Short video apps are all the craze, taking the world by storm. Is your brand ready?

At this point, there are good chances you’ve heard of TikTok, a Chinese-based app that has been downloaded 1.5 billion times outside of its domestic market (as of early 2020).

 

Apps like TikTok are basically video-sharing social networks that are used to create short lip-sync, comedy and talent videos. These videos can run from 3 seconds all the way up to 60 seconds, depending on the platform. Users select a soundtrack (a music clip, the sound from another video on the platform, or recorded sound, for example). This is why you’ll often see dozens, if not hundreds of videos that use the exact same soundtrack, but are “re-enacted” by other users, in their own way (a choreography or specific dance moves are good examples).

 

But it is not the only app that was born in the Chinese market off the buzz around creating short-video content that can be easily produced and then shared.

 

Kwai is hot in Brazil, VMate is hot in India and Likee is hot in Russia and Southeast Asia.

 

Brands are starting to take notice and many have started producing for the platform.

 

Publishing content on TikTok and similar platforms require having specific narratives, an approach that is different from what a brand might by publishing elsewhere. Your Facebook or Instagram story is a great start, but it might not be exactly what the user base is looking for when spending time on TikTok.

 

So how should your brand evaluate if there is potential for it on this new venture? First, create yourself an account and spend 5 minutes every day watching what is being published, which memes or challenges or type of videos seem to work well. Follow some brands and look at what they are doing.

 

These platforms are mostly relevant for consumer goods brands, but there will be other categories that can make their way into it.

 

If you want to learn more about the sector of short video apps, be sure to take some time to read Wency Chen’s in-depth article on the current state of the various networks being created, including Facebook’s second test in the category with Reels in Brazil (after Lasso failed to make a dent in 2018).

 

But one thing is sure, create an account on TikTok, spend some time looking at where teens and younger generations are spending a large amount of time. This will allow you to have a better view of what could be possible for your brand.

Would you like to dive deeper into TikTok and short-video apps with us? Contact an expert at Toast and schedule a consultation with our experts today.