Your Instagram customers spend over 50% of their time watching short-form videos and reels. Rather than just being a fad, this trend is here to stay. Which means these videos have the power to capture your audience’s interest. But why?
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Brands of all sizes are locked in the battle for people’s attention. Your content marketing success relies on highly engaging video content that appeals to your viewers. Content marketing performance and audience engagement decrease whenever your videos fail to capture viewer attention.
So, what are short-form videos, why are they an asset for your content marketing, and what practices can you follow for higher engagement and better conversion rates?
Let’s explore.
What is a short-form video?
A short-form video is any video between 5 to 90 seconds long. Short videos share compact information which is to the point. Though these videos started as an entertainment trend, they have evolved into a strategic business priority because of the numerous benefits it delivers. Even though they are short, they still convey a compelling story with a creative narrative flow. Their defining features include:
- Conciseness: Creators share their content in small, entertaining, and digestible content.
- Visual impact: Attention-grabbing visuals send your message across.
- Algorithm-friendly: These videos work well with algorithm systems prioritizing short content with high engagement.
Short-form videos are popular because you can share them to increase audience engagement and virality.
Why short-form videos are the future of content marketing
Short-form videos took very little time to become the backbone of content marketing strategies because of these reasons:
Grabs attention
Every second company you hear is spending thousands of dollars on their content marketing efforts on social media platforms. With social media and other platforms inundated with content of every length, making a lasting impression sets you apart. From flashy visuals to snappy captions, businesses compete fiercely for attention and engagement. But nothing beats the success of short-form videos. Here’s why:
- Presents the message within the first few seconds
- Uses dynamic visual and engaging captions
- Incorporates music and trending challenges to hook the readers
Chipotle, a fast-food chain, showcases menu hacks on Instagram Reels, and Duolingo uses Instagram and TikTok, where their mascot, Duo, uses viral trends and engages with language learners. In seconds, they grab customer’s attention.
Viral potential
Unlike long-form content, the probability of short-form video content going viral is high. Why? Short-form video platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels present content that is shareable and engaging and doesn’t rely on the number of followers. Videos that generate engagement remain the top priority for these platforms.
Even small creators and new startups have a fair chance to compete which is otherwise challenging.
For example, a small bakery can share a 15-second reel showing how they frost cupcakes, which might get thousands of views. Or a fitness coach could share a quick workout tip to find new clients.
Better ROI with minimal effort
Short-form videos engage your audience in a budget-friendly option than traditional video content like lengthy brand campaigns or high-production documentaries. These videos require fewer resources. You can now create high-quality, impactful videos through video editing and integrated editing features on TikTok or Instagram.
Another key to success with short-form videos is adding captions. Video captions make your content accessible to a wider audience, including people watching without sound or those with hearing disabilities. They improve your video engagement because viewers are more likely to continue viewing your videos. After all, they can even read the content.
The short video content on Zomato’s Instagram Reels is an example of engaging the audience.
Your brand awareness and sales performance improve when short-form videos use captions. These tools provides exceptional value for enhancing your content marketing initiatives.
Higher engagement rate
Short-form videos have taken control of content marketing since customers find them simple to consume. Audiences strongly favor short-form videos because they are engaging. Videos with short content receive numerous likes, shares, and comments, increasing their visibility and attracting a broader audience.
But it’s not just about social media. You can use these bite-sized videos in email campaigns, landing pages, and product launches. They’re perfect for getting your message across fast. These videos can spark trends on TikTok challenges or Instagram Reels, which inspire customers to create their own content featuring your brand.
Such user-generated content spreads your message and helps you build a community around your brand. TikTok videos are effective for your content strategy. So, if you wish to increase engagement or create a buzz online, these short form format videos are what you need.
Fits mobile-first audience
With a majority of customers consuming short video content on their mobile phones, these videos increases your content marketing efforts. Social media platforms create full-screen vertical videos that hook readers in seconds. They’re built for mobile-friendly audiences, especially people on the go who prefer to consume concise, engaging content.
Moreover, short videos engage audiences, increase visibility, and drive conversions in just a few seconds.
Short hook to long content
Short-form videos are a great way to hook and draw people to your long-form videos and content shared on your website. When done right, you can pull out limitless hooks to draw people to your:
- Product videos on website
- Blogs
- Customer landing pages
- YouTube channel
- Podcast or webinar
While short-form videos are essential for brand awareness, your long-form content increases your conversion. So, the more short-form videos you share, the higher are the chances of drawing in customers toward your brand.
Best practices for short-form video content
Keep it snappy
No matter which platform you choose, your content must be direct and easy to understand. Videos between 30 and 60 seconds receive the most viewer response.
Stronger openings
The first impression is the last. And, that’s precisely what happens when you have a strong opening. Opening a curiosity loop, hooking the readers with some value, or teasing a new product launch are a few ways to grab their attention. You can even use bold statements or questions along with attention-grabbing actions.
For instance, fitness companies can use TikTok to share videos with an intense workout moves, instantly hooking viewers.
Use captions strategically
Video captions make your content accessible and reachable to a larger audience. Ensure your captions sync perfectly with your video; otherwise, viewers have difficulty interpreting the content. Tools like QuickSubs are excellent for adding automatic captions to your short-form videos.
Roll-out videos when your audience is active
Depending on how customers engage with your audience, send vidoes during peak traffic hours. Posting when your audience is online increases the likelihood of instant views, shares, and interactions, which increases your video’s visibility within the first few hours.
Include call-to-actions
Add videos with a clear CTA. Your viewers feel motivated to take desired actions when CTAs have effective goals or purposes, such as website visits, newsletter sign-ups, and e-book downloads.
Optimize for each platform
Customize your videos for the platform on which you’ll be sharing. Every platform has a unique requirement and best practices for hashtags and video length. Optimizing for every platform improves your content marketing efforts.
Test and iterate
Experiment and iterate with your short-form format. To maximize your content marketing efforts, test different formats, styles, and messages to see what resonates best with your audience.
Use latest trends
Staying up-to-date with the latest trends wins big for these videos. Apart from helping you get discovered easily by your target audience, it generates user-generated content around your brand.
Future of content marketing with short-form videos
- Dominance of video content: Short-form video will remain as social media platforms’ most popular type of content.
- Real-time marketing: Companies will use these videos for instant responses to trends and events.
- Increased personalization: With AI, you can expect companies to use these videos to deliver hyper-targeted personalized messages.
- Interactive features: Companies will incorporate engaging interactive tools that combine quizzes, polls, and links that allow direct product purchases.
- Platform integration: More and more platforms will prefer short video formats for their algorithms.
- Immersive technologies: These videos will use immersive technologies, like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). New and advanced effects and filter capabilities will emerge to create exciting and engaging videos.
Brewing your content marketing with short videos
The move towards short-form videos is a seismic shift because of its ability to capture attention, engage the audience, and drive meaningful results. Capturing the micro-moments when customers feel motivated to purchase drives the craze around these videos.
Although short-form video faces the challenges of oversaturation and content fatigue, it’ll continue to rise because it can attract your audience and connect with them in an impactful and engaging manner.
So, does the future of content marketing rely on short-form video format? All aspects point to YES. The question here is: How do you reap the maximum benefits from it?