TikTok
Vertical short-form (15s–10min). Algorithm-driven, sound-on, captions-on.
- COINED
- 2020s
- TAXONOMY
- FORMATS
- RELATED
- 4
- TEMPLATES
- 0
TikTok is the platform that rewrote what short-form video could look like. Vertical 9:16. 15 seconds to 10 minutes, but the sweet spot is 21-34 seconds. Algorithm-driven discovery - audience size barely matters, the For You Page does.
TikTok's defining grammar: sound-on by default, captions-on by default, hook in the first second, vertical-only composition, native effects and sounds. Anything that violates those rules underperforms regardless of content quality.
The platform demands a different editing rhythm than any other. Cuts are faster. Captions are bigger and bolder. Music is louder. Hooks happen before the audience even knows they're watching a video. Brands that translate their YouTube content directly to TikTok always flop; the ones that learn the platform's grammar from scratch eat.
Reaching gen-Z and gen-alpha audiences. Trends-driven content. Discovery-led marketing.
Long-form depth. Audiences over 45. Topics that need polish, not energy.
Terms next to this one.
Vertical 9:16 video under 60 seconds. YouTube's answer to TikTok.
Vertical short-form on Instagram. Cross-posted from TikTok 85% of the time.
Captions baked into the video file. Can't be turned off. TikTok-style word-by-word lives here.
Drop the audience into action before titles. Saturday Night Live made it a verb.