What You’ll Learn:
- What Short-Form Video Is
- The Different Short-Form Video Platforms That Exist
- Why is Short-Form Video So Popular?
- Why ALL Businesses Need Short-Form Video Strategy
- Short-Form Video Advertising
- How Do I Get Started with Short-Form Video?
What is Short-Form Video?
The specific definition of “short-form video” really depends on where you look. Most sources define short-form video as video content being anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds long, while others extend that length to several minutes.
The most general definition is that short-form video is any type of video content that’s relatively brief and easy to consume. People don’t need to spend as much time viewing this content as they do long-form videos, making it potentially far more effective at attracting views and driving engagement.
Often, social media tends to be the ideal channel for short-form videos because of these platforms’ focus on bite-sized content experiences.
The Top Short-Form Video Platforms
There’s no shortage of short-form video platforms out there for you to use. Some of the most popular platforms available for this type of content include:
TikTok
With over one billion monthly active users, TikTok has seen a meteoric rise that just keeps on going. It’s one of the best platforms for consumable content through short-form video content, with video lengths running from a few seconds to 10 minutes.
The atmosphere within the app is fun, informal, and largely positive. However, brands that are unfamiliar with the territory risk “trying too hard” to be trendy.
When you understand how TikTok marketing really works, that’s where you’ll see success with your short-form video.
Another popular social media channel with a focus on video is Instagram. There are two main tools you can use on this platform, including Instagram Reels and Stories. Reels are short videos that last anywhere from 15 to 90 seconds, while Stories are videos of up to 60 seconds long that only stay on the platform for 24 hours. Stories, while not permanent, are popular for promoting services and products.
YouTube
The world’s most popular video streaming platform has also embraced short-form video with YouTube Shorts. These videos are up to a minute long and can include all types of content that might not be suitable for a longer video.
Creators can use various musical overlays, fonts for text, and unique graphics to spice up content.
Like Instagram, Facebook has introduced Stories and Reels formats that allow you to post short-form videos.As far as Facebook Stories, the limit for these is even shorter than Instagram Stories, allowing you to publish videos up to 20 seconds long.
Remember, only publish content on the platforms your audience uses. Taking that approach will help you get the most from your marketing efforts. Find out where your audiences spend most of their time and laser-focus on those platforms, which is far more effective than the old “spray and pray” method.
Why is Short-Form Video So Popular?
There are multiple reasons why short-form video is popular today, one of which is the decreasing attention span among consumers. While the average attention span of a goldfish is around nine seconds, the average attention span among people today is closer to 8.25 seconds.
Other video statistics also reinforce the idea that shorter is better when it comes to video. For example, recent stats show that:
- People watch short-form videos for more than 40% of their runtime.
- People view 59% of short-form videos for 41-80% of their total runtime.
- 33% of social media marketers plan on investing more in short-form video than any other type of video content.
- 58% of marketers already using short-form video also want to continue using it.
In short, creating and publishing content that’s quicker and easier to digest will be critical in connecting with audiences.
Why ALL Businesses Need a Short-Form Video Strategy
Video content marketing is already one of the most important tools to use to reach audiences today, but short-form videos can get you even better results. Not only can short-form help you reach and connect with more people, but it can also boost sales among new customers.
The right promo and product or service videos can encourage people to make more purchases with the right approach. Just look at how well YouTube works in this regard: 70% of people have reported buying a product after seeing it on YouTube.
Even if you believe your content may not benefit from short-form videos and require longer explainers, guides, and other content, there are plenty of ways to go about using short-form video content. For instance, you could use social media channels like Instagram and TikTok to post brief explainer videos or behind-the-scenes footage of your team at work. You could also produce some quick how-tos.
Generally, regardless of your industry or niche, you will be able to use these types of videos to engage audiences and boost conversions. However, to get the most from short-form video content, you should know which channels to use and how to use them.
Short-Form Video Advertising
In addition to social media posts and other videos, you can use short-form video content for advertising on various platforms. These ads can promote your brand, products, or services and supplement other videos to maximize your reach.
Test out the following platforms for video ads:
X
Twitter, now X, is a great platform for video ads. These ads can be up to 15 seconds, though X recommends limiting them to six seconds or less.
One of the main advantages of X ads is that they appear right in people’s feeds, much like regular posts from others that they’re following. This placement ensures that plenty of people see your ads, and they can engage with them in the form of likes and retweets.
One example of a Twitter video ad is Riyadh Season’s ad highlighting Cristiano Ronaldo as he responds to a question about MMA fighter Francis Ngannou regarding his next fight.
Next Question Please? ???@Cristiano @francis_ngannou#BattleOfTheBaddest #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/TQteOhZFRX
— موسم الرياض | Riyadh Season (@RiyadhSeason) October 5, 2023
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another great platform for video ads, allowing somewhat longer ads than X. One of the main benefits of using this platform is the ability to prominently feature a clickable call to action at the bottom of your ad.
Here’s an example of a LinkedIn ad from Lillly Careers:
Facebook video ads are a great way to reach large numbers of people, with Facebook still remaining the biggest platform with about three billion monthly active users.
Like Twitter and LinkedIn ads, these ads can appear right in people’s feeds to make them look like traditional posts. People can also like, share, and comment on these ads to boost engagement and brand awareness.
Also, you can have ads play when users stream their favorite videos, further boosting awareness.
The following Visible ad is a good example of a brief but effective Facebook video ad:
Instagram allows for compelling full-screen ads that can connect with all types of audiences.
According to Instagram, video ads are highly engaging and lead around 50% of Instagrammers to visit websites to buy products or services because of Stories ads. You can publish ads as Instagram Stories or Reels, depending on the specific platform you want to use.
One of the unique benefits of Instagram video ads is the ability to partner with creators on the platform to collaborate on ads.
Here’s an example of a brief but engaging video ad from Bones Coffee:
View this post on Instagram
TikTok
TikTok is a great platform for reaching younger audiences, with 38.5% of users comprising people ages 18 to 24.
TikTok allows you to develop video ads of different sizes with video creative, display images, logos, descriptions, and calls to action. Like other social media ads, they appear in people’s feeds to seamlessly mix in with the rest of the user experience.
Ryanair is one company that made a simple but effective TikTok ad that connected with global audiences, advertising its affordable costs:
ryanair from Ascenial on Vimeo.
YouTube
If you want to connect more exclusively with video streaming audiences, YouTube is a great platform for video ads.
YouTube ads specifically play at the beginning of or throughout videos that people stream, which helps maximize viewership. People aren’t likely to get up and do something else when watching YouTube videos with brief ad breaks, keeping them engaged.
In addition to regular videos, you can launch video ads for YouTube Shorts, which are shorter videos that can drive even more engagement for your ads.
When it comes to YouTube Shorts, you can run ads between videos using either short-form videos or image ads between Shorts.
Here’s an example of a successful, brief YouTube ad from Bellroy advertising its many products:
Again, find out where your audience is to get the best results from your ad campaigns. Otherwise, you might spend more than you need on your advertising budget.
How Do I Get Started with Short-Form Video?
If you would like to begin with short-form video content, here are some key steps to help you build your strategy:
Step 1: Consider the Type of Video to Create
The first step is to think about the kind of content you want to produce. There are many types of videos you can create, depending on your goals, such as:
- Microlearning experiences like short how-tos and informational videos
- Product teasers that encourage people to learn more about your offerings
- User-generated content that your audience created
- Influencer ads
- Behind-the-scenes footage of your offices and employees
- Customer testimonials and reviews
Step 2: Film Your Video
The next step would be to begin filming your short-form video. Here you’d want to ensure you have the right equipment. If you’re filming live-action content, make sure your cameras are of the right quality and consider creating a script to keep filming smooth.
Make sure aspects like lighting and the setting are ideal to prevent any issues. Even though your videos are short, the cut length shouldn’t result in compromised quality.
Step 3: Edit Your Video
After filming, you can begin the short-form video editing process. You may need to more meticulously edit a shorter video than a conventional video, especially if you want to keep all key information intact in a bite-sized format. Make every cut count while editing your videos.
Step 4: Upload Videos to All Relevant Platforms
Once you’ve completed the post-production process, it’s time to upload your video to the platforms of your choosing.
All the major platforms have specific guides for uploading video content, including short-form videos. You should be able to follow the necessary steps to successfully upload your short-form video content and get it into the public eye.
Step 5: Track Short-Form Video Performance
Once you’ve uploaded your videos, use analytics tools—many of which the various platforms provide—to track your videos’ performance. Find out how many views they attract and determine what kind of engagement they get. You can then make any necessary tweaks to your campaigns to boost performance.
Ramp Up Your Short-Form Video Production
If you’re new to short-form video content and want some assistance with developing and publishing it, consider turning to experienced marketing professionals. Video marketing, especially short-form video is for every business from insurance to healthcare.
Here at Ignite Visibility, we have the right team of experts who will be able to help you:
- Produce high-quality video content
- Upload it to all major platforms
- Track video marketing performance
Sound interesting?
