As early as 2009, I’ve sat in marketing conferences where speakers have touted that “video is going to dominate marketing.”
Back then, it was because Apple had released the iPhone in the fall of 2007. As this was being said, we’d just entered Web 2.0, the rise of the socialization of marketing thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube connecting the Internet socially to the world.
Social media apps added video elements for posts, lives, and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Thanks to the iPhone, video is more accessible to make and view. Facebook has done a great job of jumping on the trends and implementing changes to their app by copying other apps like Vine, SnapChat. Then, TikTok jumped on the scene.
Fast forward to 2016 and the launch of ByteDance. The app was launched by Chinese technology. TikTok was first released under the name of Musical.ly but was later bought out and renamed TikTok. Then in October 2018, it became the most downloaded app in the United States. The app now has about 1 billion users.
I downloaded it in 2018 because a client wanted to “go viral” on the app. If you know me, virality is a lot of fun, but it doesn’t always bring in the sales and content creation becomes a tough beast to manage. While I haven’t experienced ‘going viral' first hand (and honestly don’t want to), I’ve watched coaching clients with this goal in mind go viral then get consumed to the point with content creation it’s hard to keep up with messages, comments and of course, making content. And almost always, sales don’t usually happen.
The other part of TikTok is that the audience skews young — 13 years old to 30. If your dream clients are in that age group, it’s a great place to capture market share if your offer is at a lower price point.
A big indication for me as a digital marketer was that TikTok wasn’t disruptive and there was only 1 session on it at the 2020 Social Media Marketing World, no one was talking about it except for one session with Rachel Pederson. You can read my recap here.
Then, the pandemic happened.
Consumers were stuck at home and getting all the news that we could from our phone. Before that, it was reported consumers were watching less network television and cable and consuming more on streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu. Our family has been this way since 2016 as we barely turn on our TVs and are sadly glued to our phones.
What happened next was not a shocker. Meta (formerly Facebook who owns Instagram) launched a new feature on Instagram called Reels, a direct rip-off of TikTok. While Instagram usually comes in with better features and dominates (remember Snapchat), this time it’s mostly a direct rip-off with changes almost weekly in the app. Adding this new short-form video option to an older crowd has been a hit but the vibes on the apps are definitely different and often the trends on Instagram are a couple weeks behind TikTok.
Why is now the time to think more like a content creator rather than a marketer? Since the pandemic, we’ve been more small screen focused thanks to TikTok shifting the consumption of video. Also thanks to the pandemic, it’s been evident that many things (work, networking) can take place virtually moving marketing from a Web 2.0 social media focus to a Web 3.0 virtual reality/creator focus.
In a recent blog post, I talked about the Web 3.0 shift is coming and those who adopt and shift now will have the skills over their competition. Early adoption is key for your marketing budget. It doesn’t mean going all in but testing the waters.
Here are other hints as to why now is the time.
Consumers trust video. They don’t care where it’s posted they will trust and buy especially if it’s from a person of influence. We know word of mouth marketing is everything so why not trust your favorite creators. Consumers say they’re 90% more willing to purchase if they’ve seen a video ad too.
Everything is going digital. When it comes to hiring for marketing positions, I’m seeing more chief marketing officers needing extensive experience with online marketing and less on offline strategies. Old school CMOs have often left it up to junior hires to be the experts and now they are thrust into more digital CMO roles. I’ve also seen companies are hiring for content creation for the web which includes website content, social media content and video content. If they can’t hire within, they look to consultants like myself to fill the gaps.
Consumers trust amateur videos thanks to the iPhone. Sorry video marketing consults, your equipment is obsolete now, thanks to the iPhone. Consumers also don’t want commercials, they want to see your products or services in action making the sales touch process go from an average of course touches to 20 touches before they purchase. Consumers crave raw, relatable, transparency and selfie style.
Attention spans LOVE videos until 90s seconds making short-form videos like TikToks and Reels and easy consumption. The downside, tons of misinformation. Even YouTube and Pinterest have come up with video options that are shorter.
More consumers are searching social networks. Search is moving to social media like TikTok and Instagram over Google. Instagram recently came out with best practices search such as putting keywords in captions.
Your head spinning? Yep, mine too. But lucky for you there is time to start dipping your toes into the creator pool. Over the next few weeks, I’ll walk you through how to make this shift.
On September 12, join me for a 3 day training “think like a creator” to get your head in the game and baby step you into short-form video creation. Sign up today to save your spot!