Why Storytelling Is the Answer to Successful TikTok
So much short-form content out there, what puts a TikTok on the map? Flashy visuals? A trending sound? Something cute while you stare at a filter? These all help, but the true “secret sauce” of success on TikTok is something older, bigger, and much more powerful than an algorithm: storytelling.
TikTok: Developed for the Story
TikTok may feel like a resting place for dance videos and spontaneous videos, but at the end of the day it’s a storytelling platform. Creators have 15 to 60 seconds to capture attention, deliver a message, and leave an aftertaste. The best, most successful TikToks achieve this by not throwing random content to you, but by telling you a story.
The best TikToks tell a story, whether it’s a transformation, a confession, something funny, or a life lesson, most basically follow the same progression: a hook, build up, and a payoff.
The Hook
On TikTok, a viewer's attention needs to be captured within one to three seconds of the clip starting. Hence the hook. Good storytelling begins with an enticing reason to continue to watch. This might be some mysterious opening statement like, "You won't believe what happened next..."; or a relatable problem, "When your crush texts you back..."; or perhaps, "This is how I earned $10K in one week...".
Hooks create curiosity and create a question in the viewer's mind. Curiosity is what gets people to continue watching.
Engagement = Emotional Connection
Great storytelling isn't simply entertaining, it elicits emotional responses. Laughter, empathy, surprise, nostalgia, etc. Emotion is the underlying motivation for likes, shares, and follows.
TikTok's most viral videos draw off of pervasive emotions. A breakup story; a glow-up narrative; an awful family moment - these sequences are effective because the viewer sees themselves in that narrative. When a viewer feels that emotional connection, they are more apt to engage further, and return for more.
Authenticity Wins
While Instagram and YouTube emphasize high-quality media, TikTok is a platform that embraces low-quality, raw, and real content. Viewers do not expect a perfect video; they expect a real story from a real person. The realness of content is the ultimate storytelling power.
When you share the challenges you're facing, behind- the-scenes thoughts, or personal wins, you are doing more than posting content; you are developing a relationship with your audience.
Storytelling = Retention
The TikTok algorithm favors videos that users will watch to completion. If you can keep viewers watching your video to the end, users will be much more likely to see your video on their "For You" page.
That is where storytelling comes in. The narrative structure, by nature, gets viewers to watch to the end because they want to see what happens. In other words, storytelling has the ability to create better videos; it also has the ability to create better performance with videos.
Advice for Crafting Compelling Stories on TikTok
• Hook us: Nail the opening line in the first second. Use some kind of hook.
• Build curiosity: Take your audience with you on a progression of events or thoughts.
• Be tight: Choose one clear idea (or moment) to focus on. Play around with your story arc.
• Use captions and voiceover: These will help draw the view's attention and clarify your narrative.
• Close with a bang: Rather that revealing everything, provide the punchline. Leave viewers with the satisfaction of a conclusion-- or a longing for more.
Last Thoughts
In a sea of content, the top creators are the storytellers that create memorable stories. TikTok is the birth of the quick video, but the top creators have long-lasting impact.
So if you are looking to create growth in TikTok, stop thinking like a creator and start thinking like a storyteller.
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