TikTok Aggressively Expanding into Long-Form

After gaining popularity for short videos, TikTok is now moving into the long video market, taking on its competitors.

Popular social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram have been trying to keep up with TikTok by creating their own versions of short videos, which made TikTok famous. TikTok is now encouraging its users to make longer videos on the app instead of going to other apps.

Matt Koval, who used to work at YouTube for almost 10 years, says that YouTube is trying to be like TikTok and TikTok is trying to be like YouTube.

In October, TikTok asked its most popular creators to come to its offices in New York for an event. The event was about inspiring them to make longer videos, at least one minute long. Executives said that creators will make more money and have more time to share their messages by making longer videos.
To make it clear, TikTok said that people spend half their time on the app watching videos over a minute long. Creators who post longer videos have five times more followers than those who only post short videos.

It makes sense for TikTok to promote longer videos because it gives creators more time to make money from ads, and helps TikTok make more money too. YouTube uses this format to stay as a big platform for creators and pay them.

TikTok makes short videos, but it can't make as much money from ads as YouTube. This was a problem for a similar app called Vine in 2016.

Are TikTok users naturally moving towards this, or is it just a way for TikTok to make more money. Since younger people are using the app more for social media and entertainment, it makes sense for TikTok to try to attract even more users.

BW