How Not to Be Just Another Scroll on TikTok

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In today’s digital marketing world, it’s crystal clear: simply showcasing a product in a classic “ad” style is the equivalent of getting in someone’s face on the street — it’s uncomfortable, and people just want to get away from you.

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TikTok users are used to content that’s fun, dynamic, authentic, and interactive. On the flip side, they can smell a generic, predictable ad from three swipes away. That’s why the goal isn’t just to push a product — it’s to tell a story, solve a relatable problem, and spark a real human-to-human connection. It’s about bringing a sense of humanity into whatever it is you’re trying to "sell" or promote.

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People trust content that feels honest and natural. They don’t want an ad — but they do want to feel something, laugh a little, or learn something new. That’s where edutainment comes in — content that educates while it entertains. If it doesn’t hit them emotionally or make them smile, it needs to present a clear problem and solution from the very first second.

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A brand that speaks the language of its audience and delivers useful information in a fun, digestible way has a huge advantage. People don’t want to be taught — but they love learning something spontaneously. They don’t want to shop — but they love finding solutions to their little everyday struggles. They don’t want ads — but they appreciate it when someone offers a real solution to a real problem. Edutainment is where all these things meet.

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For example: if you want to sell a pen, make a video where you use the pen to write out “What’s the longest word in the world?” — teach viewers the answer in 20 seconds and encourage them to repeat it out loud. Give them knowledge through interaction. Then, at the end, tie in the product with a light joke: “This pen can write that word 20,000 times over.”

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If you’re selling shoes, tell a story about the man with the world’s largest foot, and then compare one of your store’s shoes to his foot size.

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If you’re a bank, explain inflation while rolling down a hill or balancing on one foot. Blend the unexpected.

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By educating your audience, you’re guiding them toward a purchase — without ever directly selling to them. In a format that looks like a casual TikTok, users walk away having learned something clever, useful, or funny — and along the way, they naturally discover that your brand has a solution for them. It’s emotional anchoring: tying your product to a real, everyday problem.

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Paid ads on TikTok still have their place — but only if they are perfectly adapted to the platform’s look, feel, and vibe. If they blend in as native content and have a strong storytelling element, they can perform beautifully. If they look like a traditional TV commercial? You’d honestly be better off putting that budget toward an ad in a local newspaper.

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Today, the creator-first approach rules. One strong video with a micro-influencer will outperform ten perfectly edited but soulless ads that users swipe past faster than you can blink.

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The TikTok algorithm no longer cares about follower counts — it cares about watch time, engagement, comments, and retention. It’s all about grabbing attention and getting users to come back for more. That’s why storytelling and relatable, human content are once again at the heart of digital marketing.

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Humans are excellent at recognizing patterns — it’s part of why we were such great hunters. But what does hunting have to do with TikTok?

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Well, today, companies, brands, and influencers are the prey — and the person liking, swiping, and sharing is the hunter. The hunter for corporate jargon, forced ads, and a lack of authenticity. If they sense any of that, it takes a split second for you to disappear into a sea of endless swipes.

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TikTok doesn’t reward the richest brand — it rewards the most authentic, relatable, useful one, the one that can quickly explain something important — or make you laugh in a second.

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And that’s the most beautiful thing about this work: Everyone has an equal shot — if you can intrigue, educate, and entertain. That’s the new foundation of marketing.

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Everything else is just… another ad.

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Written for Marketing Mreža by:
Dobrica Cvetković, Content Creator Supervisor, SmartPoint Adria