Tiktok’s free lunch is done, but the attention buffet is still wide open
It’s official: the world’s gone mad trying to chase the latest social media high. TikTok is swallowing attention spans whole, while every second marketer scrambles to become the next trending reel. So why is it no longer working? Sabri Suby, founder of King Kong, explains.
Remember when anyone with a half-baked dance challenge could blow up on Tiktok overnight? What used to be an organic goldmine has morphed into just another platform looking to monetise attention, just like Facebook and Instagram before it.
There is no magic algorithm sauce. The second a platform hits critical mass, its parent company will start charging for that reach – look at what happened to Facebook, then Instagram, and soon, Tiktok.
Yes, Tiktok’s organic reach can feel like winning the lottery right now. But let’s be real: just like Facebook and Instagram, it was only a matter of time before the free lunch got snatched from your grubby hands. Then you’ll be right back at square one, scrambling for the next big trend.
If your marketing strategy lives and dies on organic waves alone, you’re always going to be behind. When you chase each social trend, you get stuck on a hamster wheel of reactionary scaremongering and FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).
A sustainable marketing engine is built on consistent, predictable lead generation through a mix of organic and paid. Never rely on a single channel or gimmick. In economic times like these, you can’t afford to. You want a system that works even if an algorithm decides to throw on its pyjamas and go to sleep tomorrow.
Instead, do what the savviest marketers have always done: focus on creating messages so valuable, so impossible to ignore, that audiences seek you out even after the novelty fades. Winning attention today means competing with the lunacy for your audience’s eyeballs while staying laser-focused on the fundamentals.
Bet on the constants. People will always be glued to some screen. They’ll always respond to big, bold promises – so long as you actually back them up. And they’ll always spend more time online tomorrow than they did yesterday. In the face of an ever-shifting digital landscape, you want strategies that convert attention into paying customers, no matter which platform is hot this month.
The platform is just the gateway – your offer and messaging remain the real kingmakers.
Whenever economic clouds roll in, the FUD hucksters crawl out from under the floorboards. They insist it’s time to go dark on paid ads, slash marketing budgets, and ride out the storm. But giving in to that doomsday mindset only leaves you in the feast-or-famine cycle.
Bold brands know something the scaremongers don’t: uncertainty doesn’t stop people from buying what they truly want or need. It just increases skepticism. That’s exactly when you want to demonstrate serious value. Treat your prospects like clients before they’ve paid you a dime. This keeps you top-of-mind and ready to scoop the market share that cautious competitors leave behind.
Sabri Suby
In a world of short attention spans, marketers must dare to do something different, and back it up with value. Hand-wringing over platform changes and swirling economic fears is a waste of time. Instead, pin your strategy on the foundational truths:
People will keep scrolling through social media.
They’ll remain hungry for solutions that actually help them.
When budgets tighten, only the marketers delivering real, tangible value will stand out.
So ignore the FUD and instead focus on what’s timeless, like a killer offer, genuine trust-building, and a system for turning browsers into buyers. That’s how you cut through the mania and hold the crown in the new attention economy.
Now, pat yourself on the back for reading an entire article and I’ll see you in your Tiktok feed.
