The Engagement Rate

An industry bulletin for marketing pros.

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Will livestreaming be TikTok’s Amazon-killer?

TikTok is diving into U.S. e-commerce, mirroring the success of social shopping in Asia. With its e-commerce platform now live for 150 million monthly U.S. users, TikTok aims to skyrocket global merchandise value to $20 billion in 2023 from under $5 billion in 2022.

Inspired by China's thriving livestreaming e-commerce, growing at 18% annually compared to the overall 11%, TikTok is stepping into uncharted waters. Recent results from Chinese counterpart Kuaishou, boasting a 30% increase in gross merchandise value, underscore the potential.

However, political challenges, seen in Southeast Asia, pose risks. Yet, given TikTok's track record for rapid growth and connecting with younger generations, it might embed itself in the U.S. e-commerce scene before regulatory concerns catch up—a potential threat to giants like Amazon and Walmart.

TikTok shifts to longer videos

TikTok, famous for its short videos, is encouraging longer content creation, shifting from its 15-second norm. Executives highlight benefits like increased engagement and 5x times more follower growth for videos over a minute. This mirrors Douyin's strategy, aiming to diversify revenue through longer videos for better ad opportunities. TikTok has expanded video limits, allowing three-minute videos in July 2021, 10-minute videos in February 2022, and testing 15-minute videos. This aligns with TikTok's broader strategy, adopting successful Douyin features and introducing horizontal videos for broader advertising appeal. To motivate creators, TikTok discontinues the Creator Fund, introducing the Creativity Program for videos longer than a minute.

However, this shift faces challenges as TikTok users are accustomed to quick video consumption, and some creators resist the move, preferring the simplicity of short-form content. Despite aligning with industry trends, including YouTube's format, TikTok's success in longer videos may influence regulations and impact user loyalty, illustrating the dynamic nature of the social media landscape.

How to write a hook like MrBeast

MrBeast, the maestro of YouTube extravagance with a staggering 214 million subscribers, has mastered the art of crafting hooks that are nothing short of clickbait magic. Unpacking the secrets behind his video titles, Nathan Baugh unravels MrBeast's top three hook styles:

1. Costly Signaling: Think "Last To Leave $800,000 Island Keeps It." With stakes as high as the title suggests, curiosity is piqued, and you can't help but click.

2. Contrast: Enter " $1 vs. $1,000,000 Hotel Room!" This title sets up a dichotomy that demands comparison, playing on tension and transformation dynamics.

3. Novelty Effect: Consider "I Put 100 Million Orbeez In My Friend's Backyard." Outlandish? Absolutely. The novelty factor hooks you in, prompting questions like, "What does 100M Orbeez even look like?"

Whether it's emphasizing high stakes, creating sharp contrasts, or delivering a novelty overload, these hooks all orbit around one crucial theme: curiosity. After all, in the realm of clicks, curiosity is king. Time to add these hooks to our swipe file and elevate our clickbait game!

Why a $2.5B startup is supercharging its influencer game in 2024…

Aura, a $2.5 billion cybersecurity startup, is increasing its influencer marketing budget by over 50% in 2024, aiming to reach more users with its AI-powered family protection product.

CEO Hari Ravichandran notes that influencer marketing helps engage customers at various stages of the buying cycle, especially those unaware of the company's offerings. The U.S. is set to witness a 15% rise in influencer marketing spending, reaching $5.89 billion in 2024. Aura collaborates with a diverse range of influencers, including a mom with 5,000 followers, crime podcasters, and actor Robert Downey Jr. Recently, Aura partnered with TikTok sensation Andre Rush to raise awareness about online scams targeting military veterans. Rush, who prioritizes mission-aligned collaborations, emphasizes a belief in the cause. Aura focuses on long-term partnerships to ensure genuine commitment from influencers.

PODCAST

The changing ways Gen Zers are shopping and 3 campaigns that really worked with them…

Extras 👀

• YouTube is expanding into games as TikTok owner ByteDance scales back its efforts.

• Exclusive Spotify data shows the top 15 rising star podcast creators on the platform in 2023.

• YouTube is facing a reckoning as rivals offer TV streaming scale for the first time.

• X experiments with Grok AI access buttons in-stream.