TikTok is reshaping visual media: 2023 trend to capitalize on 🎥

Today I’m going to unpack the power and prevalence of short-form video and what you can do to make use of this trend in 2023. 

TikTok. Just the name evokes emotions among leaders…

• For some of you, irritation – **insert eye roll here** here we go again! 

• For some, suspicion – you’ve read the reports. You’ve seen the concerns about this Chinese-owned company, or the reports of how it can negatively impact wellbeing, especially among younger people.

• For some, anger – you’ve already experienced the detrimental effects I just mentioned in your own family or broader circles.

• For some, confusion – what is TikTok, and why is everyone talking about it?

• For some, fascination and joy – you’ve pushed past all that and enjoy using the platform. Sure, you might lose track of time now and again, but it just seems to know what you’ll want to see next.

However you feel about TikTok, one thing is true – it has made a significant impact on the landscape of social media content and culture. 

But today is not all about TikTok, the platform. Today, we are going to talk about the Tiktokification of visual media. 

Tiktokification of visual media

Years ago, much angst was felt when social media platforms shifted from prioritizing text-based content to posts with imagery. Do you remember this? 

The shift from the written word to visuals was jarring for some. But the reality was that when social media providers boosted visual content, users spent more time on their platforms. And when users spend more time on advertising-supported social media, they see more ads. And when users see more ads, the platforms in question make more money.

How beloved actor Gene Wilder became an internet meme Mashable August 29, 2016

Fast forward a few years. 

Today, short-form video is the new lure for social media platforms. Still photos are so 2016. 

The original short-form video app was called Vine. Owned by Twitter, it set the stage with its now famous 6-second video rule. Vine died in 2016, and over the past several years, TikTok has become the dominant player in short-form video. 

TikTok has shared that it regularly has more than 1 BILLION monthly users, with over 100 million coming from the United States (nearly one-third of our entire nation’s population – no big deal!).

Short-from video is the single biggest driver for time spent on social media today. In addition, the average adult TikTok user spent more time on the platform than any other social media platform in 2022.

In the face of such temptation for advertising-driven social media, every other social media platform has prioritized short-form video.

YouTube has Shorts.

Instagram has Reels.

Facebook has Stories.

Snapchat has Spotlight.

Pinterest and Twitter are experimenting with short video feeds. Netflix tested a short-form video feature last year called “Fast Laughs” (The Verge).

If that wasn’t enough, in December, Amazon announced that it would be testing a Tiktok-like feed for shopping called Inspire: Amazon Is Launching TikTok-Style Feed in Bet on Social Commerce (Bloomberg).

The dark side of short-form video

Everything is becoming video-first

Many users are not happy with the Tiktokification of their favorite social platforms. I’ve been a big fan of Instagram, for example. However, many users are frustrated that the photo-sharing app appears to have become a video-sharing app over the past year, prioritizing its Reels video feature over photos. 

‘Stop trying to be TikTok’: user backlash over Instagram changes

 (The Guardian)

Government concerns around privacy and influence

Specifically for TikTok, there are well-publicized concerns that the Chinese-owned company could use the platform to influence users for state interests. There are also concerns about data privacy for U.S. citizens. I won’t unpack those here, but here are a couple of excellent pieces unpacking the case for concern if you are interested.

Governors’ TikTok Bans Make Sense, Cybersecurity Experts Say (PEW)

[VIDEO] TikTok Offers New Data Security Plans to Win Over U.S. Regulators (WSJ)

Concerns for wellbeing, mental health

Much has been written about the addictive nature of social media. Of course, this is not a new phenomenon. Still, the increasing effectiveness of algorithms and the prioritization of time-on-site engagement for social media platforms has led to unprecedented levels of concern for the health and wellbeing of the users of these platforms. 

Why TikTok makes the hours seem to melt away, according to experts who study how our brains perceive time (Insider)

The way TikTok and similar platforms drive engagement is very similar to the way gaming and internet gambling works to capture and hold attention. 

[VIDEO] How TikTok’s Algorithm Figures You Out (WSJ)

If you watch just one video from this Wave Report, I highly recommend the one above from the Wall Street Journal. It’s fascinating, but warning… it’ll probably shock you, and make you a little mad, too. 

In short, the algorithms specialize in detecting subtle engagement cues by measuring things like dwell time. In this way, you may not consciously realize it, but your own behavior tells the algorithm how you are feeling and what grabs your attention and feeds you more of that. In essence, platforms like TikTok can become an echo chamber of your own feelings, which can be a dangerous place to be, especially for young people.

Kids and teens now spend more time watching TikTok than YouTube, new data shows (TechCrunch)

While social media addiction is a concern for everyone, younger people are especially vulnerable. For example, in 2021, ​​kids and teens watched an average of 91 minutes of TikTok per day compared with 56 minutes per day watching YouTube globally.

This section may have been pretty dark, but I can’t write about leveraging short-form video in 2023 without pointing out these important issues. 

But let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. This trend is here to stay, and there are some ways we can redeem and use it for good. 

So, let’s look at ways to use short-form video for good in 2023. 

Using short-form video for good in 2023

The first way you might capitalize on the short video trend in 2023 is to better reach your audience with short-form video.

To reach your audience through content and advertising

Social media platforms continue to prioritize short-form video content. Per Ogilvy, “TikTok requires brands to seamlessly blend into its DNA and adopt the platform’s codes and language by operating as creators rather than as advertisers.”

Agencies plan to focus on TikTok, among other channels, in 2023 (Digiday)

💡 Takeaway: Organizations and agencies in 2023 should be experimenting with short video ads and content that embody the DNA of the platform to attract and engage audiences, whether on Facebook, YouTube, or, yes, even TikTok. 

To explain complex topics in simple terms 

TikTok is to video as Twitter was to the written word. In the early days of that social media platform, paring a message down to 140 characters forced people and organizations to create simple, straightforward, to-the-point messages. No fluff. Learning to write with Tweet-length brevity improved their ability to communicate clearly.

💡 Takeaway: Think of short-form video as presenting you with a similar challenge. How can you convey a powerful message or idea and engage your viewer in just 20 seconds?

To learn about trends and complex topics

Admittedly, right now I feel like this is a bit wishful thinking since the way platforms are set up to bias towards entertaining, shocking, or otherwise unhelpful content. But, I believe we are on the cusp of an explosion of learning-oriented content in short form.

Look to content on platforms like LinkedIn to lead the way. LinkedIn is incentivized to provide helpful, engaging, and educational content, and yet at the end of the day, it’s a social network. Platforms like YouTube are also getting this more right than the likes of TikTok right now. 

I’ve written extensively about the importance of trendspotting. Of seeing trends that might impact you or your leadership. That’s why I write this Wave Report each week. 

💡 Takeaway: If you can learn to tap into the power of short-form videos in your feed to teach you about important topics, you can harness a powerful learning mechanism.

Next week we’ll move on to the next trend to capitalize on in 2023. Until then… Surfs Up! 🌊

   - Dave

About the Author | Dave Raley

Consultant, speaker, and writer Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps non-profits and businesses create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of a weekly trendspotting report called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands.

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