The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 8: Posting Only 3 Minute Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 8: Posting Only 3 Minute Videos for a Week

All year long, I’ve been conducting a series of TikTok experiments in order to understand what kind of content the powerful TikTok algorithm prioritizes. I’ve tried an SEO trick, CapCut templates, shorter videos, a higher posting frequency, and more. In July, I experimented with longer videos, sharing only 3 minute videos for one week. The result? It worked better than I anticipated! Here’s what I learned from sharing longer videos on TikTok for a week.

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A Conversation with Megan Prather: Why Vulnerability on TikTok is Worthwhile

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A Conversation with Megan Prather: Why Vulnerability on TikTok is Worthwhile

This is the 16th post in the “A Conversation With” series, where I interview smart humans about their experiences in marketing and social media. You can read past features here.

This month, I interviewed Megan Prather, a certified coach who shares vulnerably about difficult parent relationships on her TikTok, where she has a following of 21,000. In this blog post, we dive into her approach to TikTok, why it’s worth getting vulnerable online, and how to balance content creation with caring for your mental health. 

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 7: Using an SEO Trick in All My Videos for a Week

Throughout 2023, I’ve been experimenting on TikTok with the goal of better understanding their mysterious algorithm. I’m hoping to determine which commonly-promoted tactics are worthwhile and which are overhyped. In June, I experimented with an SEO trick that I’ve seen circulating the platform: hiding keywords in your video so the TikTok algorithm knows what your video is about and who to serve it. The results of this experiment were mixed. Today I’m sharing exactly how to do this SEO trick for TikTok and what I learned from the experiment.

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How to Schedule Posts Natively on LinkedIn

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How to Schedule Posts Natively on LinkedIn

Throughout my career as a social media strategist, I have long advocated for folks to 1) be more proactive and 2) utilize a scheduling tool. Scheduling your content in advance is helpful for increasing your efficiency, establishing a consistent posting cadence, and saving your sanity. I’ve tried both third party tools and built-in schedulers for each platform. LinkedIn was one of the few platforms that did not offer a way to schedule posts natively. I briefly tried Hootsuite for scheduling LinkedIn posts, but found it cumbersome and returned to posting in real time. Excitingly enough, LinkedIn recently added the ability to schedule posts right on the platform! I’ll walk you through the steps for scheduling your LinkedIn content to go live at a later time.

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 6: Posting Only CapCut Templates for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 6: Posting Only CapCut Templates for a Week

This year, I’ve been running a series of TikTok experiments in an effort to learn more about the enigmatic TikTok algorithm. My goal is to assess which tactics help you reach and engage more viewers. I’ve learned a lot from my past experiments! In May, I decided to experiment with sharing only CapCut templates for a week to see how that would impact my content’s performance. If you’re not familiar with CapCut templates, here’s my handy explainer. The results of this experiment surprised me: CapCut templates were even more effective than I anticipated! Here’s what I learned from this experiment.

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What are CapCut Templates and How Do I Use Them on TikTok?

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What are CapCut Templates and How Do I Use Them on TikTok?

CapCut templates are taking TikTok by storm! Even if you’ve never heard of CapCut, if you spend time on TikTok, I’m sure you’ve seen a CapCut template before. Videos using CapCut templates are supposedly prioritized by TikTok’s algorithm, so they tend to spread like wildfire. CapCut templates are a low-effort and fun way to produce more relevant content and potentially increase your reach on TikTok. I’ll walk you through what exactly CapCut templates are, the value of using them, and how to actually use a CapCut template on TikTok. 

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How to Use Instagram Collab Posts

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How to Use Instagram Collab Posts

In their efforts to stay relevant and serve many audiences, Instagram keeps adapting quickly and adding new features. Instagram Collab posts were announced in late 2021, but I still see a lot of confusion surrounding this feature. This feature is particularly useful for brands and influencers, especially when partnering IRL and are looking to increase their reach online. Today, I’ll walk you through what exactly an Instagram Collab post is, when to use one, why they’re beneficial to your social media strategy, and how to create one. Let’s dive in!

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 5: Posting Only 15 Second Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 5: Posting Only 15 Second Videos for a Week

I’m on a roll conducting TikTok experiments and recently completed my fifth. I’m hoping to learn a few tips and tricks for what the algorithm prioritizes so that I can share my knowledge with others. Is a higher posting frequency truly necessary? Do shorter videos perform better than longer videos? Those are just a few of the questions I’ve been trying to answer. In my latest experiment, I posted videos that were only 15 seconds or less to see what would happen.

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

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Here's the Scoop on Lemon8

I’ve worked in social media marketing for over ten years, but I’ve never been an early adopter of a new platform…until now. My disillusionment with Instagram is at an all-time high and a new app was the talk of TikTok, so last week I joined Lemon8. This newcomer to the social media scene is intriguing and has the potential to be extremely popular. I’m sure you have a lot of questions about where it came from, how Lemon8 works, and more, so let’s dive in!

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

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The TikTok Experiments, Vol. 4: Posting Only 60 Second Videos for a Week

For a few months now, I’ve been conducting experiments to learn about TikTok’s algorithm. I plan to continue these experiments for as long as I can, despite the looming threat of (another) potential TikTok ban. My goal is to learn how to create content that will be served to just the people you’re hoping will see it. I’m testing several different tactics and sharing my findings.

Lately I’ve seen competing theories about video length. Some folks claim that the algorithm is boosting longer form content and we should all pivot to that; others assert that video completion is the most important metric, so shorter videos work best. I tried posting only 60 second videos for a week to see what would happen.

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