> If people don't engage with your content in the first 3 seconds, it's worthless.

Is that based on a vigorous experience as a content creator on TikTok as a long form content creator or are you going off what you've heard about TikTok, or it's what your feed is full of? (which says more about you/your feed than it does about TikTok)

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYheCgBq/ 1.1 M views

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYhephfK/ 1.2 M views

or for some more niche stuff which isn't "BIIIG NEWS!! LABOR DAY BREAKFAST GOES HAYWIRE!!!" level of intro:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYheTVsh/ 54.6 k views

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYheE9m2/

36.3 k views

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYheoK2G/

416 k views

This voice-over definitely isn't going for attention grabbing

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYhe7qTT/ 16 k views

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYhdmJxq/ 64 k views

okay finally found something that's 5 mins long https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYhdAfNj/ 270 k views

All of those immediately have something attention-grabbing within the first few seconds: picture of Mars' surface, run map showing funny human shape, text with "Gen Z programmers are crazy" prefacing the anecdote, going immediately into the IT-related rap, guy holding a big and cool-looking stick, "dealing with your 10x coworker" immediately showing the point of the video. The only one that doesn't is the SQL one I guess but that's a very low view count (relatively) on a niche channel.

So thanks for providing a bunch of examples that prove my point, I guess?

I've never used tiktok and this post was... enlightening. The ClickUP HR guys are actually pretty funny... but wtf is this from that first channel you posted... lol? https://www.tiktok.com/@luckypassengers/video/74395775119539... - I mean, she's not wrong.