began testing in India in 2020 and debuted globally in 2021, with its video limit expanding over time up to five minutes.

YouTube Shorts succeeded, given that 20.7% of its audience are ages 25 to 34, making them the largest age demographic. The platform had over 2 billion monthly logged-in users at the end of July 2023.

Now, YouTube Shorts are longer. Keep in mind that last October, YouTube announced that YouTube Shorts can now be three minutes long, maximum.

This is in contrast to TikTok’s 10-minute maximum and Instagram Reels’ 90-second maximum length.

Instagram Reel’s Evolution

Instagram was first launched as a photo album-style platform. It then added video capabilities in June 2013 so that Instagram could rival the now-defunct video-sharing platform, Vine.

Seven years later, in August 2020, Instagram Reels was launched so that it could compete with newcomer TikTok.

With music, augmented reality (AR), and editing tools, it became easy to create and post short videos on Instagram – all videos under 15 minutes are also automatically converted into Reels as of July 2022.

TikTok’s Evolution

As for TikTok, it underwent the least amount of evolution. It started with Musical.ly, a lip-syncing app that was acquired by ByteDance, the Chinese tech company.

They bought it back in 2018 and merged its user base with its product, TikTok. Thus began TikTok as we know it, and it had already featured very short clips – think 15 seconds, max.

TikTok is the most popular short-form video platform of the three. According to DataReportal, it rivals and beats Instagram’s reported ad audience by 30%.

Although YouTube is the one to beat when it comes to daily use and opening of the app, TikTok is king when it comes to time spent on the app (34 hours on average per month), compared to YouTube’s 28 hours and 5 minutes and Instagram’s 15 hours and 50 minutes.

That’s amazing, given that much of YouTube activity is spent on it being played in a browser. Additionally, YouTube has the most significant number of active users.

But don’t overlook Instagram. Its “audience affinity,” according to GWI, makes it the world’s favorite app, with 16.5% of all users selecting it vs. all the others, twice more than the 7.4% that chose TikTok.

Instagram is also set to become video-first and drives half of Meta’s revenue in the coming year, according to a report by Jasmine Enberg of EMARKETER.

Why Short-Form Video Is Winning

In this research paper, Shorts on the Rise: Assessing the Effects of YouTube Shorts on Long-Form Video Content, 250 participants were studied, and the outcome was that Shorts were indeed more engaging than the average YouTube video. (Note: While this is a limited study, it may still offer insight.)

Long-form video vs. Short-form creators: Views, likes, and comments were compared. And spoiler alert: Short-form videos from short-form creators won views by a landslide in the views category and only lost out on comments.

Screenshot from Shorts on the Rise: Assessing the Effects of YouTube Shorts on Long-Form Video Content, used under CC BY 4.0. No changes were made.

Short-form videos are 2.5 times more likely to receive more engagement, and 85% of viewers prefer videos with a duration of 15 seconds or less.

This makes it useful for SEO and a brand to increase user engagement on the page.

Also, scaling remains a big part of the reasons behind the rise of short-form videos. It’s not just the viewers who benefit from shorter videos, but you as a creator.

A 15-minute video takes fewer resources to create (and can be spliced from existing long-form, pillar content).

Repurposing content works perfectly well in this example for Zillow, a real estate and rental marketplace, explaining whether it’s a buyer or seller’s market, depending on where the customer lives.

The long-form video has eight likes and is barely two minutes long.

And here’s the Shorts version. While it’s not an exact clip from the long-form content, it got over 574 likes at the time of writing and is only 39 seconds long.

Takeaway: Educational content in digestible snippets can work wonders for your brand, whether you’re in real estate, law, or retail.

Zillow’s new market heat index chart didn’t have to be presented against a corporate backdrop, and notice how simply the representative is dressed.

The real estate market could be intimidating for beginners, but this presentation seemed simple enough to understand while being concise.

Overall, it leaves me with the impression that the brand is approachable, and will probably entice more customers to learn and try out their app.

While it works well for B2C, it also works for B2B SaaS, as they have the potential to make it personable and highlight their services.

Here’s how Shopify appeals to its target audience: online entrepreneurs using relatable skits as short-form content on TikTok.

@shopify

all it took was a single stitch for @mel’s crafty coRNer 🌈🫶🏼 to spin up a thriving craft business

♬ original sound – Shopify

This one presents the emotional journey of an aspiring entrepreneur with a nursing degree who wanted to set up her craft business.

She hit the ground running and thrived, thanks to Shopify. It highlights the brand’s unique selling point as a retail point-of-sale system without trying too hard – all in 45 seconds flat.

Prediction For 2025: The Shift In Creator Strategies

I’m predicting the rise of multi-platform influencers – people who shine on all platforms and aren’t celebrities who have worked to become famous online.

TikTok influencers who are unknown on Meta exist by the ton and vice-versa.

Old-school YouTubers may look into TikTok monetization and try to diversify their content to bite-sized formats or give product reviews with a yellow basket.

They could also hire a social media manager to make sure they star on all channels. The only platform that has good integration for crossposting is Meta.

By next year, creators will be trying their hand at other platforms and seeking new audiences there, and agencies can get partnerships with them that really tie in together with their social media strategy.

Finally, creators will shift and incorporate more mixes of short- and long-form content, or dedicate new channels to:

Solely to breadcrumb their viewers into watching the full version, like movie teasers and music video releases.
Create an entirely new art, stories, memes, etc., worth 15 seconds long.

There Is No Shortcut: Challenges For Your Brand

The competition is fierce across various niches. Beauty creators, dancers, and even doctors are becoming dual-platformers.

Short-form videos have the potential to attract new customers, so everyone wants to demonstrate their expertise in 15 seconds.

I believe talent and great storytelling will triumph on the right platform – as long as they are optimized.

Expedia, the travel tech company, does it well across the board, which is something to note for both small and big travel agencies and marketplaces. Here’s an example of its TikTok, Instagram Reel, and YouTube Shorts.

Finally, the competition is now fiercer than ever with AI. How can you stand out in your industry on these platforms? Learning the art of short-form video can only help as the trend progresses.

For B2B SaaS companies, explainer videos and product demos need to be more concise, 15 seconds ideally, but a tutorial on setting up systems can take time.

So, as long as it can incorporate a trendy sound clip or relatable format, it can work (check out this list of TikTok trends our team regularly updates).

Hospitality brands need to focus on visual storytelling, like the examples highlighted above. It’s recommended not to skimp on production because even 15 seconds’ worth of content has to entice customers.

Lastly, lifestyle and fashion brands find success when they focus on user-generated content.

From unboxings to dance trends featuring #OOTDs (outfit of the day), encourage customers to use your branded hashtags on these short-form video platforms.

Consider how Zara fans post their own style hacks, and Zara has its ongoing #SELECTEDby campaign, which allows the retailer to collaborate with stylish influencers and, potentially, fans.

Short-Form Videos: Make Every Second Count

Short-form videos will continue to boom on social media, and these three apps are paving the way – for now.

While long-form content won’t necessarily go out of style anytime soon, creators should pay attention to the short format and ideate how to create mobile-friendly, engaging content for your brand.

TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts dominate the game, but there are emergent ones who are trying to be the next TikTok, with an offering from Vine’s co-founder called “Byte” one to watch.

Fitting your content into 15 seconds takes a lot of effort, but it can be done.

Chop up parts into a series, tighten the script, adapt TikTok trends and challenges, and try your best to keep it consistent when uploading (put effort into descriptions and thumbnails).

So, if you decide to go short, where do you upload?

Personally, I would recommend TikTok for viral intent and the latest trends, Instagram Reels for niche and established audiences with visual storytelling, and lastly, YouTube Shorts for creators who already rock on the platform.

More Resources:

Featured Image: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

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Jan 21 2025

TikTok Alternatives for Brands and Merchants

TikTok is back, isn’t it? After pulling down service yesterday (Sunday) morning, TikTok restored it in the afternoon with the notice, “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

TikTok notice on Jan. 19, 2025

On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the law requiring the owner of TikTok, China-based ByteDance, to sell its U.S. operations to avoid a U.S. ban. The law went into effect on Sunday.

By midmorning on Sunday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

While President Trump’s executive order on Monday should stop the enforcement of the ban, the liability of third parties, such as hosting platforms or app stores, is unclear. Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated during the Supreme Court hearings, “Whatever the new president does doesn’t change that reality for these companies.”

Regardless, brands and merchants have options for social commerce. Here is a list of TikTok alternatives featuring short video and live-streaming formats. Some have monetization features, and others have full ecommerce functionality similar to TikTok Shop.

TikTok Alternatives

RedNote is a China-based lifestyle and social networking app popular for product recommendations and tips on beauty, fashion, and travel. RedNote (i.e., “Xiaohongshu”) is designed for shopping. Products can be tagged within posts, making it easy for followers to click and purchase within the app. RedNote features a discovery search for lifestyle content, notes for blogging, a split-screen for collaboration, video and live-streaming content, and integrated ecommerce functionality. RedNote is currently the number 1 social networking app in Apple’s App Store. RedNote says its network supports 300 million users per month.

RedNote

Instagram Reels stands to gain the most users from any sustained TikTok shutdown, as the Meta app already dominates the social media landscape. Users can use Reels to create multi-clip videos up to 90 seconds and add text, augmented-reality filters, and audio. Users can start live-streaming by swiping right in the feed and then scrolling to Live. Users can also use Shops to open a storefront on a business profile, along with product tags to distribute shoppable content.

Amazon Live enables brands and creators to produce shoppable live and on-demand videos that span multiple categories, including home, beauty, electronics, and shopping events like Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Streams on Amazon Live can appear on the Amazon home page, in the “Amazon Live” section of the website, or on a seller’s or influencer’s storefront. Products featured in Amazon Live will appear in a carousel at the bottom of the stream. Any registered brand partner is eligible to stream using the Amazon Live Creator app. These livestreams will appear on a brand’s Amazon Store for 30 days and can be viewed live and on-demand on Amazon.com/live.

Flip is a social shopping app to discover products from brands. U.S. direct-to-consumer companies can apply to join the exclusive list of sellers and integrate an existing ecommerce platform with Flip to sync a product catalog. Users can also become creators and earn money by sharing their shopping experiences. Flip charges a percentage fee on all sales generated through the platform. The fee is based on the product category.

Flip

YouTube Shopping allows eligible creators to showcase their products and branded merchandise. Viewers can browse and buy products from the channel’s store, in video descriptions, and in collections — as well via a shopping button in videos, shorts, and livestreams. Creators can showcase products by linking to their channel store or creating and sharing Shopping Collections, which will appear in a creator’s product list, store tab, and video description.

Whatnot is a social marketplace for selling products via live-streamed auctions. During a livestream, sellers can list items (i) for auction, (ii) in their Buy It Now store, or (iii) as giveaways. Users can attend live auctions and deep dive with other collectors and like-minded shoppers. Sellers have several tools for livestreams, including Zoom, Facecam, and a randomizer spin wheel for offering promotions and driving engagement. Sellers can access performance analytics.

Clapper is a short-form video and live-streaming app to provide authentic communication and expression. Use the Duet Live feature to bring on a follower and interact in real-time, and use the radio feature for an audio-only room of up to 2,000 listeners and 20 speakers. Create a group community of fans to interact with. The Clapper Shop allows creators to list and sell products. Add and promote your product, and it will appear on the livestream screen for anyone to buy.

Fanbase is an ad-free social hub for creators to generate subscription revenue by sharing posts, short- and long-form videos, stories, and live audio and video streaming. Fanbase offers a 3-step tool to help TikTok creators migrate their content. Post exclusive content available to monthly subscribers for prices ranging from $2.99 to $99. Users discover content through trending topics, interests, and favorited creators. Users can also join livestreams and chat with others or head into the audio rooms.

Fanbase

Likee is a platform for sharing short-form videos and livestreams. Likee features augmented-reality filters to apply in videos and livestreams, editing effects, and an extensive music library. Creators can monetize content through SuperLikes and establish SuperFollow subscribers with customizable monthly subscription prices. Likee says it has over 150 million monthly active users worldwide.

Triller is a video-sharing social networking app similar to TikTok’s music-sharing core. Utilizing Triller’s auto-editing algorithm, creators can shoot a few takes, tap the “Next” button, apply 100-plus video filters, and add music. The platform will then combine it all into a shareable video. Creators can also produce live video streams. Users can share or distribute via Instagram, Facebook, X, SMS, and email. Triller does not have monetization or ecommerce functionality, but it has launched a SaveMyTikToks.com website to help creators back up content by migrating it to Triller.

Neptune is a soon-to-be-released social networking and video-sharing beta app for creators and community-centric connections. Neptune features (i) a customizable algorithm that allows users to tailor their experience for relevant content and (ii) ghost metrics that measure the quality of content instead of just follower counts. Neptune maintains it will help users develop lasting connections. Neptune also claims that its monetization will be transparent and equitable to creators. Register to get access to the beta launch.

CommentSold is a live-selling social-commerce platform similar to a TikTok Shop. Merchants can start a live-selling broadcast and distribute it simultaneously to their social networks (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), website, mobile app, and Shopify store. CommentSold’s features include (i) automatically generated video content for products with live selling segments, (ii) actionable data insights on inventory, customers, and finances, and (iii) expert guidance from strategists. Shoppers comment “Sold” or click the product highlighted on a live video to add it to their cart without leaving the stream. Sellers create shoppable videos with PopClips, which highlight and tag up to five products per video.

CommentSold

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Jan 6 2025

TikTok Trends 2025: The Most Important Trends To Watch via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

TikTok trends move so quickly that it’s not easy to keep pace, as memes can appear and disappear within days.

For anyone working in social media or content marketing, keeping up to date is important to leverage relevant trends and inspire new content.

From observation, TikTok is becoming the starting point for many trends and memes that then influence other channels.

So, even if you are not on the video platform, you should still be monitoring what is happening on TikTok to stay informed of general trends and memes that can filter down through other channels and forms of content.

We’ll be looking at the macro trends we’ve seen swaying TikTok over the start of 2025, as well as some specific examples you can start to use.

As always, if you’re going to get involved with a trend or meme, your approach needs to feel authentic to both the format and your brand.

10 TikTok Trends For 2025

Here are some of the most popular recent trends, from the relatable to the absurd. While many work best for solo creators or social media managers, others will translate to brands for creative social media ideas.

1. Roasting Colleagues

Who doesn’t love an opportunity to roast a colleague or a co-creator?

The premise of the #SuspectChallenge is simple: The “suspect” attempts to escape on foot while the cameraperson runs alongside, verbally identifying them in the style of a police broadcast.

But instead of stating an objective characteristic (like “the suspect is a brunette woman”), the cameraperson calls out the “suspect” for something embarrassing.

@aldiuk

We can confirm no clubcards were owned by suspects in the making of this video 🫣 🛒 #SuspectChallenge #Suspect #Viral #AldiUK

♬ original sound – Aldi UK

In the second take, the tables turn as the cameraperson becomes the “suspect.” The two go back and forth, roasting each other over the course of several takes. It’s a great way to poke fun at a colleague or co-creator while helping followers get to know the people behind your brand a bit better, as Aldi does above.

@liverpoolfcw

“Yeah I do, liar” 🤣 @liv @Mia enderby #suspectchallenge #suspect #LFC #LiverpoolFC #Liverpool

♬ original sound – Liverpool FC Women

It works particularly well for brands with numerous personalities, such as sports teams. And the trend can be even more engaging when the roast turns into an exchange of compliments, as in the Liverpool FC Women video above.

2. Revealing A New POV

One of the easiest trends to film, the “Oops, I Flipped the Camera” meme uses just two clips.

The first is a generic shot with a text overlay detailing a hot take. Bonus points if the background video has any connection at all to the hot take, but that isn’t necessary.

After a few seconds, the camera “accidentally” flips, exposing the person who’s sharing their POV. Inevitably, it’s someone with a clear agenda – so they act flustered.

To heighten the drama, a sad violin song plays in the background. However, there’s nothing sad about the content. Instead, it’s all about getting a laugh.

Here, Sony Pictures UK shares a rave review for the star of Kraven the Hunter – delivered by none other than the star himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

@sonypictures.uk

oops. #KravenTheHunter #AaronTaylorJohnson #London #trend #cameraflip #oops #movie #filmtok

♬ original sound – Capital

The POV doesn’t have to come from a person. Here, Mercedes-Benz encourages everyone to purchase a Mercedes-AMG in order to live a happy life. When the camera flips, it’s clear that the POV came from a vehicle.

@mercedesbenz

we swear, this is totally unbiased… #MercedesBenz #MercedesAMG

♬ Sad violin – Katsuyuki Takahashi

3. Yapping

Have a lot to say? You aren’t alone. #Yapping trended on TikTok throughout 2024, turning the term from a somewhat derogatory word to a celebration of long-winded (and sometimes one-sided) conversations.

The “Here’s My Thing” trend riffs on this concept and borrows from the Best of Both Worlds podcast, which focused an entire episode on debating the merits of pasta. After saying, “Because here’s my thing, I’m so sorry,” one of the podcast hosts launches into a lengthy opinion about the right pasta shape to use with vodka sauce.

Brands like President’s Choice hop on the trend by lip-synching along to the audio and showcasing several pasta shapes in the brand’s product line.

@preschoice

Hear us out, please! 🍝

♬ original sound – BestofBothWorldsPod

But here’s the thing about this trend. The content doesn’t have to touch on pasta at all. The audio works for almost any topic, as long as it focuses on a love for yapping.

For example, edtech brand Formee Express uses the trend to poke fun at two best friends being unable to study because they can’t stop talking.

@formee_express

my mind thinks of the most random things #student #uni #universitymeme #studentmemes #studytok #study #unimeme #collegehumor #unilifestyle #university #unilife

♬ original sound – BestofBothWorldsPod

And Dancing with the Stars Tour uses the audio to make fun of themselves for creating content on the topics of their choice rather than answering followers’ persistent questions about tour dates and special guests.

@dwtstourofficial

Don’t get us started on ravioli @Rylee Arnold #dwts #dwtstour

♬ original sound – BestofBothWorldsPod

4. Being Cool, Calm, And Collected

If you aren’t a yapper, you might be a chill guy instead.

The “Chill Guy” meme features an animated anthropomorphic dog calmly standing in a confident pose. Think the “This Is Fine” meme but without the flames or the sense of impending doom.

Posts have a photo or video relevant to the brand with a text overlay qualifying the “chill guy” behavior. For example, Etihad jumps on the trend with “Just a chill guy announcing 10 new destinations on a random Monday.”

@etihad

Which one will you be flying to? #airplane #aviation

♬ Hinoki Wood – Gia Margaret

It’s a fun way to make an announcement, share exciting news, or say something relatable while downplaying it as “chill guy” behavior. Consider taking it to the next level by editing the character to add branded elements, as the New Orleans Pelicans do below.

@pelicansnba

Chill guy ready for City Edition ⚜️ #pelicans #nba #basketball #chillguy #nop #nola

♬ just.be. – 1

5. Feeling (Not So) Sad

Feeling a little down? If only a specific product, service, or experience could turn your mood around.

The “I Wasn’t Sad, I Just Needed …” trend explores the many different ways TikTokers make themselves happy—from small purchases to major indulgences.

Here, travel creator Travel With Kennice uses the trend to promote a trip to Tromsø, Norway. The video is packed with beautiful shots of the destination, designed to inspire followers to travel.

@travelwithkennice

I just needed to book a flight to Tromsø 🇳🇴 #tromsø #norway #travel #traveltiktok #city #cityscape #sunset #traveldiaries #bucketlist #fyp #f #foru #viral_video

♬ intro x chorus the night we met – ourfeelings🪐

Brands can use the trend with a first- or second-person point of view. Either way, it’s ideal for reminding followers how happy your brand makes them – like Chipotle does with its “burrito a day” video below.

@chipotle

a burrito a day ✍️

♬ original sound – Chipotle

Brands can make videos shoppable, making it even easier for followers to buy what the content promotes. With TikTok Shop, you can sell products directly and use the platform as an ecommerce channel.

6. Comparing Type A Vs. Type B Friends

When you want to cause a commotion in the comments section, try a branded take on the “Type A vs Type B Friend” trend.

It contrasts Type A people (known for their organization and proactivity) with Type B people (known for their easygoing nature and ability to go with the flow).

When done well, it inspires viewers to strongly identify with one type or the other. And potentially tag the friend who fits the other stereotype.

Here, Hilton depicts the Type A friend as the person who makes her bed, keeps an organized suitcase, and carefully packs her day bag. In contrast, the video shows the Type B friend as someone who is so casual about travel that she forgot her toothbrush and had to request one from the hotel.

@hilton

Are you a Type A or Type B friend? Tag your counterpart in the comments! #HiltonForTheStay

♬ original sound – hilton

And here, RootineCo compares hanging out with a Type A friend while she goes through a lengthy pre-sleep routine as a Type B person who’s hesitant to plan ahead.

@rootine_co

But we love them even more because of it 🩷 #typea #typeb #friendship #hangingout #rootine #fyp

♬ original sound – RootineCo

7. Rallying Unhinged Fans

While TikTok is a short-form video platform, it’s allowed progressively longer videos over the years. Brands can now upload videos up to 10 minutes long. And in some regions, 15- and 30-minute video uploads are available.

But in some cases, short and sweet content still performs best. “Right vs. Left Pocket” is a great example of a 15-second trend that’s designed to be completely unserious yet still attract raving fans.

It’s based on a simple concept: the average person’s jeans typically have one (right) pocket for essentials like a wallet or phone, while the other (left) pocket is filled with complete chaos.

Taco Bell’s take on the trend shows a neatly organized right pocket and a left pocket filled with hundreds of packets of hot sauce.

@tacobell

just a few

♬ DON`T STOP – Slowed++ – GLXXMSTRIDER

Oreo’s spin on the trend takes it to an absurd level, showing the pockets filled with dozens of packages of Oreos.

@oreo

Just in case we get hungry 🤭 #rightvsleft #pockets #fyp #oreo

♬ Falling Angel – HCTM

8. Foreshadowing Something Ominous

On average, TikTok users spend 58 minutes and 24 seconds on the app every day. That means brands have the potential to rack up a lot of views, as long as they can successfully capture viewers’ attention.

To keep viewers interested, experiment with different styles of storytelling. Like the #SubtleForeshadowing trend, which uses a unique editing style to intersperse flashes of the conclusion at various points in the video.

Here, Scrub Daddy hints that the protagonist—who uses an off-brand sponge—will have an encounter with an unusually large sponge. Sure enough, the protagonist gets attacked by a Scrub Daddy at the end.

@scrubdaddy

Just a reminder… #scrubdaddy #smile #cleantok #cleaningtiktok #clean

♬ original sound – Scrub Daddy

Bakers Delight takes the concept a step further by foreshadowing the conclusion—a baker hunched over on the floor – without giving away the reason. The viewer has to watch until the end to learn that the baker’s carefully proofed dough has fallen to the floor, leaving it unusable.

@bakersdelight

Dough! 🫠👨‍🍳 #breadtok #bakersdelight #bakersoftiktok #baking #bakingvideo #foryou #forshadowing #fail #cctv #trend #bakerylife #bts #dough #epicfail

♬ Comforting – Noah

9. Taking Viewers Behind The Scenes

Let’s face it: whether you work in the office or from home, a lot of day-to-day work isn’t exactly exciting. At least, it might not be exciting to you, the person doing the work.

For followers and customers, it’s a different story. When you take viewers behind the scenes, you give them a glimpse of a world they don’t typically get to experience.

While behind-the-scenes content is hardly new on TikTok, styles and formats have evolved. Instead of unfiltered footage, some of the most popular behind-the-scenes videos are heavily edited content that shows business owners completing tasks like packing up orders.

@lovewisd

Let’s packaging All Purple Order 🎉Dear Natalie bought purple tumbler set and purple journal kit. Thank you soso much💜hoping you will like them💜#asmr #orderpacking #orderpackingasmr #order #packingorders #packagingorders #packwithme #packaging #packanorderwithme #packingasmr #ordernow #packageopening #canada #usa #europe #uk #tumbler #stanley #stanleycup #stanleytumbler #cup #journalkit #stationery #journal #notebook #planneraddict #plannercommunity #plannertok #schoolsupplies #stationeryaddict #stationeryshop #stationeryhaul #tumblerset #accessories #stanleydecorations #purple #newyork #america #asmr #foryou #fyp

♬ original sound – LOVEWISD

Many “pack an order with me” videos are highly aesthetic and include ASMR elements that make them especially pleasant to watch. As a result, they do an excellent job of selling the brand experience – which can have the added effect of driving sales and cultivating loyalty.

@xxl.scrunchie

OUR BIGGEST SINGLE ORDER EVER. 😱 Pack a 1645 item order with me for Gia, @Silky Gem Crystal Candy ✨🥹📦 Thank you SO much! Wait til you see the struggle when we figure out how to ship it all 🥲 #asmrpackaging #packageanorderwithme #smallbusinesspackaging #packagingasmr #packingordersasmr

♬ original sound – XXL SCRUNCHIE & CO 🇨🇦

This format can also serve as social proof, which can turn casual viewers into paying customers. Above, XXL Scrunchie invites followers to pack more than 1,000 items, the company’s largest order yet.

10. Asking Employees For Their Opinions

Not all behind-the-scenes content has to focus on your products or services. Some of the most engaging videos put a spotlight on employees, introducing the people behind the brand.

Instead of simply filming employees as they go about their day, ask several staff members for their opinion on a trending topic.

Here, the Chicago Bulls asks the team’s players to weigh in on the top three items on their Thanksgiving plate.

@chicagobulls

What are 3 things you need on your Thanksgiving plate?! 👀🍽️ #thanksgiving #foodtiktok #basketball #travel #nba

♬ original sound – Chicago Bulls

And here, Sephora asks in-house beauty advisors for their recommendations. Each employee shares a top pick while offering a mini pitch for the product.

@sephora

Their faves 🤝🏽 your new faves.

♬ original sound – sephora

For social media managers who spend a lot of time as the face of the brand on TikTok, this approach is great for getting other employees or players in front of the camera. Pay close attention to the comments to see which personalities are most popular with followers. Then, ask them to star in more videos.

How Trends Evolve On TikTok

Trends aren’t a new thing in the world, especially in fashion. People have wanted to be on trend for years, with magazines, movies, and TV shows all setting the trends and reflecting the organic ones that formed.

TikTok and social media have accelerated the trending process, breaking down the 20-year trend cycles we used to see into rapid trend sprints that can overlap.

Trends are now incubated by the collective attention of social media users who determine what gets engagement and what doesn’t.

This becomes amplified by the sheer number of people engaging with content. Because of the huge audience interacting on TikTok daily, people can validate their experiences almost instantly.

And, if someone has coined a term for it, it can spread like wildfire. Think “girl dinner,” “microcheating,” “polywork,” and more.

Once it becomes part of the collective consciousness of TikTok with its own hashtag, people can Duet or Stitch videos and create their own content using templates to evolve a trend further.

How To Find Trending Ideas In The Tiktok Creative Center

TikTok launched its Creative Center this year, giving creators another tool to help find inspiration for posts.

You can browse what’s trending in your country, broken down into hashtags, songs, creators, and videos.

Each category can give you insights into what type of content is trending, whether that’s lip-syncing audio, popular creators, or specific video formats.

There’s also the Creative Assistant, which provides a suite of AI-assisted tools to help streamline the creative process.

You can ask the Creative Assistant for insights on what’s trending right now, along with related videos, so you can see what other creators are making for that niche.

It also writes ad scripts, but these won’t be tailored to your business’s tone of voice or unique selling points.

They can act as a starting point if you’re very stuck, but without a detailed prompt, they might not produce content you can easily use.

How TikTok Trends Can Be A Source Of Inspiration For Content Ideas

When looking for ideas to fill your content calendar with, TikTok gives you a good indicator of what Gen Z is currently resonating with.

By getting an idea of the platform’s popular trends, you can find a way to leverage them for your own brand in an authentic way.

You need to make sure that the trend’s video style is a good fit for your brand. If it feels forced, your content could draw negative attention due to the inauthentic sentiment behind it.

What’s important is that in order to integrate your content organically into a trend, you need to be agile and reactive.

Leaving it too late to get involved with a trend might make your audience feel that you’re too corporate and leave them cringing at your content instead.

More resources:

Featured Image: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments

Jan 3 2025

Threads And The Art Of Short-Form Storytelling: How Brevity Is Winning Hearts via @sejournal, @donutcaramel13

The less a person says to communicate, the better.

Shakespeare said “Brevity is the soul of wit.” And in just six words, underlined why brevity impacts communication.

I appreciate brevity in all things. Iconic one-liners work for punny slogans, catchy choruses, witty retorts, and more.

But think about how true this is for social media.

A decade or so ago, I would take the time to write out three-paragraph diary entries, feature an “emo” pic, and get a lot of engagement or at least some reposts. In today’s fast-paced digital world, that doesn’t cut it anymore.

Today, I hardly use Facebook or even X (Twitter) – enter Threads.

Launched in July 2023, this text-based app built by the team behind Instagram is one of the newest social channels on the block.

With around 200 million monthly active users (MAU), Threads has woven its way into the top 10 social media platforms.

Whether you’re looking for a potential new customer, want to spread awareness about your latest innovation, or simply want to share what you’ve been up to as a creator, here’s why it’s working so well, in my opinion.

1. Short-Form Storytelling Is Captivating Audiences On Threads

While our screens load faster than ever, our attention spans are shorter.

According to the American Psychological Association’s Dr. Gloria Mark:

“So back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average. Throughout the years, it became shorter. So, around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds.

This is with logging techniques. This is an average. And then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds, and others have replicated this result within a few seconds. So it seems to be quite robust.

Now, another way to think about this result is the median. The median means the midpoint of observations. The median is 40 seconds.”

I don’t know how fast you can read, but 47 seconds is not enough for me to read a well-written photo essay online. The same goes for video.

The shorter the storytelling, the easier it is to catch someone’s attention.

This example was only 17 hours old at the time of writing. Yet it had already gained 109 likes and 51 likes, with three reposts. If you unravel their thread, it’s pretty engaging from start to finish.

There’s continuity as each “reply” to their own post builds on the first part of the post.

2. The Power Of Brevity On Topics

It’s not a hashtag. Threads’ vertically expansive, short-form style is further enhanced by the blue highlight feature called “Topic.”

Threads said you can only tag one topic per post, explaining “Why just one? Why just one? This makes it easier for others who care about that topic to find and read your post.”

And it does!

The principle of brevity applies. There was a post I inexplicably couldn’t get out of my mind, and it was in my native tongue (Filipino), but I lost it because I had closed the app.

When I searched for the words “Huling message ni bunso” (English translation: the last message from the youngest sibling), the first result was exactly the same post I was trying to find.

As someone who has exhausted all means to reverse search on other platforms, I was grateful the app narrowed down the search and is friendly to non-English speaking users, too.

The algorithm doesn’t just find your interests but lets your interests find you.

Case in point, even Stephen King is a fan of the platform. It’s amusing that a lot of users use the topic feature (whether highlighted blue or not), and with a stitch of luck, King will appear and reply.

Capturing Attention Through Concise, Impactful Stories

Limited character counts favor attention spans. So, if you decide to post five-liners, each sentence should build on the previous one. X (Twitter) has a 280-character limit, while Threads has a 500-character limit.

But for me, brevity isn’t about having the shortest sentence; it’s about expressing ideas concisely.

No distracting side-stories. Assume your audience is smart – they don’t need a backstory if it’s not aligned with your post’s purpose.

Here’s an example. The analogy this poster made about lemonade stands, drive-thrus, and jazz lounges is enticing.

Readers can relate, and each point was made concisely, with the first point only consisting of four short sentences.

The Art Of Continuous Storytelling

What’s cool is that the platform supports seamless updates to your post, should you wish to go back and update the ones who are invested in it – like this one.

This update is created in response to a post I initially read two days before, and while I didn’t save it, it popped back into my home feed again.

It’s easy to reference a previous post because of the intuitive user interface and minimalistic style.

Alternatively, you can also keep hitting the reply button on your own content to update it (my experience compared to TikTok and other platforms where your old content is stale content once it’s been published.)

Crafting Effective Short-Form Stories On Threads: Tips And Techniques

Opening With A Hook

I suggest starting with “unpopular opinion” or inviting people to unravel your Thread to find out why your thesis statement is true.

Or ask a sincere question or open a debate (address your target audience of Threads, ask what your No. 1 tip is for something, or ask them to choose between this and that, and chances are someone will get back to you).

Check this example out. The first line caught my attention, and intrigued, I quickly absorbed the rest of the carousel post.

If you’re dishing out good advice, the last part of your thread could feature your book or website.

Utilizing Carousels

If you’re running a small business or selling art, it’s quite useful to templates, such as sequential updates or thematic threads, that help create clear, engaging narratives.

Photo blogging by putting handwritten digital annotations can also help draw the eye.

This fun example grabs attention right away because the answers are visually present on the carousel.

I love these beautiful carousels, such as this example and this how-to guide.

Reading copy goes from top to bottom, and images go from left to right. How simple is that?

Seamless Fun

Try it yourself: According to Threads, if you pinch both photos, it automatically connects them (at least on mobile).

Screenshot from Threads, November 2024

Staying Relatable And Real

I also noticed that people don’t even have to have followers to get engagement.

I’ve seen posts in German (like this one) and Spanish (this) show up on my home feed. Why? Because while I didn’t understand the language, they posted something related to my interest.

In this case, cozy gaming, upcoming travel to Japan, and related sub-genres like Japanese animation.

If you want to attract birds of the same feather to your Threads post, feature a short, heartfelt story that resonates.

More and more users now understand how authenticity on Threads captures attention and create posts that are vulnerable or raw – but honest.

This one was pretty clever and so was this one. You don’t have to be like Oscar Wilde to do well on Threads. Even if you’re not naturally witty, be clear and concise.

Why Short-Form Storytelling Matters For The Future Of Social Media

Threads is not the first platform to feature brevity and continuity. X (Twitter) and Reddit have done it first. But meaningful content shines on this platform in my experience.

For one, I don’t experience disruptive ads. The desktop version also lets you view various feeds vertically while scrolling through.

Threads on desktop with pinned categories

Screenshot from Threads by author, November 2024

It’s faster than reading a newspaper, watching a documentary, or turning pages of a book.

While maybe not as suitable for deep dives, social media platforms allow for more personalized and interactive content.

The post that took you five seconds to make could make you go viral, too. Don’t forget emojis and abbreviations because, according to research:

These linguistic modifications included the removal of subjects and articles, the use of initialisms like LOL (“Laughing Out Loud”) and BRB (“Be right back”), as well as inventive spelling and punctuation like “CU l8tr” (“See you later”) (Tagg, 2015).

Instead of suggesting a lack of proficiency in more conventional literacy skills, researchers discovered that the brevity of the texts demanded greater syntactic analysis and metalinguistic awareness (Kemp, 2010).

Short-form storytelling is a game of give and take as with every post, comments now spur on ideas for creators, replies spawn more replies, and readers and creators alike stalk each other’s accounts for possible clues to unanswered questions.

Keeping it short caters to attention spans and drives users to act faster than ever.

Conclusion: Embrace Brevity To Build Connections

Threads is the platform that gives back. It’s a unique outlet for personal short-form content – and even long-form if you cut copy into digestible snippets.

Some friends also call it “wholesome Twitter,” and I can see why.

My opinion is that the people joining the platform migrated from toxic name-callers to other platforms. (My educated guess is that X/Twitter’s policies are less restrictive, which attracts more controversy.)

My tip is to keep this in mind: The spirit of community, the act of helping and being heard, seems to be stronger on Threads (at least for me). But don’t take my word for it; there are plenty of spirited debaters on this app, too.

When you embrace brevity, you keep people’s attention spans in mind. Strangers and lurkers feel more compelled to read and respond.

Whether it’s a new customer, client, or friend, new connections await you to make your point.

More resources:

Featured Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Shutterstock

Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments

Jan 2 2025

TikTok Marketing: An In-Depth Guide For Brands via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

TikTok is a highly influential social media platform that is invaluable for trends and information sourcing.

It might not have the direct conversion of other platforms, but most brands should consider a TikTok marketing strategy.

As the size of the available audience grows, many businesses are looking at how they can harness the platform.

To build a proper TikTok business presence on the platform, you need to account for the nuances and the predominant demographic and accessible audience on the channel.

In this article, we will be looking at how businesses can get started using TikTok for marketing and how you can take full advantage of this short-video platform for your brand.

Why Use TikTok For Marketing?

TikTok exploded onto the social media scene in the U.S. back in 2018. It had a rapid increase in users and became the fastest-growing social media platform seen so far.

Now, with over 1.6 billion monthly active users, TikTok has become the fourth most popular platform.

TikTok is dominated by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, which use the channel for product research and news sourcing. They also use this social media channel as an alternative to Google.

Figures from 2023 show that a third of U.S. adults use TikTok, and nearly two-thirds of those under 30 use the influential platform.

62% of U.S. adults who use TikTok are looking for product reviews and recommendations.

17% of adults get their news from TikTok, and this has grown fivefold from 2020 – a huge 39% of young adults under 30 get their news regularly from the platform.

The majority of accounts that users follow are from mid-tier influencers and small accounts.

TikTok also experiences incredibly high engagement rates with its content. 46% of users engage with content without distractions or multi-screening.

This means that TikTok is a platform that has influence for product reviews and news, especially with a younger audience. And that partnering with smaller influencers can be a way to access this focused attention.

How TikTok Works

While TikTok shows users a personalized feed, it doesn’t necessarily show them content from the accounts they follow like other platforms do.

Instead, it uses an algorithm to show a “personalized information flow,” meaning people get shown content similar to what they’ve already liked.

So, if businesses can create content that aligns with trends or that’s similar to popular formats, it has the potential to be shown to more users and even go viral.

You can repurpose the short-form content you create for other platforms, like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, to maximize its value. You can also directly link your social media accounts so you can cross-post automatically.

TikTok for Business makes it easy for brands and businesses to advertise on TikTok with analytic tools and TikTok Ads Manager so you can refine how you target users with paid content, too.

There’s also the built-in TikTok ecommerce features through TikTok Shop that allow businesses to list and sell products directly through the app.

Making use of these features means that brands can streamline the customer journey, taking users from discovering a new product to checking out in a few simple steps.

The hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt highlights how some products can go viral through TikTok content and become must-have items.

How Is TikTok Used In Marketing?

There are a number of ways a business could use TikTok for marketing:

Establishing an engaged community online – building a community of loyal customers and brand advocates with a high affinity for your business.
Improving brand awareness – getting your business’s name out there online and reaching a wider audience.
Showing off products and services – showcasing new products and popular services in an effort to connect them to more potential customers.
Highlighting testimonials from other users – pushing positive reviews from customers via a platform to improve brand sentiment and authority.
Creating educational content – helping to answer common questions in your industry or about your business so more people understand the value your brand presents.
Making entertaining content – the second most common reason for using social media is to fill spare time, making entertaining and light-hearted the perfect answer to this.

TikTok provides an ideal digital space for all of these options.

Although TikTok focuses on short-form video, photo, and story content, there are a variety of ways you can create content to use for TikTok marketing.

The visual-first format suits all sorts of content brands can use to achieve their marketing goals.

6 Types Of TikTok Content That Get Attention

1. Discussion-Based Content

Something that helps to grow both your profile and your content’s reach is engagement.

Encouraging people to actively comment on your content can boost the reach of your post, as TikTok sees it as popular and engaging.

For example, Dr Pepper.

Asking users to respond to a prompt, such as “How do you do this,” “Wrong answers only,” or “Tag someone who does this,” can create interesting and entertaining comment sections where people can express their creativity.

2. Reply-Based Content

If you have users responding to your content through comments, you can even create content that replies to those specific submissions favored by makeup brands.

This can build on previous content you’ve created or offer new content opportunities for you to dive into. Maybe a user has asked for more details or additional footage of something you showed in a previous video.

3. Trend-Based Content

By jumping onto popular trends or current events, you can capture what is currently interesting to users and put your own brand spin on it.

TikTok’s trends are constantly evolving at a rapid pace, meaning that there’s always something new you can potentially get involved with.

For example, Oreo is great at jumping on current events such as the eclipse.

TikTok’s Creative Center has a trend intelligence tool, so you can see what’s trending at that moment in time, including hashtags, songs, and specific videos.

It’s essential that what you create is both true to the trend and feels authentic for your brand. Otherwise, users may feel you’re not creating content for the right reasons (or call it “cringe”).

4. Behind-The-Scenes Content

Giving your audience a glimpse behind the curtain can be a great way to make your content more interesting and authentic, such as in this example.

Social media content allows businesses to give users a more candid look at how their brand operates, showing behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes from video content, and more.

Not only does it humanize your brand, but it also provides entertaining content that people can engage with.

5. Shareable Content

TikTok’s true social element is shareable content. If a user enjoys something enough and sees a relatable element within it, they’ll likely share that content with people who will also get it.

Starbucks taps into this with both students and office workers.

If your business creates content that actively encourages people to share it with others they know, you’ll expand the reach of your posts and get more eyes on your business.

6. How-To Content

Creating quick video guides to using your products and services can be valuable content for your business.

It could also be a guide on how to do something that’s within your industry, rather than just linked to your brand.

Home Depot shows us how to make content about a toilet cistern. Scrub Daddy goes all-in on cleaning the grill.

Users can easily find tutorials produced by the brand itself, meaning that the content is trustworthy.

How To Create A TikTok Marketing Strategy

Create Your TikTok Business Account

The first step is to create your TikTok business account, setting up your profile as a business account and ensuring your brand comes through in your profile picture and bio.

Once you have the app and have signed up, it’s a case of following these simple steps:

Tap the Profile icon in the lower right corner.
Click on the hamburger menu in the top right of the Profile page.
Go to Settings and Privacy.
Click Account.
Select Switch to Business Account.
Choose the category that best fits your business.

Your TikTok profile should ideally align with your other social accounts so that your brand identity is clear and consistent across all platforms.

While the content can vary, your bio information should all be up-to-date and point people to the right places.

Understand The Platform

It’s hard to get to grips with TikTok without first-hand experience of how it all works. Take some time to use the platform as a user, scrolling the For You page, checking out different hashtags, and seeing how other users create content.

It’s also worth diving into how the TikTok algorithm works to get an idea of how content is ranked and pushed to users. This can help guide how you use the platform as a business and content creator, as well as see what kinds of content are clearly being favored by the algorithm.

TikTok’s Business Learning Center is a great starting point for an introduction to the platform, as well as some key lessons on ad formats and other great features for businesses.

Set Our Goals For Using TikTok

Like marketing on any social media platform, you’ll need to decide what your overall goals are so you can measure your success.

That could be building up your TikTok business profile’s following, boosting sales of specific products or services, or clicking your main website to learn more about your brand.

Maybe you want to add paid content to your strategy or increase the budget after seeing positive results. It could be that you want to push more into trending content and need to spend more time researching current TikTok trends.

Define Your Audience For TikTok

Once you have your profile set up and an idea of how TikTok works, think about your audience. While Gen Z is the most common age demographic on the platform, plenty of other age groups are active.

Understanding the age, gender, location, interests, and more surrounding your target audience on TikTok will help you to start thinking about how your content can appeal to these users.

You can go even deeper and start to build customer journey maps, identifying what might motivate a user to buy your product or service, what concerns they might have, and what they might want to know about your business.

Complete A Competitor Audit

As TikTok is becoming so popular, there is plenty of competition with brands already experimenting. So, run a full TikTok competitor audit to help you understand where your brand stands in relation to your competitors.

Look at these other brands to understand how they’re using TikTok and the types of content they’re producing. As your audiences are likely to be similar, you can get an idea of what content is resonating with those users.

However, it’s important to still be unique on TikTok, so make sure you’re not simply copying content you’ve seen completely. TikTok is full of inspiration for new ideas.

Aside from your direct competitors and industry, you can also take inspiration from other content and hashtags that are trending as this is central to how TikToks can go viral.

Look At The Different TikTok Ad Types

As a TikTok business account, you will also have access to TikTok ads. These take different forms on the platform, so it’s a good idea to get to know them.

Running TikTok Paid Ads

With TikTok Ad Manager, creating paid ads for the platform is incredibly easy. Rather than posting content organically, you can set a budget behind a video or photo and have TikTok push it to new users.

This can increase the visibility of your content to new audiences. It’s managed all through the Ad Manager with analytics to track impressions and engagement.

You can also use TikTok Promote to boost your existing content and livestreams, helping your business profile to gain new followers and increase traffic.

Consider Using TikTok Influencers

TikTok influencers are users with engaged audiences and high follower counts compared to the average user.

They can range from micro influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers, up to celebrity influencers on the platform with follower counts in the hundreds of millions.

Working with influencers can be a great way to get your brand in front of new audiences.

As mentioned above, the mid-tier influencers are the accounts that are followed the most. So, working with smaller influencers can be a strong strategy.

Fender has great examples here and here.

When partnering with an influencer, it’s important to choose one that has some overlap with your audience.

There are plenty of tools out there to help match your business profile with suitable influencers, such as HypeAuditor’s free Audit Checker.

Look Into Affiliate Marketing On TikTok

Affiliates are an effective way to get your brand noticed by having multiple users talking about your brand.

While potentially not as authentic as influencers, the discount codes and vouching done by the affiliate can still help convert users into customers.

Create Your TikTok Marketing Calendar

At this point, you should have an idea of who your audience is, what sort of content you’d like to create, which hashtags you want to include, and whether you’d want to experiment using paid ads or partnerships.

You can introduce paid content at any time, but it can also be a great tool to get your profile off the ground.

With the information you have, you can start to map out content creation and posting dates so you can get a full view of your marketing calendar.

By having an organized plan of what needs to be achieved, you can keep up your TikTok content production and post regularly.

As with all social media channels, consistency is key.

Monitor Your Profile’s TikTok Analytics

After you’ve set your strategy in motion, monitor the analytics TikTok provides.

By tracking how your content and profile are performing, you can use this information to start planning how you can refine your TikTok marketing strategy.

This doesn’t mean you need to be reactionary and change everything if the metrics aren’t where you’d like initially. It can take time for new profiles to get going.

What is useful is noting down what content has done well, what content you’ve spotted that could be good for your brand, and where you can make improvements.

These can then be discussed at a review checkpoint when looking at your goals. Then, you can set new goals for your business and continue the process.

6 Examples Of Brands Marketing On TikTok

1. Duolingo

By having an anthropomorphized mascot, Duolingo takes advantage of various trends and audio, using Duo as the star of the video.

Happy Duo and Sad Duo examples.

The online world has also turned Duo into a meme, as the app frequently notifies users about lessons.

This has been parodied into Duo being an intimidating teacher figure, which the brand’s TikTok account then uses to post shareable, user-generated content.

2. Scrub Daddy

Scrub Daddy has a strong brand and a strong following on TikTok, where it posts trend-based content using its product as a substitute for a character.

However, it also has some great examples of educational content around its product and how to use it effectively.

Such as Scrub Hub and how to use them in hot and cold water.

Scrub Daddy has also been quick to jump on trends such as Subtle Foreshadowing.

3. NBA

The NBA has an incredibly successful TikTok profile that features highlights from recent games.

It does a great job at showing the best bits of its product – the matches – to entice more people to watch the full games. Did Anthony Edwards really just do this?

The captions and text that the NBA TikTok account adds to its posts are authentic to the TikTok video format, despite using professionally shot footage.

This makes its content feel more at home on the platform despite not being shot using a phone as the majority of TikTok content is.

4. Crocs

As a cult fashion product, Crocs has quite a following across social media.

The Crocs TikTok account features lots of lo-fi content that feels native to the platform, but it also uses it to feature official collaborations such as Fortnite and Shrek Crocs.

It also leans into timely content and partnerships with influencers like the Rockettes.

5. Chipotle

Mexican chain Chipotle has also grown its TikTok following to a respectable size, too.

One of its favored forms of content is “hack” content, using user-generated content that mixes up popular items from Chipotle’s menu to create new foods.

These usually involve food influencers, such as Logan and Yano, who bring their audience to Chipotle’s profile, which is a great way to grow and reach an established audience.

6. Gucci

Luxury fashion brands are also making full use of TikTok marketing, bringing their business to the platform with their own take on content.

With many celebrities wearing custom articles, as well as others acting as brand ambassadors, Gucci features them heavily within its content.

It can also bring in red-carpet events like the Gladiator II premiere and Olivier Awards to keep its content current and relevant.

It also uses TikTok to showcase behind-the-scenes content from its runway looks, giving more context to the clothes that people have seen, such as deconstructing Sabato De Sarno’s creations.

How TikTok Can Work For Brands

The best way to get started is just to try and experiment to see what works for your brand. Try different formats and see what connects with your audience.

It can take some time to get fully comfortable with the platform, especially if you don’t use it personally, so start by emulating other successful brands and TikToks and then start getting creative with your own ideas.

Depending on the budget available to you, combine organic TikToks with paid content.

Balancing the two with a steady production of high-quality branded content that shows your brand off will help to get traction.

Ultimately, focusing on being authentic, creative, and jumping on trends is the best approach to take for marketing on TikTok.

More Resources:

Featured Image: ARMMY PICCA/Shutterstock

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Jan 1 2025

Open a Facebook Shop in 2025

Social commerce is poised to take off in 2025, reaching 60% or more of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers worldwide, depending on the source.

TikTok is the trending social platform, with roughly 36 million shoppers, while Facebook is massive and established, with 68 million. Both are compelling options.

In this article, I will focus on Facebook Shop and its two key promotional opportunities.

Create a Facebook Page

Create a Facebook page by filling in a few fields and uploading images.

A Facebook Shop requires a Facebook page.

Log in to your personal Facebook account.
Go to the Pages section and create a new page.
Select the “Public Page” option.

Work through the six setup screens using Facebook’s interface as a guide. By the end, you will have a minimal Facebook page, ready to do business.

Set Up a Business Suite Account

Meta Business Suite is the single location for managing your pages, including the one you just created for your store. The setup process is straightforward.

Go to Business Suite.
Click “Create Account” and follow the prompts.
Add your Facebook page to Business Suite under “Business Settings” > “Accounts” > “Pages.”

Business Suite is a hub for Meta assets — Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp.

Meta’s Business Suite is the dashboard for managing stores on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Set Up a Commerce Account

Next, prepare your Facebook Shop.

Go to the Facebook Commerce “Get started” page.
Select “Add Products.”
Toggle the “Connect to a partner platform” switch.
Complete the form.

Facebook Shop integrates directly with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and other stores. I will use Shopify for this example.

To start, enter your store’s Myshopify.com subdomain, located on the “Domains” tab in your Shopify account settings. Facebook will direct you to Shopify and add the Facebook and Instagram app.

Screenshot of Facebook integration screen

Facebook integrates with many ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.

Connect Your Store

Facebook profiles associated with multiple pages may need to specify the one to integrate with Shopify. Then set your desired level of data sharing between Facebook and Shopify. Meta will use the data to improve advertising results but may require updates to your Shopify privacy policy and settings.

You’ll likely see approved products on your Facebook page in just a few minutes, although it sometimes takes up to two days.

Customize Your Facebook Shop

Once the Shopify store and Facebook Shop are synchronized, customize the latter via the Facebook Commerce Manager, adding payment types, layout, and verifications. Facebook permits some shop customization but will also pull from Shopify.

Facebook typically provides a checklist with a handful of tasks to complete before your shop is live.

Screenshot of Commerce Manager with customization options

Facebook permits some shop customization but will pull a lot from Shopify.

Promote the Facebook Shop

Most sellers promote Facebook Shops in two ways: Meta advertising and organic social media content.

Meta advertising. By accessing the shared Shopify data, Meta can confirm purchases, track website activity via its pixel, and view online chats.

All that information will guide Meta in identifying and targeting likely customers in a privacy-compliant manner. The optimized advertising should perform well. A few published reports, including one from Omnichat, describe a tenfold improvement in return on advertising spend for online merchants using Shopify and Facebook Shops.

Organic social media content. The second promotional opportunity comes from content marketing and email address capture.

Think of Facebook as a content distribution channel for your store. Share blog posts, product videos, and the like on that platform. Its algorithms (and your followers) will help expose the shop.

Always include email capture on your Facebook page and store. On the page, add a “newsletter” or “subscribe” custom action button linked to an email subscription form. Then include those subscribers in your store’s regular promotional email messages.

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Dec 30 2024

TikTok Shop’s Coming Seller Boom

TikTok faces an unprecedented U.S. ban, caught between its massive consumer popularity and lawmakers’ distrust. The crisis started in 2020 when some citizens and legislators grew concerned about the China-based social media company’s privacy practices and its relationship with that country’s communist government.

In April 2024, President Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, requiring TikTok’s parent company to sell the platform by January 19, 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal on January 10, 2025, and many commentators expect TikTok to survive in the United States, with or without new owners.

TikTok Shop

Meanwhile, TikTok Shop has been a boon for some sellers. The social commerce platform will reportedly reach $50 billion in worldwide gross merchandise volume in 2024. More than $10 billion of that total is likely to come from the U.S. market.

TikTok Shop is among the top social commerce platforms but has not likely reached its full potential.

Collectively, the nascent social commerce platform recorded $137 million in 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday U.S. sales.

Yet TikTok Shop may be far from its potential as online sellers, great and small, are waiting to learn how the ban plays out before adding another platform.

Ecommerce platforms now include at least four types of selling environments.

Ecommerce shops are storefronts from software suppliers such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix, to name a few. Most ecommerce merchants use these storefronts as a home base or flagship store online.

Ecommerce marketplaces — Amazon, Walmart, eBay, many more — are also common, if not essential, for online sellers. The number of marketplaces continues to grow, perhaps most notably with Temu’s U.S. seller program.

Ecommerce mobile apps for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are common for enterprise retailers as a primary storefront or separate.

Social commerce storefronts include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and others. Published estimates put the total global social commerce market at $2.9 trillion. Consumers increasingly expect sellers to have a presence on multiple social commerce platforms.

These various and sometimes repetitive ecommerce selling platforms are necessary because American shoppers tend to use several of them.

Mixed Signals

One could argue that U.S. consumers send a lot of mixed signals. Consider a few examples of contradictory survey results.

“49% of customers start and end their shopping journeys on retailer websites or apps,” according to a Hostinger article — points for ecommerce shops and mobile apps.

“Amazon accounted for 37.6% of the U.S. ecommerce market in 2023, followed by Walmart (6.4%), Apple (3.6%), eBay (3%), [and] Target (1.9%),” according to Jungle Scout — chalk up one for marketplace platforms.

“56% of consumers start their product searches on Amazon,” according to Jungle Scout again — continuing the argument for marketplaces.

“People aged 18 to 34 were the most into buying through social media, with about 73% of them saying they’ve bought something via social media channels,” according to an article from SellersCommerce — validating the need to use social commerce too.

Those statistics confirm why online merchants use many platforms in combination — including post-ban-paranoia TikTok Shop.

TikTok Redeemed

So if, as some predict, TikTok remains in the U.S. market and its future is no longer in doubt, expect a boom in sellers. Many ecommerce businesses, from small merchants to massive enterprises, will likely begin offering their products on the social platform.

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Dec 26 2024

Why Making A Good YouTube Video Is Hard (For Businesses) via @sejournal, @BennyJamminS

There are tons of reasons you want to be on YouTube, building an audience, and getting discovered in the YouTube algorithm.

YouTube is the second most popular website in the world, and YouTube videos can appear in Google Search results. This makes a YouTube presence a combined social media and SEO strategy. Entire businesses can be built on YouTube.

But, most YouTube videos suck.

Maybe “suck” is an unkind or imprecise word. It might be more accurate to say that the majority of YouTube videos don’t find an audience. That’s probably because they’re not good videos.

In this article, we’re going to talk about what makes YouTube videos good, how to identify if you have the potential to create them, what to do if you don’t, and why a poorly executed YouTube strategy can hurt your business.

Why It’s Difficult To Succeed On YouTube

There are 14 billion videos on YouTube and 65.4 million YouTube creators. Only 21% of all YouTube channels have more than 1,000 subscribers. 1,000 subscribers is the threshold to apply for advertising revenue.

YouTube represents a huge opportunity, but capitalizing on it isn’t easy. You need to be in the top 21% of the platform just to start earning advertising revenue.

To put it another way, you need to be better than 79% of all other creators as a baseline – better than all the hobbyists, enthusiasts, amateur and professional filmmakers, businesses, essayists, and commentators in that broad segment.

Creative Talent Is Difficult To Develop Or Find

Making good YouTube videos is hard because not everyone has the stuff. If you want to succeed on YouTube, your first question needs to be: do you have the stuff?

“The stuff” can be lots of things. Drive and passion, experience and knowledge, charisma, technical skills, artistic vision…it’s a long list, and anything could be on it as long as it gives you an edge.

There needs to be something unique about you or your business that will translate well into a creative, entertainment-focused medium.

What this means for businesses is that producing good YouTube videos is expensive. The kind of people who can make good YouTube videos, and their time, cost a lot of money.

YouTube’s Algorithm Pulls Videos For Users

Many people mistakenly assume that YouTube’s algorithm “pushes” videos out to audiences. As I explain in my article about YouTube SEO, YouTube’s algorithm finds videos for users, not users for videos.

It’s more than a semantic difference in word order. The algorithm pulls videos for users, finding what they might like. It doesn’t take your video and try to find an audience to push it to. It’s user-first, not video-first.

If your video isn’t genuinely interesting and engaging, if it doesn’t catch interest quickly and hold it, then the algorithm will notice that people aren’t very engaged, or the video doesn’t appeal to the audiences you’re trying to push it to, and won’t recommend it to similar users.

Users Have High Expectations

YouTube is an enthusiast platform. People create because they want to. As they learn and get better, their content improves, and audiences come to expect certain standards.

The standards might not be what you think.

While many successful channels have high production values and tight editing, there are still many successful “vlog” channels and low-budget, low-tech creators.

What I mean by high expectations is that users expect high effort. Whatever that effort looks like for your skill level and maturity with video production. Users are surprisingly willing to forgive junk if they can see the passion, authenticity, and value in a video.

This is one of the reasons that brands can struggle to find audiences on YouTube. It’s primarily an entertainment platform – brand-focused content without human connection and authenticity isn’t set up to perform well.

Users Don’t Want To Be Sold To On YouTube

Take a look at the top 100 biggest YouTube channels and you will see creators, music brands, musicians, movies, kids shows, etc. What you won’t see is a single product-focused brand.

SEJ keeps a list of the most subscribed-to individuals on YouTube, cutting out production companies. It’s mostly musicians, entertainers like MrBeast, and children’s creators such as Like Nastya.

People are on YouTube to be entertained or informed, not sold to. There are plenty of ads and in-video sponsorships already trying to sell things.

Is your content entertaining? Do you provide information that people actually care about?

Time Is Precious And There’s Always Something Else To Watch

Users are spoiled for choice. If they don’t find a video immediately compelling, YouTube has other recommendations they can click on right on the page.

They don’t even need to click the “back” button. There’s something new right there, with a colorful thumbnail ready to catch their eye.

This not only makes it difficult to distribute videos, it also makes it hard to make good videos.

Sometimes A Video’s Performance Is Just Luck

Videos you’re sure are good won’t take off. Videos you’re sure are bad will get traction. People are baffling, especially when it comes to what they watch and why. They’ll watch something they hate to have the experience of hating it. They’ll stop watching something they like when they’ve gotten what they need from it.

More than many other search platforms, sometimes you just have to be lucky to succeed on YouTube.

What Makes A YouTube Video “Good”?

Good videos on YouTube must begin with knowledge of your audience, passion for and knowledge of your subject matter, and love of the craft of video production.

That might sound a little wishy-washy but it’s what built the YouTube platform and it’s what users continue to look for.

Videos Must Be Engaging AND Satisfying

Videos are more difficult to skim than text. You can improve it by using chapters and timestamps, but a reader can’t just scroll past what they aren’t interested in. A viewer has to wait for it to pass or actively skip it.

It doesn’t really benefit you to have people skipping around, because it means they’re not engaged, and being engaging is the first rule of a good video.

Engagement means watch time, interaction signals, and even what users do after watching your video.

This makes introductions and hooks critical to a video’s success. Right away, you need to convince someone that it’s worth it to keep watching.

However, it’s easy to go too far and create “clickbait” that over-promises and under-delivers. Even if this gets you watch time, YouTube’s algorithm filters for satisfaction as well as raw engagement.

It can tell the difference between good engagement and not-so-good engagement. If someone watches a whole video expecting something specific and they don’t get it, that’s high engagement but a bad experience.

User signals on YouTube are much more complicated than raw CTR and watch time numbers. Watch time, however, is still one of the major markers of success.

Self-Assessment Is Difficult: So Do It More

Self-assessing creative content is difficult. It’s not easy to look at something you made and ask yourself: is this actually any good? Would anyone watch it? Is it worth someone else’s time?

But you need to practice self-critique and seek critique from others. You need to approach videos from the point of view of the person watching and find the point between what you need to communicate and what they’re willing to watch.

Selling Must Be Incidental To The Content

Unless you’re a BIG brand with an exciting release that people are genuinely anticipating, users are unlikely to care about your business or what you’re trying to sell while they’re on YouTube.

YouTube isn’t really the platform for promotional videos, about us videos, product videos, etc., at least not if you expect algorithmic success.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be successful with mid to low funnel type videos, but they need to be part of a broader strategy — not be your whole approach to the platform.

Your first duty with a YouTube video is to provide genuine value to the viewer. “Value” could be learning, news, or laughing at memes. If you focus on your business conversion goals first, you’ll lose audiences early and harm your metrics, burying your videos.

If you know SEO, you know this already. YouTube videos are most successful when they’re a “top funnel” strategy. Give something of value, and expect only time in return.

As a user gets to know and like you through your videos, they’ll become more interested in your value proposition as a business or service provider.

Good YouTube Videos Are Made For The Love Of It

Doing things because you love them isn’t reserved only for individual creators. As a team, as a professional, as a business, you can do this too. It just means caring about what you’re publishing and who you’re publishing it for.

If you have a brilliant creative team, set them to work on a YouTube channel! If you’re passionate about helping people, solving problems, providing good information, or just letting your team be goobers for the camera, it’s a great idea to start some kind of production.

This could look like a podcast, a tutorial, or a demonstration series. Or even something unrelated to your businesses but that is a special interest to someone on your team, that you can use for testing.

This might feel like nothing advice but believe me, users can tell when videos are made with love and when they aren’t. There’s no way to replicate or fake it. You’ve just got to do it. Or fund people who do it with advertising.

More resources:

Featured Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock

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Dec 11 2024

TikTok Expands Shop Tools as Ban Looms

TikTok continues to face legal challenges. A U.S. federal appeals court upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to divest TikTok in the U.S. by January 19 or face a ban. The deadline may receive a 90-day extension from President Biden, and TikTok plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Still, the social media app remains central to trade tensions between the U.S. and China.

In response to the appeals court decision, TikTok released the following statement:

The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue. Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people. The TikTok ban, unless stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the U.S. and around the world on January 19, 2025.

Despite the political difficulties, TikTok’s ecommerce efforts in the last year have been impressive. Since the launch of its Shop platform in 2023, TikTok has released a series of tools and partnerships, and the results appear to be gaining momentum.

What follows is a rundown of TikTok’s new and updated commerce tools for merchants, creators, and brands.

TikTok Commerce Tools, Resources

TikTok Shop, launched in the U.S. in September 2023, is an integrated ecommerce platform within the TikTok app, allowing merchants, brands, and creators to sell products via shoppable videos, livestreams, profile pages with product collections, shop tabs with searchable product listings and shoppable content, and affiliate program features.

Sellers can leverage TikTok Shop Ads and, for logistics, Fulfilled by TikTok. TikTok Shop integrates with platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, as well as multichannel partners such as ChannelAdvisor, Feedonomics, and ChannelEngine.

In 2024, TikTok Shop launched an initiative to support small businesses called SOAR (Supporting Our Artisans and Retailers).

TikTok Shop

TikTok Shop Live enables sellers and creators to run livestreams where shoppers can purchase merchandise directly. The number of U.S. TikTok Shop Live sessions hosted each month nearly tripled in 2024, per TikTok, which stated beauty brand founder Stormi Steele (@iamstormisteele) surpassed $2 million in Black Friday 2024 sales, setting a new record for a single live session.

Subscription is a recently expanded feature for live and non-live creators that offers access to exclusive perks, unique experiences, and a members-only community for a monthly fee. Creators can customize their subscription packages in tiers, including private community channels, exclusive content, and custom perks.

Creator Affiliate Program lets creators earn commissions from merchants by sharing preferred products in short videos and livestreams. In addition, TikTok is reportedly letting some creators add product links from third-party affiliate networks (including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Rakuten, and Temu) directly to their posts through a new integration.

Creator Rewards Program lets creators monetize original videos over one minute with an optimized rewards formula focused on four areas: originality, play duration, search value, and audience engagement. Creators must be 18 years old, have at least 10,000 followers, and a minimum of 100,000 views in the last 30 days.

TikTok Studio is a platform to create, edit, upload, manage, and analyze videos. Creators can post to TikTok directly from Studio and use tools such as auto caption, photo editor, and autocut. The monetization module in Studio contains an overview of all platform offerings, personalized recommendations, and growth opportunities.

TikTok Studio

Smart+ automates advertising across targeting, bidding, and creative to optimize cost and performance. Advertisers input their assets, budget, and targeting goals, and Smart+ automatically creates or selects the best creative asset and, utilizing AI-powered TikTok Symphony, chooses the right audience and optimal time. Smart+ includes campaigns for web traffic, catalog ads, app installs, and lead generation.

GMV Max is a new service enabling TikTok Shop merchants to automate advertising campaigns. GMV Max leverages all available creatives automatically (organic videos, affiliate videos, and ads) and deploys them in a single automated campaign, whether it’s promoting an entire shop or select products. Advertisers select the products to promote, define a return-on-investment target, and set the budget.

TikTok One is a new centralized hub for marketers to access creative tools. Brands can access 2 million TikTok creators, production partners, and insights, as well as the Creator Marketplace and Creative Challenge.

TikTok Symphony is a new AI suite to help marketers scale content development, creativity, and productivity on TikTok. Symphony supports scriptwriting, video production, and asset optimization. Symphony Assistant can summarize trends, create TikTok-native scripts, brainstorm creative concepts, identify creative ideas, and more.

TikTok Symphony

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