?? Goldfish have left the chat
Issue #322
It’s my old bugbear - attention spans. They may be getting shorter. Or are we just measuring better? True or not, the evidence shows people are engaging increasingly more with longer and longer form content. Movies, bingeing TV and podcasts. The focus shouldn’t be on duration in isolation, it’s always what’s inside. Audiences know best. Follow what they do.?
Happy Thursday, Simon.
P.S. We’re changing the format slightly today. We’ve dropped the branded video section as no one was watching them. Instead we’re adding Viral Hits to keep you up to date with the latest social video trends. Very thoughtful, err mindful, right? ??
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Podcasts embracing maximalism
We’ve all got a shorter attention span than a goldfish. It’s an oldie but a goodie, and for years now we’ve been told, make it shorter. Podcasters are heading in the opposite direction. Instead of short and sweet, podcasts are getting big numbers running for three hours or longer. We’re not talking un-edited chats here either, some of these epic conversations are edited down from nine hours. With some of these podcasts now referred to as “conversational audiobooks” the attitude to the content is, if it’s valuable, it stays in.
What are people looking for on video?
Yet another report on State of Social is out. It appears podcasters aren’t the only ones finding value in longer content. It appears creators on TikTok and YouTube are embracing longer versions of short form video. On both platforms posting clips that are a minute or over saw a 39% jump. The run time might have something to do with topics. Business and finance topics on TikTok jumped by 73% in the last year. What meaningful financial advice can you offer in under 30 seconds? Buy low, sell high. There you go. (See disclaimer!)
It’s the design, stupid
When it comes to social media, don’t forget design. Good design choices can make a big difference to engagement. You can’t forget the basics. There are certain rules of social you ignore at your peril, especially the algo. But once you know the rules don’t forget the difference good design will make. We think increasingly so, as social media continues to mature and become more sophisticated.
Cool tools
For the aspiring Y2K fashionista who can't quite give up their smartphone, this keyboard case might be the perfect compromise. It’s wild to see this making a comeback. For a real throwback though, only the brave dare touch this Boring Phone.
Hot Tips
Pro tip I recently learned: Don’t be afraid to let your video be quiet. Sometimes letting things breathe is the best move you can make for your sound design.
Viral Hits
This week's social trends are equal parts clever and relatable. Social trends, as ever, emerge from unexpected places. Missed trash can shots are becoming internet comedy gold, while the "no eye contact" challenge, perfectly captures squirmy social moments. Video stitches continue to impress - speaking of smooth moves, they’re proving that good editing never gets old.
Stuff from us
I can only imagine the challenge of building a “smart” airport. This video case study for our client Workday explains how Western Sydney International Airport is using the full suite of Workday’s products to enable the construction and operational phases of the airport’s development.
Happy Thursday
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This week’s newsletter was written by Tim Colman and Simon Kearney, and edited by Andre Howson. Gifs produced by Bayu Wisena .