Social media has gone through a lot of changes in 2023, from the launch of several new apps like Threads and Diem to veteran platforms like Snapchat introducing new programs to pay creators.
There’s no doubt that short-form content has dominated the market recently, but 2024 could very well be the year that switches up.
I’m a media reporter who covers social media, and, in the past few months, I’ve noticed that platforms and audiences alike are gearing more towards longer content.
As audiences turn away from traditional forms of entertainment like cable TV, they’re finding some of that content on social platforms. They’re using mediums like TikTok and YouTube to watch clips of movies or shows they like. They’re also using it to educate themselves on a variety of topics, which tend to be longer videos.
Social platforms themselves are also investing in longer videos.
In February, TikTok introduced its Creativity Program Beta, which pays creators to produce content that’s over 60 seconds, veering away from the short, quick hits that originally made the app so popular. The program has quickly proved to be lucrative for creators who participate, with some earning tens of thousands of dollars per month. It’s incentivizing more creators to post longer videos on TikTok, which allows videos up to 10 minutes long.
Other platforms and brands that have been prioritizing short-form video may soon follow.
More platforms are likely to follow in TikTok’s footsteps, then brands
As someone who speaks with creators nearly every day, I’ve spent a lot of time this past year talking about emerging trends in this industry. Dozens of creators have told me they’ve started watching a lot of TV and movie clips on TikTok or YouTube, which is increasing the time they spend on these apps.
This trend doesn’t surprise me, because I’ve been doing the same; in my daily TikTok scrolling binges, I’ll watch a whole episode or two of “Gossip Girl” in one- to 10-minute installments or catch up on “Saturday Night Live” skits. When I exit the app, three hours have flown by. In other words, entertainment requires longer videos and can keep viewers glued to their screens.
Overall, time spent on TikTok among US adults is expected to increase to 58.4 minutes next year, from 55.8 minutes in 2023, Insider Intelligence forecasted this year.
TikTok has chosen to address this growing interest in longer videos by introducing the Creativity Program, and it looks like other social media platforms aren’t far behind.
According to a December report by Insider Intelligence, Instagram is expected to pivot from an emphasis on reels to longer videos as it struggles to convince its advertisers of the success of shorter content.
If more social platforms hop back on the longer-form video trend, brands could soon follow suit. In fact, some are already testing the waters. One creator told Business Insider that as part of a recent brand deal with Amazon, the company is asking her to produce 10-minute videos on YouTube to see how this type of longer content will perform. Previously, she was only repurposing her TikTok content for YouTube Shorts. The creator asked to remain anonymous to avoid tarnishing her relationship with the brand.
People are using apps to access informational content, which tends to be longer
Social media’s replacement of traditional avenues like Google as a search engine also suggests people are spending more time on these apps since that kind of content can lend itself to longer-form video.
Today, online audiences, particularly Gen Zers and millennials, are seeking out resources and information on platforms like TikTok and YouTube more often. Several creators in the last year told BI they have prioritized SEO in their TikToks to reach these audiences.
Some creators who participate in TikTok’s Creativity Program told BI this trend could be driven by people who want more education-based content, or even news, which more young people are turning to TikTok for. These kinds of videos can be more in-depth about a particular subject, like preparing a meal or breaking down a global issue like Israel-Gaza.
Food creator Zachary Neman said that, based on conversations with his followers, most of them play his content in the background while doing other chores, like laundry or finishing work tasks. To him, this means fewer people are as enthralled by “scrollable” short-form videos.
“There’s no doubt that longer videos are here to stay,” he told BI. “It’s going to be a lot more difficult for creators who are focused on short-form to adjust, but we’re seeing that’s what our audiences want.”
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