Short Form Video as a Long Term Strategy?

With the meteoric rise of platforms like Tik Tok, many content creators and the platforms they create upon are adopting short-form video as a new strategy to drive engagement. Take a look at some of Tik Tok’s most significant competitors; Meta has rolled out Reels on their platform Instagram, and Youtube debuted Youtube Shorts; even Google and LinkedIn are getting into the mix with their own takes on short-form video content. In this blog, we will examine some key performance indicators associated with this new short-form strategy and seek to understand the drivers behind so many brands adopting this strategy so quickly.

Short Form Video Engagement

The bread and butter of short form video are the insane engagement metrics. Over the last five years, the global internet community has made it increasingly clear that video content is the preferred method of consumption for media across the board. According to a study performed by Colormatics:

• Video content on social media receives 48% more views on social media
• Video Content on Instagram Receives 49% Higher Engagement Rates
• 72% of People Prefer Video vs. Text to Learn a New Product or Service.
• 60% of Internet Traffic Revolves Around Video

So clearly, the people have spoken, when it comes to consuming a brand’s content, they want it in an easily digestible video format. So what is the ideal format? Well, it depends on the goal of the marketing message, and this is what makes short-term video content so powerful, its versatility.

Styles of Short Form Video Content

The second biggest strength of short form video content is its versatility. Short form video content can be used by brands of any size and in any sector and can accomplish a wide variety of marketing objectives. From informative videos to promotions to testimonials, short form video is a perfect format to spread brand awareness and create memorable content.

Choosing a style is heavily dependent on the objective of the marketing message; once the style is determined, the length of the video is much easier to determine. Here are some of the latest short form video trends that have been creating a buzz across social media:

1. Behind the Brand Content

Fairly self-explanatory, behind-the-brand content gives the consumer an in-depth look at the different processes that make a brand function. This can be informative or casual, but the main goal is to instill trust and transparency with the consumer.

1. Product Teasers

A short form video is perfectly tailored to the concept of a product teaser. Conceptually similar to the infomercials of the early nineties, product teasers are informative videos that build anticipation or reveal new products or services for a brand. The significant advantage of short form videos versus commercials is that they require minimal budget and production. In addition, due to their short nature, they offer a creative space for attention grabbers and flashy graphics.

1. Influencer Ads

Influencer ads have penetrated just about every social media platform, resulting in an influx of reach for brands that may not have previously had the budget. It is a win-win situation when it comes to short form video and influencer marketing. Influencers are provided with a new creative outlet for their content, and brands can promote their products and services in a more creative fashion than your typical ad read or sponsored video.

1. Brand Challenges

Speaking of influencers, brand challenges have been wildly successful over the last five years since the viral ALS ice bucket challenge in 2014. For example, Netflix’s #What’s YourPower challenge is a series of short videos where viewers and influencers showcase their “superpowers” with the hashtag. This brand challenge campaign garnered over 6.3 billion views across Tik Tok alone.

1. UGC (User Generated Content)

Another one of short form video’s most potent tools is UGC or user-generated content. Similar to brand challenges but substantially more flexible, UGC can be used to raise money for charity, inform users of a new product, or build brand awareness with the ability to go viral organically. UGC can be tailored to suit nearly any marketing objective.

Why is Short Form Video So Successful

Short form video derives alot of its success from its “snackable size.” With each platform allowing a different maximum time, it can be hard to determine the length of the video, but the choice of content style will help guide your decision-making. Typically a limit of 60 seconds is recommended as 68% of people will happily watch a business video if it’s under a minute, and on average, 66% of video ads are less than 30 seconds. (Extreme Reach). Additionally, the ability of short form videos to be shared and go viral lends itself greatly to brands trying to spread awareness while on a budget. Remember, not everything has to be Hollywood quality to perform well on social media platforms. Finally, the flexibility and creativity of this specific form of content provide both brands and consumers with a new fresh way to interact without heavy oversight, budgeting, or production and planning.

Contact Art’s Cube

Not sure where to get started with your short form video journey? Do not hesitate to reach out to the team at Art’s Cube; with nearly a decade of experience in the digital media world, our team has witnessed all of the most recent marketing and advertising trends, both fleeting and firm. Our team can help out by starting with the basics: a free content audit. Then, one of our marketing professionals will help take stock of any and all marketing materials in both the digital and traditional mediums. From there, our team can help develop a custom marketing strategy to help your firm launch its short form video career!