TikTok Goes The Clock: How Long Should You Really Spend Creating Video Content?

The rise of platforms like TikTok means that fast-fire videos and reels are now all the rage for brands looking to attract young audiences. Unfortunately, these uploads take a lot longer than a simple written status update in the Facebook days of old.

To some extent, this change is only natural – businesses can now attract far more customers via social media, so they arguably should spend more time here. Still, spending endless hours on each post means that the ROI on even high-performing uploads will be pretty low. 

So, how long should brands spend creating video content that can still be cost-effective? Let’s consider the facts. 

Brand Should Aim to Post on TikTok 1-3 Times a Day

According to the experts, brands should aim to post on TikTok roughly 1-3 times a day. This is because regular uploads are key to TikTok success and high search rankings. 

While brands who take days to create one TikTok upload might ultimately produce a better result, it’s therefore true that their overall ROI probably wouldn’t improve. If anything, a reduction in views could lead to far fewer sales. So, what does that mean? Generally, brands should aim to produce more reels and videos more quickly, as this will typically be more effective in the end. 

The Average Brand TikTok Receives Around 17,523 Views

The average brand Tiktok receives roughly 17,523 views. These high viewing figures are a large part of what makes TikTok such an effective marketing platform, and it’s easy to assume that you can justify longer periods of video creation as a result. 

To some extent, that is true but social views don’t always translate into sales. Before you can dedicate a full-time team to this time-consuming task, it’s important to understand social media figures on a much deeper level. 

Something like a social media pixel setup on your Spotify store or website could prove invaluable in this sense, as it’ll provide data that shows you more clearly whether your TikToks are resulting in true sales or click-throughs. This will help you to see whether those results justify spending a long time, or require shorter projects to be worthwhile. 

3-10 Minute Videos Receive the Most Views

While TikTok made its name with 15-second video snippets, the platform now supports videos of up to 30 minutes long. Typically, videos that are between 3-10 minutes receive the most views. 

This extended length means that, in most cases, brands need to perfect a difficult juggling act. Taking hours on each video isn’t an option with the need for regular uploads in mind. Still, producing cohesive 3-10 minute videos will require some time commitments. Processes like editing bulk videos in advance, or creating content series, could be key to ensuring time-effective editing, and the lengthier videos that audiences value. 

There are no hard and fast rules for how long you should spend creating TikTok uploads, but you should always settle on a timeline that works effectively with your upload schedule, social media data, and platform averages to ensure the ROIs you’re aiming towards. 

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