We’re in the ‘little treat’ economy. Even us marketers fall for all the marketing tricks of the trade when it’s little treat time. 😂
Good morning,
We’ve seen video content get shorter and shorter over the years. While it looked like we were heading in the direction of 2-second video clips (we joke, we joke), a single TikTok series that popped off this past week proved that our attention spans are still intact. 🫡
Some X users have been sharing the sentiment that they’re over short-form content and seeking the storytelling and story times of YouTube’s past…
Reesa Teesa’s 50-part ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ TikTok series certainly delivered. The lowest viewed video in the series has over 4M views, and the highest raked in over 35M.
Turns out long-form content is not dead and the 10 minute TikTok function has a pretty solid use case. Will we be seeing brands take advantage of it (and its viral potential)? It wouldn’t shock us. 👀 Feature length behind the scenes factory tour anyone?!
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC:
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Have you listened to Reesa Teesa’s ‘Who TF Did I Marry?’ playlist on Tiktok? 👀
Go listen to it right now. We promise it’s worth it.
The candid creator blew up last week after she uploaded multiple ten minute videos a day about how her scammer boyfriend turned husband fooled her for years.
In just a week her @reesamteesa TikTok account has gained over 2.7 million followers. This type of growth trajectory has not been seen since the early days of TikTok and deserves a closer look. 🔍
Below we explain why this long-form video content went viral and what brands can learn about increasing their watch time and user engagement.
Why this went viral:
Used the 10 minute video length format: In the past few months TikTok has been rolling out longer video formats to diversify content offerings and attract more advertisers.
Right now you can shoot a video for up to ten minutes. A lot of creators haven’t been using this feature, since the platform is known for more short-form content and users with short attention spans, but Reesa Teesa used this feature for her 50-part series and the algorithm gave it a wider reach. 🕜
Masterclass storytelling: There’s no denying that Reesa Teesa is a top notch storyteller.
Starting a 50-part series is not for the faint of heart, but she managed to keep TikTok users glued to their seats and begging for the next video. Here’s how she made bingeable content:
Sets expectations and builds anticipation: She uses statements like ‘This detail will be important later’ so users stay engaged, actively listen, and feel compelled to keep watching.
Ends most videos with a cliffhanger. It’s nearly impossible to watch just one of her videos since she always teases a new plotline or revelation. (FYI this online dating horror story has more twists and turns than a Netflix crime documentary.) 🤯
Takes advantage of TikTok’s Playlist Feature. Along with using the 10-minute format, she also organized all the videos in a playlist so users can listen to the entire series like a podcast.
Highly relatable: Who doesn’t have an online dating horror story at this point?
At the heart of the series, Reesa Teesa states multiple times she is sharing her story in the hopes that she can help at least one person who has been in a similar situation.
She positions herself as a relatable figure and someone who shows up authentically on the app. It compels users to comment on her videos with similar stories of their own, increasing her engagement rate. 💬
The takeaway?
For brands who want to create long-form video content, using some of these techniques and tactics from Reesa Teesa’s viral series is a great starting point!
❓ We want to know: Are you thinking about dipping your toes into longer-form content?
In this episode of the pod, we catch up with Brett from Pilothouse and discuss the importance of conversion rate optimization (CRO) and how to approach it from a media buyer’s POV.
In this podcast, we cover:
👉 You can listen to the full episode with Brett here.
Pulse check: Are you utilizing CRO best practices to optimize your pages?
A rumor spread like wildfire over the past few days that Google was sunsetting their email service Gmail.
The fake announcement circulated on X but Gmail quickly responded that it is here to stay and this was nothing but fake news.
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DTC Newsletter is written by Rebecca Knight and Frances Du. Edited by Eric Dyck.
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