6 Elements of Compelling Video Content on TikTok

Editor’s Note: CM sister pub PRNEWS attended the 2024 Meltwater Summit in New York City last month, where Neil Cameron, Head of Canadian Agency Partnerships at TikTok, guided attendees through “six universal truths” for creating compelling, short-form video on the platform. Regardless of budget or bandwidth constraints, PR and marketing pros can leverage these six fundamental principles when creating video content on TikTok. For the full article go here.

1. Fit In to Stand Out

“One of the first things that a brand can do is look the part and talk the talk,” Cameron says. Rather than getting stuck in a state of “perfection paralysis,” brands are better off assessing their resources, working with the assets they have and using the native tools on the platform. “We encourage brands to start to play with lingo, through things like social listening tools, to identify language that is resonating. And if you do not have the resources, lean into creators—they really are the professors of our platform.”

2. Lean Into TikTok Trends

Cameron breaks down TikTok trends into three types, each varying in permanence: moments, signals and forces. He defines a moment as a creative prompt that quickly gains traction from buzz and then dissipates. A signal is a content pattern that shows emerging behaviors and interests. And forces are long-scale behavioral transformations.

But not all brands should leverage all three types of trends, he noted. “It’s really important, especially for brands and marketers, to recognize and own your level of agility. Some brands just simply can’t play within this place of ‘moments.’” For those organizations with less agility, he recommends focusing on signals and forces.

3. Prioritize Quality Production

Quality production is critical—but it doesn’t have to be super polished, Cameron says. “It’s important to understand that if you go low-fi with your content, low production does not denote low quality,” he says. However, whatever you’re producing has to look good. “The previous rules I’ve talked about mean absolutely nothing if your content looks subpar,” he said. “Make sure it’s vertical, in high-res and in the safe zone for users on the platform.”

To read the full article, including all six fundamentals to creating compelling TikTok video, head over to PRNEWS.