Although TikTok’s rapid climb to fame was built on an endless stream of short films designed to capture users’ attention, the firm has been promoting longer material for some time. Longer videos help TikTok to compete more effectively with YouTube (which favours long-form content), as well as attract an older audience and enhance overall app engagement time. Changing to longer content, on the other hand, might cost the company by restricting the amount of data it can collect on customers’ viewing patterns, which is what allows it to personalise the algorithms it uses to attract viewers in the first place. To put it another way, getting the content length just right is a delicate balancing act.
Ironically, as TikTok expands to provide creators and fans longer material, its competitors have done the exact opposite, driven on by TikTok’s success. Instagram’s Reels, YouTube’s Shorts, and Snapchat’s Spotlight are all examples of short-form video platforms. All of these businesses are attempting to perfect the formula.