The Rise of TikTok as a Content Platform and How it Shaped Our Attention Span:
In a short span of less than a decade, TikTok has gained massive popularity among internet surfers. When we think of TikTok, most of us have a perception that it is a platform filled with weird dance routines and unnecessary remixes of pop music. But what if we told you that TikTok has recently become a one-stop learning platform for learning a myriad of new things, from learning how to bake banana bread to learning about The Myth of Sisyphus? Fascinating, right?
Now, you might think YouTube has already done that; yes, they have. But nowadays, very few people have the attention span to sit through a 15-20-minute video instruction on how to bake, thanks to the recent trend of bite-sized content or short-form videos. People are turning to short-form videos as a means of education and entertainment. Believe it or not, TikTok has put a great deal of effort into this conversion process. The platform initially had a video length limit of 15-60 seconds but as it gained more popularity over the years, the maximum limit was set at 10 minutes but again turned to 3 minutes (max) in 2023, although it is possible for the users to upload 10-minute-long videos still. Because of this flexibility of content size, more and more content creators are using TikTok to create their content. Through this shift of creators, a plethora of content started to pop up in TikTok and as a result, it converted a majority of the audience into consumers of short-form videos and also reshaped their attention span.
How TikTok Has Created Its Own Way of Sharing Knowledge Through Short Videos:
TikTok has become an ideal place to gain knowledge on various topics within a short time. In May 2020, TikTok launched the LearnOnTikTok Program, which consisted of educational short videos to facilitate learning during the COVID-19 period. Interestingly, these videos were created by professionals and experts from different disciplines or fields of work who wanted to share their knowledge and enlighten the users of this platform. Studies showed that these short-form video lectures improved participants’ satisfaction and increased the level of engagement with the educators. Currently, #LearnOnTikTok has 900 billion views and it is growing rapidly as more and more educational content creators flock to this platform.
How TikTok Videos Are Made:
Educational TikTok videos that perform well or are deemed viral usually carry a few common characteristics: they are short, precise and easy to understand. The viewers expect the content to be light to their heads and prefer to have zero confusion, so the question arises: How do we make these educational TikTok videos? There is no clear typification of the educational content that is available on TikTok. But here are a few content ideas that can work while making educational videos on TikTok:
Talking Head Videos – In this format, a single person talks directly into the camera while placing it on a tripod or some sort of support. It is an effective way of learning as the creator is able to talk while sharing images and showing examples of the topic that is being taught.
How-To Videos – These are videos that primarily teach or show us how to do something. It usually involves the creators filming themselves doing the task. i.e. How to create an origami swan.
Product Review Videos – These videos feature the content creators using a particular product catering to their niches and demonstrating the quality value for money of that product to the audiences. Such videos help the viewers be aware before their next purchase and create room for discussion about the product in use. i.e. Gaming laptop reviews.
Why Is It Effective?
The pivotal element of this effective learning method is the “storytelling” format. What better way to tell a story than visualizing it through a video? Many researchers have sought the answer to why TikTok is such an effective learning platform for young students. Among them, Hattie and Yates’s research suggests that it is easier to retain information and increase the effectiveness of learning when the lessons are distributed across several short sessions rather than lengthy sessions. TikTok videos provide students with the necessary means to manage their cognitive load through short-form video learning, which has proven to be more effective.
How People Are Turning to TikTok for Basic Knowledge?
Even a decade ago, if someone wanted to learn something as basic as how to edit a photo of them on Adobe Photoshop, they would search the internet for hours for proper resources and would have to face a great deal of trouble before they eventually got to that one tutorial video with low resolution. But such is not the case anymore. Nowadays, people, especially Zoomers, don’t wait for hours for the perfect video. They are turning to highly visual search engines with location-based features, such as TikTok, which could show them their desired tutorial in 30-60 seconds with guidance from real humans.
How is it Impacting Businesses Statistically?
Oxford Economics recently showed in their report “The TikTok Effect” how small businesses using TikTok are impacting the economy in Europe. Reportedly, only small businesses on TikTok contributed an additional €4.8 billion to the significant European economies in 2023. Small and large businesses are now using TikTok as a platform to promote their businesses, with 25% of small business owners tilting towards influencer marketing. According to surveys, on average, these businesses devote 15% of their total marketing budget to creating content. Working with TikTok content creators has proven to be of help to businesses. According to TikTok, “ads with creators” create a 26% increase in brand favorability among social media users in the U.S. It is quite evident from the statistics how TikTok has become a blessing for both new and old businesses.
Author: Irtiza Zaman
