Why Short Form Video Must be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy
If you aren’t in the short form video game on social media yet, you are missing out on reaching key audiences. This is because short form video ranks number one for lead generation and engagement.
But it’s not just the social media platforms saying that short form video is effective for businesses and content creators. In fact, 85% of marketers say that short form video is the most effective media format for them on social media.
However, you still have to do your short form video right to get the most out of your content. It’s important to not only consider the platform you are publishing on, but also the current trends, cultural moments, news, and more. When you create short form content around these things, you’ll find that it increases your video engagement.
To break it all down and help you form your strategy, we are going to take a look at the two biggest platforms with a focus on short form video as well as some marketing ideas.
TikTok
TikTok is the king of short form video content; this is where short form videos became so popular. But TikTok isn’t just dance videos and it’s not just Gen Z signing up for it in droves. Users of all ages have jumped on the TikTok bandwagon as well as celebrities, influencers, and businesses.
For brands, TikTok can be used to increase brand awareness, build community, and sell services or products. What makes the platform so great is that it has a fairly level playing field when it comes to going viral on the app, allowing you to reach new audiences.
Once you have a following, it’s perfect for building community and loyalty. Don’t be afraid to go all in on your niche. Users love educational content on the platform too. If you sell products or services, we know that building community and loyalty is key to better ROI (return on investment). By leveraging hashtags, community, and the link in your bio, you can drive clicks and sales.
Instagram has had some big changes when it comes to videos on the platform. While they have been pushing Reels for some time now, they have now merged all video posts into Reels to simplify video content for feed posts. While IGTV is still a thing for long-form videos, anything 15 minutes or less will appear in the videos tab as a “Reel.”
Because Instagram has been pushing Reel content so heavily on the platform, it’s key to make it part of your IG strategy to get on the good side of the algorithm. Fortunately, you don’t need to have a professional video team to do well with Reels on Instagram.
You want to leverage your Instagram short form content much in the same way as you would on TikTok. You want to reach new audiences, build community, and drive clicks or sales, just like we mentioned above. Sometimes simple is the best way to start out and IG has some great tools to help you with that.
One of those tools is the Templates option within the video editor. These templates allow users to fill clip duration slots, perfectly syncing up their video (or photos) with a specific audio track. This can make the process of editing a Reel much quicker and easier as you aren’t trying to cut and sync things up on your own. To make your Reels even more engaging, don’t forget to try adding a sticker or text to them.
Another easy option is to turn your Stories Highlights into a Reel. Simply tap on the Highlight you want to turn into a Reel, then tap on the three dots menu icon and select “Convert to Reel.” From there you can edit and reorder your Stories, change durations, and more.
Short Form Video Marketing Ideas
Now that we’ve looked at the big platforms for short form video content, let’s take a look at some ideas to inspire your content creation.
- Turn a picture, or pictures, into a video: share a slideshow of photos for an easy way to create engaging content; share your own photos, memes, quotes, and so much more.
- Partner with creators or influencers: this amps up brand awareness as a creator shares your business with their audiences; be sure to pick a creator or influencer whose audience is much like your own, but has the opportunity for audience growth.
- Ask for UGC (user-generated content): put out the call to your followers to share how they use your product or what they like about your service; these are often called “brand challenges” and are a great way to get people engaged with your brand; they also serve as an easy way to reshare and repurpose content about your brand created by others.
- Leverage product teasers: if you have a new product coming out, tease it with a short video clip to excite your followers.
- Show behind-the-scenes clips: put a face to the brand name by showing behind-the-scenes clips that make your audience feel they are a part of the community.
- Answer some commonly asked questions: provide rich content by answering commonly asked questions about your brand, services, or products.
- Show a quick tutorial or product demonstration: show how a product can be used, how you make something, or how you decorate for a holiday–the possibilities are literally endless here!
Final Thoughts
Short form video isn’t a passing fad or trend. It is here to stay. With audience attention spans getting shorter and shorter, we’ll continue to see a focus on this short but highly engaging content. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of videos to see what works for your brand. Stick with what works until it doesn’t anymore, and then switch it up again. Your analytics will be your best friend in determining what is working and what isn’t.