In the last few years, short-form video content has skyrocketed in popularity, capturing the attention of social media users like nothing else. Now, digital marketers are beginning to see the value of short-form videos as a tool to raise awareness about their brands and products. Keep reading to learn how you can use short-form videos to attract new consumers and boost your presence across multiple platforms.
How Short-Form Video Became a Powerful Digital Marketing Tool
Although it’s now a relic of internet history, Vine played an instrumental role in popularizing short-form video content. Vine launched in 2013 and quickly attracted users with its 6-second looped videos. Some “Viners,” as Vine creators were known, were even able to monetize their content. However, as Vine’s popularity grew, more competitors began to emerge, and the platform ultimately closed in 2017 (TLMUN Herald, 2023).
A year later, Musical.ly — a popular social media platform known for short-form lip-syncing videos — was acquired by ByteDance and transformed into TikTok. Since its creation, TikTok has grown exponentially; today, the platform has over a billion active users (Sheena, 2023).
With the immense success of TikTok, it was only a matter of time before other social media companies began rolling out similar short-form video features, such as Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. According to a survey from Insider Intelligence, U.S. ad buyers report that 75 percent of their largest clients advertise on TikTok, 67 percent advertise on Instagram Reels, and 43 percent advertise on YouTube Shorts (Fleck, 2023). Additionally, HubSpot’s 2023 Social Media Marketing Report revealed that 33 percent of social media marketers surveyed planned to invest more in short-form video than any other content format in 2023 (Richter, 2023).
Thus, it’s safe to say that short-form video is here to stay and has a lot to offer digital marketers. Now, let’s investigate the various benefits of short-form video content to determine how you can use this thriving format to uplift your brand.
Benefits of Creating Short-Form Video Content
- Delivers information succinctly
When it comes to introducing consumers to your brand or delivering a concise call to action, short-form video is the way to go. Michael Woolsey, co-founder of social creative agency Gassed, notes that creators have approximately “two seconds to get [users] to stop scrolling,” meaning your short-form video content needs an enticing hook. How-to videos and list-based content are therefore great ways to get your point across efficiently (Sheena, 2023).
Furthermore, it’s been proven that customers value this brevity. According to Veza Digital, 74 percent of consumers prefer to learn about a product or service through a short-form video instead of a webinar, article, infographic, manual, or other type of content, demonstrating the demand for short-form video (TLMUN Herald, 2023).
- Connects and fosters communication with your audience.
Arguably the most important part of short-form video content is the call to action, which typically comes at the end. Whether you’re asking viewers to share the video with a friend, click the link in your bio to learn more about a product or service, or leave a comment on the post, these requests are key to transforming viewers into customers (Sheena, 2023).
Calls to action also encourage viewers to actively engage with your content. The way viewers interact with your posts can give you critical knowledge about your audience, such as what kinds of content they like and dislike. By paying attention to what topics and video formats get the most views, likes, shares, and conversions, you can better tailor your content to your audience. Being attentive to your viewers’ preferences helps build community, boost engagement, and improve your knowledge of your target audience (Potrel, 2022).
- Capitalizes on viewers’ short attention spans.
Short-form video content is well known for its addictive nature, leading users to watch video after video for hours without even noticing. Dr. Nia Williams, researcher, and lecturer at Bangor University, revealed what makes TikToks and other kinds of short-form videos so attention-grabbing: “TikTok videos are short and sweet, they keep your attention going from one to another. The way it becomes addictive — when things make us feel good — is the release of dopamine in the brain and you want more and more,” (TLMUN Herald, 2023).
These qualities make short-form videos the ideal format for marketers looking to get the highest return on their time, money, and effort. While long-form videos often require more expensive camera and lighting equipment and a lengthy editing process, short-form videos can be filmed on your phone. Plus, depending on the kind of content you’re making, these videos can take less than 30 seconds to create, meaning the short-form video is simultaneously more engaging for viewers and easier to produce for marketers (Potrel, 2022; TLMUN Herald, 2023).
- Uses trends to boost discoverability.
While long-form video content takes a longer time to produce, short-form video allows creators to pump out content quickly. This makes it the perfect medium for jumping on current trends, which can help attract viewers who otherwise might not have stumbled upon your content. Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube showcase trending posts, topics, and hashtags on their discovery pages. Thus, finding a way to apply trending audio to your unique form of content is a tried and true method to increase your brand’s discoverability.
Trends are often relatable, funny, and relatively simple to recreate, resulting in a low-effort way to expand your audience. When participating in trends, make sure to put your spin on things and give viewers a taste of what the rest of your content looks like. This will incentivize them to check out more of your videos and help distinguish your brand from the tons of other users who are also making use of the trend (Potrel, 2022).
Across all industries, digital marketing is an essential component of any successful business. Not only does it establish a strong relationship with your target audience or consumer base, but it also increases your brand’s recognizability, allowing your company to reach a wider audience. So if you’re looking for a way to grow your business, start by evaluating your current digital marketing strategy to determine what’s working and what still needs work.
If you need help navigating the do’s and don’ts of digital marketing, BlueTickSocial is here for you. Contact us today to begin growing your brand’s online presence!
Sources:
Five Insights Into the Popularity of Short-Form Video Content
Marketers Double Down on Short-Form Video in 2023
The Rise of Short Form Content
The Rise of Short-Form Video: How to Make Clips That Really Sing
YouTube Shorts Is Already a Firm Favorite Among Advertisers
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