TikTok is a short-video platform that has conquered the field, so why is it working on longer videos?

In a story, WIRED says that short videos cannot sustain the company for so long because they have lesser space for ads.

“While TikTok has ridden the wave of popularity that propelled it to the top of app stores worldwide, to sustainably grow its revenue, it needs longer videos, which gain more attention, and allow them to sell more ads,” the article said.

Karyn Spencer, an industry expert, explained that traditional advertisers feel like longer videos give them more freedom to place ads. And with TikTok’s average watch time being an hour and 25 minutes a day (spread over about 17 different times), ads do not have enough time to take root.

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So, the social media company has started supporting longer videos gradually. First, it extended the maximum video length from 60 seconds to three minutes. Then, it began testing five-minute-long videos in Q3 2021, and some testers claim to have been able to upload videos of up to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, as TikTok attempts to set foot in the long-video industry, its would-be competitors are trying to get a foothold on the short-video market. Facebook has Reels, Snapchat has Spotlight, YouTube has Shorts, and Pinterest has idea pins.

So, don’t be surprised when slightly longer videos (of between 21 and 34 seconds) get more prominence than shorter ones. It is just TikTok trying to rewire its users’ brains to stay focused for longer as it tries to bring in advertisers.

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