Whereas dancing, lip-synching, mom-pranking, and making an attempt to make “goblincore” a factor are among the many extra fashionable issues to do on TikTok, for formidable creators and social media managers, there’s one exercise that trumps all of them: making an attempt to sport the TikTok algorithm.
At this level, TikTok has been downloaded greater than 2 billion occasions, with over 689 million energetic customers globally. It’s the fastest-growing social media platform on the planet, and making it onto the For You Web page (or “FYP,” as TikTok customers far busier than me say) is a chance to get a style of an enormous, extremely engaged new viewers.
The For You Web page is the place likes, views, and new followers are discovered; the place TikTok legends are born! No marvel so many individuals are obsessive about making an attempt to crack the code (and why we’ve spent a lot time experimenting with TikTok hacks ourselves!)
So after we heard a couple of new problem that allegedly provided a shortcut to getting on the FYP, we jumped on it. Referred to as the Seven-Second Problem, TikTok creators have been reporting unimaginable engagement, just by posting text-heavy, seven-second movies that includes trending audio clips.
Was it actually that simple? Or only a coincidence? The Hootsuite social group warmed up their typing thumbs, cued up a scorching new monitor, and bravely hit report to seek out out.
Speculation: 7-second TikTok movies with plenty of textual content get extra attain
TikTok customers are at the moment sharing an intriguing new idea: you get a ton of attain with movies which might be a most of seven seconds lengthy that characteristic plenty of textual content and a trending sound.
@marisssabrooks Lmk if this labored for you🤷🏽♀️ #sevensecondchallenge #lifestylefitness #blackgirltiktok #gootd
It’s a hack to beat the TikTok algorithm that appears nearly too simple — suspicious, even! No marvel a lot of the movies tagged with the trending TikTok hashtag #sevensecondchallenge embrace textual content that feedback on the whether or not or not the problem itself truly works. Even the Pink Sox (baseball, perhaps you’ve heard of it?) are giving it a whirl.
@redsox Did it work? Did we go viral but? #sevensecondchallenge #7seconds #redsox
♬ All people Needs To Rule The World – The Transferring Stills
@nonieemariee Lmk if this works for you 🤷🏼♀️ #sevensecondchallenge #fypシ #viral #Ohio #cleveland
Some #sevensecondchallenge movies have achieved thousands and thousands of views; others had a much smaller attain. However to actually choose if this speculation was true, the Hootsuite group must put its personal account to the take a look at.
Methodology
Three key elements are required for the seven-second TikTok problem:
- A seven-second video. Based on the speculation, the precise content material of this video doesn’t actually matter. It might be a rainbow over a ball stadium, a mirror shot of your greatest athleisure outfit, or footage of you consuming popcorn out of a bathtub. Observe your bliss!
- A trending sound clip. TikTok already prioritizes movies with trending audio in any case on its FYP (at the very least with the most recent TikTok algorithm), so this part is essential! Don’t attempt to be an authentic right here: bow to the whims of the plenty!
- “Tons” of textual content. There doesn’t appear to be a constant advice for a way lengthy “heaps” is, however most individuals making an attempt this hack write a couple of paragraph — mainly, one thing which may take seven seconds to learn.
“Some individuals submit movies of individuals actually doing nothing, different movies are informational,” says Hootsuite social advertising and marketing coordinator Eileen Kwok. “Individuals get artistic with it, which is the enjoyable a part of TikTok.”
With this in thoughts, Kwok and Hootsuite’s social media group created three completely different movies to submit and observe.
The primary featured Owly, a ton of textual content, and a trending tune.
@hootsuite Am I sufficient?
Video two featured a Hootsuite group member tapping away on her laptop, with textual content a couple of “productiveness hack,” and a trending tune.
@hootsuite do this hack your self 🙌💯
Video three showcased one other Hootsuite group member engaged on a laptop computer poolside, with textual content explaining the seven-second development. This time, nevertheless, the video used authentic audio of somebody counting all the way down to seven as a substitute of a trending tune.
@hootsuite DIY model of the #7secondchallenge
Now, we flip to TikTok analytics — and our TikTok professional Kwok! — to see if this trio of movies have been a #sevensecondsuccess.
Outcomes
TL;DR: The seven-second problem resulted in longer-than-average watch occasions and farther attain on the For You Web page.
In comparison with the common variety of views a Hootsuite TikTok video will get, the primary two movies, which used trending audio, carried out effectively — the second particularly, with nearly half 1,000,000 views.
Additionally noteworthy: the watch time on these scorching slices of content material.
| VIDEO | VIEWS | LIKES | COMMENTS | SHARES | WATCH TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owly | 5,190 | 714 | 31 | 2 | 8.8 seconds |
| Supervisor Tip | 497K | 8,204 | 54 | 99 | 8.2 seconds |
| Poolside | 1,080 | 75 | 4 | 2 | 6.3 seconds |
However what actually stood out to Kwok about this experiment was what number of of those views got here from the For You Web page.
“It’s the holy grail of TikTok,” says Kwok. “The upper the proportion of FYP views, the higher it does.”
Right here’s a better take a look at the analytics for every video:
For the Owly video, 50% of the views got here from the For You web page: proof that it bought some severe attain.
Much more spectacular was the FYP efficiency of the Supervisor Tip video, as a result of 100% (!) of the views got here from the For You Web page. (In truth, the Supervisor Tip video continues to be performing effectively even weeks later, with likes and views growing daily.)
Compared, the Poolside video, which garnered the bottom stats of all three of those experimental masterpieces, solely had 36% of views come from the For You Web page.
There have been a few elements distinguishing the Poolside video from the opposite two that would account for this dip in efficiency. Primary, it used authentic audio as a substitute of trending audio, and quantity two, the textual content didn’t actually provide a lot of a takeaway.
In different phrases: it veered away from the advisable construction of the seven-second problem, and may be proof that this hack, not like so many different supposed TikTok fast fixes, does truly work.
What do the outcomes imply?
From this little experiment, we’ve discovered respectable proof of some new TikTok practices to assist amp up your engagement and attain.
Longer textual content = longer watch occasions
It’s not stunning {that a} paragraph of textual content encourages viewers to stay along with your video longer — they’re more likely to be tempted to learn the entire thing. Pique that curiosity and reap the engagement advantages.
“The extra textual content you might have on the display, the higher. It will increase watch time,” says Kwok. (Seems like we’re not simply scientists over right here on the Experiments Weblog… we’re math wizards, too!)
However… what the textual content says issues
Sure, longer textual content makes a distinction. Nevertheless it shouldn’t simply be gibberish. (Sorry to any Minions or Sims studying this.) “There must be some level to it, whether or not it’s humorous or cheeky or informative,” says Kwok.
The primary two movies provided some leisure worth, whereas the textual content of video quantity three was sort of just like the copy from a series e mail, which might probably account for the shortage of engagement right here.
The Supervisor Tip video particularly garnered a startling variety of shares, possible as a result of it had a transparent takeaway (even when it was probably-maybe-sort-of a joke). Movies with plenty of shares get an algorithmic increase — TikTok desires everybody to get a style of share-worthy content material! — so contemplate this your incentive to make use of textual content that provides useful scorching suggestions.
Preserve the video brief
One of many causes this problem could also be working is that it retains issues transient. On TikTok, brevity is king.
“I’m not saying it must be seven seconds, however shorter is best,” advises Kwok. “Individuals have brief consideration spans, particularly on TikTok.” Nonetheless lengthy the video is in whole, you’re not delivering worth in these first three seconds, you’re most likely too late.
… and hold them watching
The algorithm favors movies with excessive watch occasions, so if there’s a option to hook the viewer and hold them watching, do it. The lots-of-text trick is one option to stop them from skipping previous your video, however usually talking, creating partaking video content material that’s entertaining and informative goes to serve you effectively.
What TikTok customers contemplate entertaining and informative, although, is perhaps a matter for one more experiment.
“There’s no proper reply,” laughs Kwok. “I’ll spend so lengthy on a video I believe is so humorous and get nothing, after which a video I spend no time on does tremendous effectively.”
Fortunately, it’s a platform that’s good for experimentation. Get artistic, dig into the outcomes, and discover your personal good mix of content material. Is that as horny as a #sevensecondchallege? Possibly not. However we’re certain you’ll find a enjoyable TikTok hashtag to throw on no matter you give you in any case.
