TikTok Deep Dive: Why 2020 Was the Year of Short-Form Video -- Brendan Gahan (Chief Social Officer, Mekanism)

All Things Video

Brendan Gahan is the Chief Social Officer of Mekanism, a full-service creative agency that specializes in social content. Prior to Mekanism, Brendan served as VP of Brand Strategy for Fullscreen and then founded social-first agency Epic Signal, which was acquired by Mekanism in 2015.

Brendan and I pack a lot into this episode, focusing on why 2020 was a breakout year for short-form video. TikTok is the poster child for the short-form video movement, though it’s facing increased competition from clones (e.g. Byte and Triller in the U.S., Roposo and Moj in India) as well as established social platforms like YouTube (Shorts), Snapchat (Spotlight), and Facebook (Lasso, Instagram Reels, and Collab).

So why the short-form video gold rush? Brendan argues the format’s popularity in China is a leading indicator for growth in the West. New platforms like TikTok offer creators a fun and easy approach to content creation and a chance to quickly grow their audience. And for tech companies, short-form video is the next battleground feature for both audience attention and monetization, given the opportunity to serve so many ad breaks between clips.

Finally, we explore how the social media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented as people begin skewing toward private channels like Discord, Community, and OnlyFans. We also evaluate Reddit’s acquisition of Dubsmash (which Brendan calls a “head scratcher”), and Brendan shares his 2021 social media predictions, specifically (1) the rise of dark social, (2) continued growth of live streaming and ecommerce, and (3) creator-driven influencer products.

Host: James Creech

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ABOUT THE SHOW

All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media.

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ABOUT THE HOST

James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Measure Studio (next-gen social media analytics) and Paladin (the essential influencer marketing platform).