Why ‘TikTok brain’ is forcing brands to radically change their marketing

Australia’s declining appeal and short-form video content in the age of TikTok has led brands to adopt radical new approaches to social media marketing.

In today’s digital landscape of doomscrolling and “TikTok mastermind”, brands hoping to capitalize on social media need to capture the viewer’s attention in just three seconds, says Shelley Friesen, founder and director of Melbourne Social Co.

“People now consume more content in a day than previous generations consumed in a week,” Ms. Friesen said.

“They filter content faster, so you really only have three seconds to grab someone’s attention before they walk right past you.

“Now more than ever, content needs to be better at capturing people’s attention because we have so much choice.

“The impact you can make in three seconds, if done right, can add value in 10 minutes.”

Ms Friesen says Australians spend an average of more than an hour and 14 minutes a day on TikTok, more than any other social platform.

Psychiatrist and author Tanveer Ahmed suggests that young audiences on social media are no longer tolerant of “low arousal content” when browsing the internet.

“We are in a dopamine-rich, distracted environment, so there is always another stimulus,” Dr Ahmed said.

“I think we can argue that the huge increase in issues like ADHD is something in our environment.

“There are so many different things competing for our attention that we have become more selective and don’t give anything a chance.”

Ms. Friesen says organizations on social media are using a “multi-layered hook approach” to overcome these barriers to capturing audience attention, as well as tapping into meme and viral video culture.

“Using viral formats is a deliberate strategy. Brands need to attract attention by speaking the language of the platform,” he said.

“This isn’t about tricking audiences, it’s about meeting them where they’re already at.

“We use what we call a multi-layered hook approach with our clients. You’ll have a first hook in three seconds, a second hook in 10 seconds, and a call to action at the end.

“It’s about small spikes of significant attention that occur throughout the video to keep people watching.”

Ms Friesen and Dr Ahmed agree that social media audiences value authenticity and need to establish some form of relationship with the subject of the video before deciding to consume longer content.

“Audiences want something that feels authentic, where they already have a relationship with the creator,” Dr Ahmed said.

“Once the ads feel like ads, they no longer have that relatability.

“It’s like if you’re going to have coffee with someone, maybe have dinner if you find them interesting.”

“People also want to engage with long-term content, but you need to build a short-term relationship with them first,” Ms. Friesen said.

“When you have that loyalty, you can transform them.”