Do you use TikTok or Instagram for business purposes? Looking for a content strategy that works without exhausting you?
This article will teach you a three-step strategy for creating highly engaging TikTok and Instagram content that will help you scale your audience while avoiding burnout.
Why Should Businesses Consider TikTok and Instagram Short-Form Video?
Every company can use educational content to attract customers on social media. Most marketers and business owners are concerned with how and where to deliver that content to their target audience.
Short TikTok and Instagram videos are strong contenders for three reasons.
The entry barrier is low because both platforms make it simple to create profiles and start publishing content.
Because you are not producing a single, hour-long video that requires a significant investment of time or money, you can quickly test new topics or delivery styles.
Incorporating trending audio into your videos helps you reach more people by playing into the algorithms.
Understanding that short-form video content works is one thing; keeping up with the demand for new short-form video content without becoming exhausted is quite another.
Use the three-pillar strategy outlined below to create and publish highly engaging content on a consistent basis that grows your audience while preventing burnout.
A 3-Step Strategy for Creating Successful TikTok and Instagram Short-Form Videos
This strategy is based on polarity, creativity, and energy management.
01. Creativity
Many people are stymied by the limiting belief, “I’m not creative.”
In reality, everyone’s makeup contains a creative element. Consider your younger self. What was your favorite pastime: drawing, painting, singing, dancing, writing, acting, or something else? Perhaps you are a chef who develops new recipes or an engineer who solves problems. Creativity manifests itself in various ways.
Understanding why you believe you aren’t creative is the first step toward moving forward with your creativity. Perhaps it’s because you no longer have a creative outlet.
You can learn how to get into your own unique creative flow once you’ve acknowledged your creativity.
Your brain has two sides, each focusing on a different function. The left side is analytical, while the right side is creative. If you try to switch from one activity that engages the left side of your brain to another that requires the right side of your brain, you will most likely become frustrated.
Your brain requires time to shift gears.
This process looks different for everyone, but engaging in activities that put your mind on autopilot before engaging in creative ideation is a good place to start. Take a walk outside, meditate, dance, draw… do anything that allows your mind to wander for a few hours.
Make a note of ideas as they come to you, using whatever tools work best for you.
02. Polarity
In order to attract viewers and spark conversation, you’ll combine two things that aren’t typically associated with each other in your video content.
The polarity or surprise of seeing two disparate elements works in your favor because it jars people’s minds and allows viewers from all walks of life to interact with your video.
Imagine combining Microsoft Excel tip sharing with dancing and music.
Some people enjoy it. “Wow, I never thought of combining Excel, dancing, and music!”
Some people despise it. “What exactly is this girl doing?”
Some people fall somewhere in the middle. “What’s going on here?”
The polarity allows viewers to comment on, react to, or share the video. Regardless of the sentiment, the algorithms detect increased engagement and show the video to more people.
Authenticity is the key to successfully leveraging polarity. If you’re uncomfortable with what you’re doing, viewers will likely pick up on it subconsciously. Instead of creating affinity, you’ll be erecting an invisible barrier.
Choose something you truly enjoy, and then consider how you can incorporate it into your content delivery. You can, for example, record yourself dunking a basketball if you work in real estate and enjoy basketball. With each dunk, you use effects to project a real estate tip onto the screen.
03. Energy Management
Everybody has the same number of hours in a day. Time management is concerned with what you do during specific periods of time.
This strategy focuses on how you show up in order to increase your productivity within the constraints of that limited time frame. It all comes down to learning how to balance your brain’s left and right sides.
Rather than prioritizing tasks based on their priority, try prioritizing tasks based on the sides of the brain they engage.
Not only will you be able to accomplish more during each time block, but your mental and physical health will improve as well because your brain will not have to flip-flop multiple times per hour or day. You are harnessing and channeling the energy you require and applying it where and when it is most needed in your day.
Do you want to put it to the test? Rather than attempting to force creativity by cramming a 30-minute brainstorming session in between meetings and analytical tasks, devote three full hours to creative ideation and see what happens.
A 3-Day Schedule for Batching 10 Videos Per Week
Devote all or a significant portion of one day per week to creative flow thinking. During this time, you’ll brainstorm topics to cover and find inspiration for including polarity elements in your videos.
Spend an hour or so near the end of the day researching trending content on TikTok and Instagram. Because you’re still in the creative flow state, your mind will start connecting your content ideas to popular songs and videos.
All that remains is to organize each idea into a content plan in preparation for your next day of recording.
Set aside a second day of the week to make videos. A full day may seem excessive, but you’ll use this time for hair, makeup, lighting, and other preparations before batch-creating your videos.
Set aside a third day for video editing. Keep video length in mind as you work on each video. Keep your quick tip videos under 15 seconds long and your storytelling videos under 60 seconds long.
The choice of music or sound, regardless of video style, is what makes the most difference. However, there are a few things you can do to give your content an advantage over the competition.
Tips for Increasing Average Watch Time and Retention on Instagram and TikTok Short-Form Vide
Whether you’re making short-form video for TikTok, Instagram, or both, the first few seconds are crucial for attracting and engaging your audience.
Consider a female content creator who recognizes that her audience frequently seeks solutions to problems. She starts many of her videos by displaying the desired outcome and then walks the viewer through the steps to get there. Once she has their attention, they will almost certainly watch the looping video several times in order to fully comprehend the solution she is demonstrating.
Using entertaining storytelling is another way to entice viewers to watch the entire video. The female content creator, for example, has begun to play multiple characters in a single video. She could start the video as The Boss, then switch to The Co-Worker, and finally herself.