Tag Archive for: TikTok

Sharing is caring: Focusing on making sharable social content

Recent posts by Twitter/X owner Elon Musk and the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri have revealed a shift in what is important when we’re thinking about our next post: make your content sharable.

Instead of “posting and hoping”, or just “broadcasting” by telling users about an announcement or story, we need to place far greater emphasis on triggering an emotional reaction, or making it feel practical, new or relevant to that audience.

As you’ve probably seen, be it with ‘for you’ tabs on Twitter/X, pages on TikTok, or mixed up in your feed on Instagram and Facebook, all social platforms are moving towards more algorithmically-driven approaches as a way to try to increase the amount of time you spend and engage on that app.

That’s partly because we have generally stopped being so public in our reposts and commenting, preferring to share posts privately on direct messages or messing apps like WhatsApp.

Both Musk and Mosseri have publicly emphasised how important sending a post can be as a signal to the mysterious algorithm, to boost its visibility and increase its reach.

Twitter/X on what the algorithm sees when you share posts

Elon explained it in his trademark way – partly in response to the backlash over the type of content appearing in users’ for you tabs:

Elon Musk tweet on sharing/sending tweets: The X algorithm assumes that if you interact with content, you want to see more of that content. One of the strongest signals is if you forward X posts to friends, it assumes you like that content a lot, because it takes effort to forward. Unfortunately, if the actual reason you forwarded the content to friends was because you were outraged by it, we are currently not smart enough to realize that.

Read: Should my company stay on Twitter/X – or leave?

Instagram explains why you should focus on sendable and sharable content

And this is how Adam Mosseri explained the importance of “thinking about creating something that people would want to send to a friend”:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

Read: What young people think of as ‘news’ on Instagram

How to make your social posts and content more sharable

So rather than focus on telling followers and viewers something, focus on making them feel something: for example, happy, sad/empathetic, angry (though I would be careful to not overuse this), entertained, informed or something that helps them in their lives.

You may see this as just an extension of the old adage of “don’t make boring content” – which is true! But on social, as in the rest of the media environment, where there is so much more content than ever before, and the competition for people’s attention is greater than ever, it’s important to really think carefully how it would appeal to your target audience – beyond those that already follow you.

 

 

Why the General Election shows Twitter/X still matters for news

2024 election campaign use of Twitter: Rishi Sunak tweet: You will always be better at spending your own money than the government is.

There’s been a lot of talk about TikTok and the power of video in this General Election campaign (yes, that includes from me) but not much on Twitter/X and the power of words, and their ability to make news.

I found these tweets from Rishi Sunak initially, followed a couple of days later by a similar one from Keir Starmer, really interesting:

  1. They go against conventional wisdom that you must have a visual element to a social post for it to be seen and engaged with.
  2. They are simple, clear, powerful one line statements, which aim to sum up their view, be it on a belief, issue or a policy. We’ve seen a lot of this with inspirational sayings going viral on Instagram, and sayings about business and life being liked a lot on LinkedIn.
  3. Like many successful social strategies, they are aimed to generate a reaction – you may feel passionately wanting to advocate this view, or you may be so aghast that you share it and make clear your opposition to it. But that helps spread it beyond their followers to reach more people, and be shown up more on the For You tab on Twitter.
  4. It shows how important Twitter is to their campaigns in engaging politically active users, reinvigorating their supporters, and appealing to journalists and opinion-formers.

 

Why Twitter/X is still important in news and communications

Twitter/X still matters: Sunday Sport tweet: There is a strong argument for British Twitter being the most British thing about Britain. 24 hour pisstaking, It's fucking glorious.

Twitter (I still call it that) has been written off a lot in the turbulent time since Elon Musk took over, but it is proving to still be influential and a platform you can’t ignore from a comms/media perspective.

We know that most voters aren’t actively on Twitter/X, but it is still the place where mainstream news, memes and debate tends to start, to then be picked by up and amplified or turned into a story by the media.

The election campaign seems to have reinvigorated users, reacting to the news, policies and bloopers that have come up these past few weeks.

Ofcom Online Nation reportsurvey: Top social media services among UK adults

As Ofcom’s 2023 Media Nations report showed, Twitter is still a way behind other social apps used by adults in the UK, and may soon be overtaken by TikTok.

But it was interesting to see a study from the Pew ResearchCenter in the US that X is still more of a destination for news than other social platforms for Americans  – by that, I mean most Twitter users go there specifically for news, although others also see news passively in their Instagram, TikTok and Facebook feeds.

Pew Research Center report: Twitter/X remains more of a news destination than other sites, but the vast majority of users on all four are seeing news-related content

My use of X has certainly changed over recent years (I tend to use more lists than the main feed), but it still helps me get a snapshot or insight into news and topics, both personally and professionally.

The main political parties know a tweet can still influence journalists, decision makers and opinion formers more than TikTok – often I’ve seen TikToks go more viral on Twitter than where they originally came from!

But like TikTok, it won’t be Twitter Wot Won It. Organisations need to have a strategic multiplatform approach, tailored to different audiences and channels, both owned and social. It’s a far more fragmented, complex and competitive media landscape than in any other election before.

 

Why the Conservatives and Labour are using TikTok differently

Labour and Conservative Party TikToks

It’s like buses: you wait for one major UK political party to join TikTok, and then two come along on the very same weekend… Must be an election! But the Conservatives and Labour are taking very different approaches to how to use the platform.

Let me guide you through the tale of two TikToks.

Why have Labour and the Conservatives suddenly joined TikTok?

Despite the growing popularity of TikTok, and its use by some Cabinet ministers such as Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps, both parties had appeared hesitant to adopt it, due to the perceived concerns over the security threat from China. The US have now passed a law to ban the app unless it’s sold by its Chinese owners – a move that ByteDance is now contesting in American courts.

TikTok has continued to maintain that it is independent of Beijing and ByteDance insists it has no plans to sell the business. 

Ciaran Martin, the former GCHQ cyber chief and ex-head of the National Cyber Security Centre, recently told the BBC’s Media Show that:

“This is mostly an issue both about geopolitics, and influence and control over the internet, than strictly speaking a cybersecurity issue”

But there are overwhelmingly compelling reasons to establish a presence on there.

In a relatively short space of time, TikTok has established itself as one of the most used social media apps among UK adults, according to Ofcom’s Online Nation report – and I wouldn’t be surprised if it soon overtakes Twitter/X.

Ofcom Online Nation reportsurvey: Top social media services among UK adults

TikTok is the most popular video platform for 15-24 year olds, who use it for an average of 58 minutes a day, according to Ofcom figures from last year, while the demographic of users is getting increasingly older. 

Ofcom Media Nations Report 2023: time spent per day on social media platforms, by age

And another Ofcom study suggests as many as 1 in 10 of us use TikTok as a news source – more so than BBC Radio 1 and Channel 5.

Ofcom news consumption report 2023: One in 10 of us use TikTok as a 'news' source

And despite signing a law to ban it, Team Biden launched their reelction campaign account in January, with a SuperBowl-themed Q&A.

 

@bidenhqlol hey guys♬ Fox nfl theme – Notrandompostsguy

You may remember that No10 enjoyed some good success during what felt like a recent peak of TikTok, during the start of the war in Ukraine.

And my 4 year old enjoyed seeing Bluey, Bingo and Boris today:

@10downingstreet What do #peppapig, bluey and bingo have in common? #uk #australia #fyp ♬ original sound – 10 Downing Street

But that account hasn’t posted since Liz Truss took over as PM and the app was then banned on government devices, though the UK government has been working with TikTok influencers and content creators behind the scenes.

Let’s hope that both parties using it means departments can get on there (with a thought-through strategy, of course.)

Why Labour are getting plaudits for their use of TikTok

Labour has over 80,000 followers on TikTok in the space of a month. The key to their most watched content has been to lean into memes and TikTok trends, mainly poking fun at Rishi Sunak and the Tories’ new policy of national service for 18 year olds.

 

@uklabour Surprise surprise #generalelection #toriesout #ukelection #ukpolitics ♬ original sound – UKLabour

Judging by the most popular comments to the videos, this approach has struck a chord with younger users, and it has even drawn praise from GB News deputy political editor Tom Harwood

GB News' Tom Harwood praises Labour's TikTok

But we’ve seen Labour ‘win’ Twitter in the last few campaigns as far back as 2015 – but that’s not resulted in being in power.

Engaging and motivating your supporters is important, but just one part of a campaign.

The TikTok trick for Labour is finding a way to blend in positive messaging about their policies, land key messages consistently, and establish Keir Starmer as a credible PM to undecided or wavering voters, in an engaging way.

But people love the banter, less so the blah content. 

On their other videos, they haven’t quite replicated the success of their viral content criticising their opponents – but there’s still a long way to go in the election.

The Tories’ approach to TikTok

It may have been a case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. And I’m sure it’s a topic that CCHQ, like Labour, have been thinking about for a long time.

But TikTok isn’t the “young person’s app” anymore. Like every social media platform, it tends to be initially adopted by younger people, before older demographics join as it becomes more mainstream. For example, I have seen my personal TikToks about the death of Dennis Waterman and 40 years since Knight Rider began do well, with lots of comments sharing their memories of both.

And today, the New York Times reported internal analysis from within TikTok that found nearly twice as many posts in favour of Donald Trump than those in support of Joe Biden, since November: 1.29 million pro-Trump posts, compared to 651,000 pro-Biden posts.

Would I have launched with the National Service policy? Probably not. 

But it got people talking about the Tories’ new TikTok account – and what matters most in algorithmically-driven social feeds is people viewing and engaging with what you post. Like it or hate it, it’s seen as engagement and TikTok will therefore show you more of it.

 

@ukconservatives This will change lives #nationalservice #generalelection #uk #rishisunak ♬ original sound – Conservatives

The Tories are also boosting engagement by producing videos of Sunak replying to comments

Their TikToks so far have tended to feel more “traditional” in feel – like a vertical snip of TV, to be more watchable to an older audience.

It appears to be in keeping with the apparent messaging around the Tory leader – playing it straighter, “a sensible man with a plan” vibes – as an attempt to avoid losing votes to Labour and Reform from different sets of people. 

The digital gurus behind the Conservatives’ 2019 success were Topham Guerin. They took a dramatically different approach on TikTok with New Zealand’s National leader, Chris Luxon, who sought to disrupt social feeds and capture attention as the change candidate, as they detail in this article.

@christopherluxonmp Morning skincare routine with a focus on rebuilding the economy and restoring law and order🧴#fyp #nz #skincareroutine ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

The Sunak approach reminds me of Tony Blair’s ‘S&M strategy’ of 2005 in trying to show that you’re listening to voters, while directly reaching the public without the filter of the media.

 

So is Labour winning the election campaign on TikTok?

Reform Party on TikTok

Screenshot

On crude numbers, Labour is ahead. But the Reform Party is ahead of both, with an earlier and slow and steady approach, building 120,000+ followers. And Matt Hancock has double that, although he’s not posted since March.

But social media has changed. It’s not about followers anymore for many platforms –  not just TikTok. It’s about the engagement rate – and the engagement from the audience you want. It’s the hidden metrics from public view that are poured over by very clever social analysts at both parties.

So what is the key to winning on TikTok?

I’ve been testing a range of content on TikTok for a few years – from government case studies and PM statements to Eurovision and ‘on this day in wrestling history’.

And despite the hype, you don’t need to produce slick, highly-produced vertical videos to go viral. Simple and emotive can be very effective.

From my experience, to find and engage the right audiences, your videos need to:

  • Be new or informative
  • Be visually appealing, either in the title caption, or the first few seconds of the video
  • Generate an emotional reaction: good or bad, funny or sad – make users feel something
  • Feel relatable or sharing a common interest or passion of the user
  • Feel sharable – that the viewer wants to send the link to WhatsApp, or feel driven to reply, or like
  • Ensure that when featuring people, be it leaders or the public, they appear genuine and authentic

YouTube and WhatsApp are more important than TikTok

9 audience segments from Charlesbye report into news habits

It’s not ‘the TikTok election’, no matter what pundits claim. We live in a time where there is far too much content for us to consume, in a fragmented, competitive and ever-changing media landscape. 

The above graphic from a recent study by Charlesbye, shows that campaign communications require a sophisticated targeted approach. It’s more than Mondeo Man and Meta ads.

As the earlier table showed, YouTube is now the most popular social or digital media platform among UK adults, having overtaken Facebook. And TV is still the biggest source of news.

But keep an eye on WhatsApp – the top app most used by UK adults – especially the new-ish feature of WhatsApp Channels.

Both Labour and the Tories are using the new Channels feature to directly engage with supporters, hoping that their posts will be shared with friends and family.

Keir Starmer WhatsApp Channel

The Keir Starmer channel has 9,000 followers but Rishi Sunak is well ahead on 29,000. Both have only really been active around the local elections earlier this month.

Rishi Sunak WhatsApp Channel

The opposition leader’s one reads more like a series of tweets, while the PM has more of a personal touch, such as him taking a picture of himself holding a trophy, but neither appear to be the kind of content you’d forward onto a mate. I would have thought they may have tried one of their TikToks, posted natively on there, But expect to see more sharable content as policies get unveiled. 

The digital campaign in this 2024 general election will be bigger than ever

Digital and social media will likely be the most important its ever been in Labour and the Tories’ campaigns, with the ability to target messaging at specific groups of voters online. We’ve already seen huge sums spent on digital advertising, and we’re only in week one.

It won’t be TikTok Wot Won It, but it could play a valuable role in both parties’ strategic communications aims to win the general election.

Update: I chatted with Sean on Sky News on Thursday to discuss the importance of TikTok in the Genera Election campaign:

 

 

Logan Paul’s perfect rebuttal of Prime ‘forever chemicals’ claim

I’m impressed with how Logan Paul has cleverly responded to and rebutted serious allegations that his drink Prime Hydration contains illegally high levels of chemicals from the plastic bottles (PFAs, or ‘forever chemicals.’)

He did it in a way that feels authentic and believable to his followers, with a lot of hard work done behind the scenes.

 

You may have read about the class action lawsuit in the US, or seen viral videos on TikTok from a medical malpractice lawyer not directly linked to the case, talking about it.

What Paul and his team have done so well here is rebut each claim in great detail on TikTok – where a lot of the buzz is happening and where he has a huge following – not in a press release, or a briefing to journalists, or a long Twitter thread,like one of Prime’s rivals might do.

It looks like a typical green screen/reaction TikTok, but it has clearly been carefully researched, produced (and legally checked) using facts and stats to support Paul’s defence, in a way that any detailed rebuttal would, but with characteristic Logan swagger.

He then shared the same video natively on Twitter, Instagram (where he has his biggest social following) – but interestingly, not on his massive YouTube channel.

And his punchy, authentic response even won him some new customers!

Logan Paul Prime response TikTok comments

Yes, there are some outstanding questions over the amount of caffeine in his product, which is popular with children, despite the hype dying down a lot.

But as a response to allegations that could cause serious reputational damage to him and his company, it’s a smart move.

This doesn’t mean that your CEO should try to copy this exactly for your next crisis; it’s all about being true to your brand/company, knowing your audience and where they are online, tackling the rebuttal at the source, and being confident in what you’re saying.

Read why GHCQ’s former cyber chief believes TikTok ban is “more about geopolitics than cyber security”

 

Calls to pivot to video (again) – but why it may not be right for you

‘Pivot to video’ is a familiar phrase over recent years, as much mocked as celebrated, and it seems it’s back in fashion again with Facebook and LinkedIn pushing their new vertical video feeds.

Pivot to video: Meta unveils Facebook's new vertical video player

Meta

 

But before rushing in and ploughing time, effort and resources at more video, think about whether it’s the right and most effective format for what you want to say and what your audience wants to engage with.

Consumers prefer the news in written form over video

Video is very popular for entertainment purposes. But according to the respected Reuters Institute for Journalism’s digital news report, all audiences – including 18-24 year olds – prefer to read text-based versions of the news than listen or watch it.

Reuters Institute 2023 digital news report: people overwhelmingly prefer to read news than watch or listen to it

That’s not to say you shouldn’t invest in video or audio, but don’t rush to ditch the website! Use your own performance data and audience research to recognise what kind of content your target group has engaged with previously. If you do use social videos, use the post caption to add more detail, rather than ‘link in bio’ – it can help to provide greater understanding and context, and also be beneficially for SEO (search) purposes.

If you do pivot to video, make your content distinguishable

This latest surge to video is another attempt to imitate TikTok, but without their ingenious mysterious algorithm – no-one has come close to it. But with more content – especially video – than ever before, how are your posts going to stand out and be watched?

Last week, the Washington Post’s Taylor Lorenz has written about the “beastification of YouTube,” where every video looks the same as a MrBeast video, making it very hard to stand out.

You know the type: the hyper-energetic, quick cuts and fast-paced videos, with big graphics and OTT reactions. It’s even easier to achieve now thanks to cheap online editing software and TikTok’s own CapCut, with their built-in transitions and elements.

It can be a good idea to imitate popular production styles if you want your content (and messaging) to blend in natively on that platform, but how does a user distinguish between your work and others? And what would stop them flicking past if it has the same familiar start?

Even MrBeast himself, Jimmy Donaldson, has called an end to this type of video!

Pivot to video: MrBeast Jimmy Donaldson tweet on slower forms of social video, rather than high-intensity and fast edits.

How to make your video content stand out

So much video feels like ‘disposable content’ – you watch it, maybe even share it with a mate on WhatsApp, but you instantly forget about it.

Focusing on particular topics and interests (‘niches’ seems the wrong word for what can be incredibly popular subjects) can help you to build up a following (or return viewers) and also authority and credibility.

To be truly effective content, it needs to make the viewer feel like it’s new or provide practical information for them, be relevant to their interests and/or beliefs  – and ideally trigger an emotional response: happy, sad, angry or any other feeling.  It can really help to create an connection, provide a lasting memory of what they saw, land points, and encourage users to like, comment or share it.

You don’t have to be over-focussed on the first few seconds of a video; add on-screen text and subtitles to hook people in, and use the first line of the post caption to add more value. Telling a compelling, story, rather than jumping around, can keep viewers engaged and help them remember what they watched and heard. If it can be centered around someone’s personal story, even better. And try to make it distinctive from other videos on that platform – even if it is the backdrop to your selfie videos on LinkedIn.

I’ve been testing various forms of social video for years and learnt that it doesn’t need to be a MrBeast-type production, all shiny or slick, or in 9:16 portrait size; if it resonates with an audience, however grainy and amateurish, it can work. But equally the same impact can also be achieved through a meme or a still image – it doesn’t always have to be video.

If you need a hand with your content strategy, get in touch – or sign up to my emails for practical updates to help you cut through the sometimes complex, competitive and ever-changing media landscape.

 

 

TikTok ban ‘more about geopolitics than cyber security’ – ex-GCHQ cyber chief

There’s been lots said in the threat of a TikTok ban in by politicians in the US, but I found the expert thoughts of Ciaran Martin, the former GCHQ cyber chief and ex-head of the National Cyber Security Centre, fascinating and really insightful.

He told the BBC’s Media Show that:

“This is mostly an issue both about geopolitics, and influence and control over the Internet, than strictly speaking a cybersecurity issue”

Here’s part of Ciaran’s points he made to Katie Razzall – it’s worth checking out the full discussion on BBC Sounds

What are the cyber security concerns driving calls for a TikTok ban?

Ciaran Martin says there are two “classic cyber security issues” behind calls for a ban on TikTok: the compelled handing over of data under Chinese law and the download of potential Chinese state malware through apps.

But he points out that “the data economy is so out of control that the idea that you can ban your way to data security on a country of origin basis is essentially nonsense”, pointing out cyber issues with Russian criminals in the US healthcare system.

He adds that to stop the Chinese government getting your personal data requires more than just banning TikTok.
Ciaran does raise the points about China banning Facebook, and concerns over whether the algorithm could be manipulated to seed misinformation and disinformation about Western countries – but given how particular TikTok’s For You page is to each user, I’m not sure how possible this is in reality. I didn’t agree with Ciaran’s dismissal of the app as merely “a service to frivolous videos”, as it is having a far greater impact on culture, news and entertainment.

So these concerns, coupled with how Chinese tech companies have become closer to Beijing authorities, make sense why Western governments treat TikTok as a ‘risk’ to national security.

As for banning TikTok on government phones, I agree with Ciaran about not having any social media apps on them, given the amount of data they gather (more on that in a minute.)

Should I, my children, or my organisation be on TikTok?

The answers depend on who you are.

18 months ago, the director of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, said if personal data is used proportionally and “we’re happy with the way that data is safeguarded”, then it should present no problem for any user.

He said, “Make the most of it, make those videos, use TikTok, but just think before you do.” He reminded us that “there is no free good here” with any apps, especially social media, as they store personal data.

Asked if he would stop his child using TikTok, he said, “No I wouldn’t,” but he would “speak to my child about the way in which they think about their personal data on their device.”

Both the British and Irish regulators have fined Bytedance for how it didn’t stop under-13s being on the platform, didn’t set under-16s’ accounts to private when created and other data protection issues.

On their website, TikTok says Americans’ personal data is stored on US cloud servers run by software firm Oracle, while European data will soon be held in Dublin. It adds that user data “is protected by strong physical and logical security controls, including gated entry points, firewalls, and intrusion detection technologies.”

Ofcom: time spent per day on social media platforms, by age

For organisations, there are increasingly compelling reasons to be on there. If you’re targeting young adults, 18-24 year olds use it for an average of 55 minutes a day, according to Ofcom figures from last year, while the demographic of users is getting increasingly older. And another Ofcom study suggests as many as 1 in 10 of us use TikTok as a news source – more so than BBC Radio 1 and Channel 5.

And despite concerns about government departments having accounts, they have been happy to work with TikTok influencers to help reach target audiences in campaigns.

Will TikTok be banned?

We don’t know if a ban on TikTok will happen yet – there’s a long way to go. Even if the US President approves the decision, Bytedance has six months to sell its American arm. And the UK will likely follow what Washington does, rather than do their own thing.

Like using any social platform, you should be prepared that trends come and go, and any organisation’s social media or digital communications strategy shouldn’t be totally reliant on a social channel or service that you don’t own yourself.

The concerns over data gathered by Facebook and other Meta apps

Headline of Meta Facebook data story from the Times: Every scary thing Meta knows about me — and you Matilda Davies was given access to all of the data the social media behemoth has been collecting on her since she was 11. This is what she uncovered, and what we can all do to claw back some privacy

Ciaran seemed more concerned by the investigation by Times reporter Matilda Davies into the “horrifying level of detail” that Facebook have on her, including  20,000 interactions over two years with websites and apps that were not connected to her Meta-owned accounts:

In fact, between December 2021 and December 2023, Meta — the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — tracked me an average of 33 times a day from websites and apps that aren’t connected to my social media accounts. Even when I wasn’t looking at them, they were looking at me.

Like TikTok, Meta says it processes the data safely, but Matilda says they are “very opaque” on how it uses it.

Ciaran said it was “a really concerning story” and how we “need a really, really serious conversation about the data economy more generally, and one that’s more better informed than just saying ‘it’s all based on the country of origin of a particular service provider’.”

 

I really recommend listening to the BBC Media Show discussion on TikTok, Meta and Twitter – and following Ciaran Martin on Twitter/X 

If you want a chat about how your company could use TikTok, or issues raised in this article, get in touch.

The key takeaways from the Charlesbye report into UK news habits

“Twice as many young people get their news from TikTok than the BBC”, shout the BBC’s rivals today – it’s the headline from a report by Charlesbye into the nation’s news habits.

In fact, it has similar findings to the Ofcom news consumption report from 2 years ago: more people, especially younger people, are getting their ‘news’ from social media than, say, sitting to watch the Six.

I say ‘news’, as what is new, informative and interesting can vary upon personal interest – and it isn’t restricted anymore to a selection of stories delivered in a newspaper, homepage or TV bulletin.

Instagram is more popular for news than TikTok, says Charlesbye report into news habits

The coverage of this report is slightly misleading too – Instagram is still the most popular platform for 18-24 year olds to get their ‘news’, despite Charlesbye branding one of their audience segments ‘Generation TikTok’. And Facebook is still king, overall.

Read more

Working with influencers: why authenticity and credibility are key

Albanian rapper and TikTok star OMG Dioh

Should the government be working with influencers on TikTok and other social platforms?Yes, of course – and they have been for years (but it’s all been going on behind the scenes, so you may not have noticed.)

I talked to ITV News about the topic for a report for their Evening News programme this week.

 

Go to where your audience is – and get help if it’s a hard to reach group

Gone are the days of posting and hoping on Twitter – you now need to go directly to where your target audience is, and for a lot of them, especially younger people, they’re on TikTok.

And they’re unlikely to want to hear from government ministers – but they’re more likely to stop scrolling if it’s something being said by someone they like watching videos of, or can relate to.

And with any contractual relationship with influencers or celebrities, the buyer retains control over the messaging and the finished product before it’s posted.

And the issue is more complicated by the government banning departments from being on TikTok, or having the app on HMG-issued devices.

So, in principle, it makes sense.

Some will take the money, regardless – but others will be more concerned if it fits their brand

The tricky part is whether these influencers want to work with them – particularly on the controversial issue of stopping migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

The leak of government plans, including some names being considered, caused a backlash – on tricky topics, you prefer to do this enquiring privately – but I used to regularly target a range of big name influencers and opinion-formers on Twitter with posts from the Department for Education that I thought they’d be interested in and would possible engage with for free, not for payment.

The authenticity and credibility of what influencers are saying is vital

But crucially, you need to have confidence that the people you approach will be warm to the idea – is it something they believe in or have publicly supported?

And just as important: will their followers believe what they are saying in their content about your topic or campaign? Are they talking about an issue which they’ve talked about before, have credibility in and are people who are relatable to the target audience?

Already, a couple of names have distanced themselves from the Home Office plans.

Anyone can adopt an influencer strategy

Any organisation or campaigner can adopt this approach: it just needs a bit of careful thinking and planning, and putting yourself in the shoes of the influencer: why would they want to talk about this issue or story?

If you need some help and advice on how to work with influencers, especially on small or no budgets, get in touch!

Why Channel 4 is changing to appeal more to younger audiences

“I’ve maybe heard of E4 – that’s probably about it. I don’t really watch anything on it. I think there are comedies or something on it… Probably my mum watches”
Channel 4, the dramas. (Girl aged 14, England)

I’ve always thought that Channel 4 was a channel with attitude, an innovator and did well at appealing to their younger audiences. Hey, look at their funny Threads account! But I’m 41.

In some fascinating, but underreported, research carried out by STRAT7 Rainmakers for Ofcom, these more youthful target groups appear to not feel the same way.

It’s the same issue that all broadcasters – and organisations with communications strategies – are facing. It’s why Channel 4 is looking to make changes to its licence as it transitions from being mainly linear to more of a digital outlet.

Younger audiences are typically less engaged and aware of what Channel 4 does

Of the 18-24 year olds surveyed, it appears they didn’t tend to watch Channel 4 on TV, or check out its streaming platforms – preferring Netflix, Disney, YouTube and TikTok for their entertainment.

They were aware, when prompted, of some of the content on its platforms, but they didn’t clearly associate them with Channel 4, but accidentally with rival services instead.

Audiences expect a better quality streaming service

“40D is atrocious..honestly, it’s slow, you can’t fast forward from one segment to another, if you do then you’ve got to watch 3 minutes of adverts and if you want to watch a programme halfway through you’ve got to watch loads of adverts. It crashes, it’s not user friendly, you can’t look at recently released by category – It’s not user friendly it’s old… it’s like internet explorer before it was Edge.” (Female, London, 22-34, ABC1, medium C4C user)

Channel 4’s streaming services have undergone some transformations over the years, from 4OD, to All 4, to Channel4.com.

It’s no surprise that those surveyed are watching more of its content digitally, but they view it more of a catch-up service than a streaming service, where they would be ‘inspired’ by the selections on offer.

And the Channel 4 platforms were seen as “off-putting”: harder to browse, suffering from more glitches and too many ads, compared to its streaming rivals.

It’s a challenge to Channel 4, whose income solely comes from commercial revenues. Younger audiences are reported to find the ads repetitive, too frequent and the breaks too long. Being digitally native, they’re not brought up on ad breaks on commercial TV like us older lot have been.

They didn’t regard Channel 4 Entertainment as a go-to destination on YouTube as they prefer to consume content differently, through algorithms and recommendations. But they like to watch clips of popular shows.

Channel 4 appears less appealing for younger audiences

“Disney+ is where I watch most of my series and TikTok. If I ever have a free
minute that’s what I spend time scrolling on.” (Female, Belfast, 18-21, C2DE, light C4C user)

Like other Public Sector Broadcasters, it tries to appeal to all audiences, which is important from a regulation perspective, but tricky for a brand.

Although most of those surveyed saw its target audience as ‘younger’ (around mid-20s upwards), some of the youngest who took part in the study saw it as more for their parents’ generation.

A longer-term concern was that 10-15 year olds did not proactively consider Channel 4 to watch content.

A brand identity issue?

Of the PSBs, Channel 4 was traditionally seen as being more boundary-pushing, progressive, diverse and innovative. But that’s coming under threat from other streaming services pursuing similar values, particularly with the aim of appealing to younger people.

But the research said Channel 4 “would be missed if they no longer existed”, being seen as less establishment, championing diverse and challenging viewpoints, providing gritty and authentic news and documentaries, and offering a wide range of good quality, British-made programmes for free.

And there was particular support for, and brand association with, its Paralympics coverage, reflecting its values of diversity and inclusion.

And Channel 4 News was praised for how it connected with its viewers, holding power to account and the way it reported events in the UK and around the world. Although over-30s were more likely to watch its appointment to view shows, mainly the 7pm programme, it’s received acclaim (and awards) for its social and digital output, where younger generations are more likely to get their news.

It appears its request to remove its lunchtime bulletin and reduce TV commitment to current affairs would allow it to divert those resources into its digital content.

Not just a Channel 4 issue

“Channel 4 remains a key part of the UK’s broadcasting ecology”, notes Ofcom, being rated highly by audiences and “[continuing] to deliver content promoting new and diverse voices and perspectives and to play a crucial role in supporting the creative economy outside London.”

The issues the broadcaster faces are ones similar to the BBC, ITV and other brands and organisations – look at Ofcom’s report on the BBC needing to do more to appeal to working classes.

It’s why Channel 4 has asked for changes to some of its existing licence obligations to invest more in its digital growth and transformation (while also providing for those who still watch their programmes in the more ‘traditional’ TV way.)

You can take part in the consultation to its proposed changes on Ofcom’s website.

We’re all having to change the ways we reach and engage our audiences – for some target groups, it’s a matter of urgency. If you’d like to chat about how I can help you navigate through these unsettling times, get in touch.

5 things you need to know from Ofcom’s news consumption report

Reassuringly for once, a new report doesn’t signal the need for a dramatic shift in the way we must communicate with audiences on social media.

But the new Ofcom news consumption report does confirm that it’s a complicated media landscape, with a strategic and sophisticated approach needed if you’re trying to engage a broad range of people.

Here’s the five things you need to know:

1. One in 10 of us use TikTok as a ‘news’ source

 Ofcom news consumption report 2023: One in 10 of us use TikTok as a 'news' source

The continued rise of TikTok is perhaps most interesting.

One in every 10 adults (10%) are using it to keep up with the news – more so than BBC Radio 1 and Channel 5.

It’s the fastest growing platform, as even social media rivals slow down or plateau.

Of course, the definition of ‘news’ is broad: emotive human interest stories and showbiz and entertainment news tend to perform well.

It’s not that they’re turning to TikTok for every cut and thrust of the latest Westminster row, but these stats are an issue for the government, who hasn’t been on the platform since last summer.

What is fascinating about TikTok, and what challenges the presumed theory about the platform, is that basic, raw, non-vertical video can perform well on there, as long as it’s at least one of these three things:

  1. New or important news or information
  2. Visually appealing, either in the text caption, or the pictures
  3. Generates some form of emotion, positive or negative

 

2. The popularity of iPlayer and ITVX for news

This same chart from the Ofcom news consumption report has recorded broadcast on demand (BVoD) for the first time, and it shows pleasing results for the BBC’s iPlayer and the revamped ITVX.

This is despite news not being featured too prominently (you have to scroll down quite a few rows or ‘rails’ as the insiders call them) – unless there is a huge story.

This is likely to rise as more of us get smart TVs (I still use an Amazon Fire stick, but I’m not a big TV watcher.)

I’m curious as to whether Channel 4 and Sky News’ stats are all linear TV or a mixture of on-demand too.

 

3. There’s been no dramatic changes in what media we mainly use for news, apart from papers

Ofcom news consumption report: TV is still the main platform for news

Interestingly, we’ve been generally been using the same forms of media for news that we’ve been accustomed to for the past five years, as new technology offers more flexible and personalised ways to continue to enjoy them.

Print continues to decline, saved by their online operations. The decline in linear TV has been countered by the rise in on-demand options through your remote. Audio options have flourished, from podcasts to catch-up to ad-free subscription services.

Hidden from this table I think is the role of passive forms of news consumption, especially radio, with record numbers listening to commercial radio and listening to a bulletin between their songs.

 

4. Kids are complicated

Ofcom news consumption report: family, TV and social media are the biggest sources of news for 12-15 year olds

A lot is talked about the need for news organisations conquering TikTok to attract young people, but for 16-24 year olds, Instagram is still by far the biggest platform.

But for the younger 12-15 year olds, TikTok is most important social platform, followed closely by YouTube and Instagram – but they’re not interested in news unless it’s very big (understandably). And TV still plays a bigger role than social media.

But what I think is still underplayed in these Ofcom news consumption surveys is the influence of friends and family – and messaging apps.

We may not consciously realise, but we tend to share a lot of news and information in things like WhatsApp chats – which due to their encrypted nature are impossible to track unless someone selects to share it there by tapping a button on a different platform.

5. The importance of the BBC

BBC News logo

Despite all the ups and downs of the BBC as an organisation in the media, this report confirms what a vital role it continues to play in how we access news through media, whatever age we are.

Ofcom says, “BBC news output across all its platforms reaches 73% of all UK adults” and it’s still the most important source of information for 12-15 year olds.

The importance of a suitably funded and supported Beeb in providing trusted and impartial news is clear.

But…

The challenge for media organisations is how you make revenue out of this situation. But that’s a different story for a different article.

You can read the Ofcom report here – it’s well-produced and an easy read.

You may be also interested in:

What young people think of as ‘news’ on Instagram