Taking advantage of Shorts and reels

Following on from the runaway success of TikTok over recent years, rival social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram are increasingly investing in their short form video content features to try and compete. Instagram reels and YouTube shorts enable users to share snappy, engaging content that’s primed to go viral.

There’s a reason for the explosive growth of short form video content. Our attention spans are getting shorter which is making it more difficult for marketers to hold our attention. In fact, according to one study commissioned by Microsoft, we are now less attentive than the average goldfish.

Social media platforms are increasingly promoting their short video features as they hold users’ attention, keeping them on the platform for longer. A short video can be watched, then it can be followed up with another video relatively quickly. Video is increasingly the reason why people go to social media and they’re accessing it primarily on their smartphones and other mobile devices.

Short form video is the future because of its accessibility, the benefits it brings both to the platforms and to users and because of its flexibility.

The value of short form video content

With a range of options for publishing your short form content it’s never been easier to get your reels, shorts or TikTok videos in front of your target audience. Increasingly, short form video content is becoming the new norm. It has a range of advantages for businesses and matches user behaviour.

Short form video content meets user expectations

Long-form video has its place particularly if users are looking to find particular information about products and services, but increasingly short form video is preferred by users.

If you’re looking to create initial engagement with your product then short form social media content is ideal. It gives users a quick insight into what your products do and what your business is all about. They allow you to make an instant impression on an audience that is receptive.

Short form video allows you to be flexible

Short form video for social media is quicker, cheaper and easier to make than longer form content. With that in mind, you can quickly respond to trends, and develop ideas that you might not want to invest more resources in. It allows you to experiment and be responsive to the changing demands of consumers. It keeps your brand agile and helps you think more creatively about how you market your products.

Short form video content is an entire discipline in itself requiring a different approach to longer content and helps you adopt new ideas and techniques when it comes to marketing.

All that said, it’s important that your short videos don’t compromise on quality. Although people enjoy quirky videos, they can be pretty unforgiving if your videos look amateurish. Your aim should be to make them pause to watch your content rather than swiping past to the next video. People increasingly look to consume small nuggets of content in larger volumes.

Short form videos are ideal for social media

Short form video content works brilliantly with social media which is its key advantage. Every business needs to have a well-thought out social media strategy but it’s getting increasingly difficult to get noticed. Creating short form videos doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to stand out from the crowd, but it does mean you’re giving yourself a good chance of being noticed.

The most potent and effective social network content currently is micro-blogging. This combines some of the narrative elements of longer form blogging, with the immediacy of instant messaging. A platform which epitomises this approach is Twitter, and it’s no surprise that short form video features heavily.

Short form content can be shared quickly and easily. It commands an instant response. All of your branded content needs to be optimised for the chosen mode of delivery. This makes short form video a natural fit for social channels where snappy, easy to digest content that makes an instant impression can have a considerable reach.

Short form content keeps you current

Long, in-depth guides, product demos, company introductions and other longer form content tends to be created to last. It’s designed to remain relevant despite the passage of time. Short form videos take less time to produce and can therefore be more responsive to current trends.

They allow you to use trends to add value to your marketing propositions and reflect current events.

Some of the most effective social media content has captured the zeitgeist, taking on a life of its own. If your brand strikes lucky with its short form content the opportunities are practically limitless.

Short form content allows you to tap into current trends, allowing your branding to connect with something that’s instantly familiar. As a result, it’s likely to be shared and seen more often.

Short form content is the future of video marketing

The trends look increasingly clear. Due to its brevity, accessibility and agility, short form video meets the needs of both marketers and consumers, as well as proving beneficial commercially to the platforms that host it.

Your business needs to develop a short video strategy that makes the best use of the form.

Because of the brevity of the medium many businesses are tempted to create videos themselves. While this can sometimes work, there is a high risk that your video will miss the mark. Short videos need to have an immediate impact.

You have much less time to convey your marketing message. With this in mind it’s important that your video is as professional as possible.

The team at Eight Engines can create engaging short form content for your business that reflects current trends and gets people sharing and talking about your business. Let us help you cut through the noise and get noticed.

Call 0161 974 1319 or email Info@eightengines.com to find out more.