At the end of last year (2022), our team suggested that short-form video content would continue to rocket into 2023 and the demand for shorter videos that capture our attention is indeed higher as we predicted, as is the demand for shorter videos that capture our attention within 60 seconds, but is it set to last? Now we are a few months on from our earlier prediction, we take a look at how short-form video content is changing the digital marketing landscape, what type of videos audiences want to see and how to leverage short-form videos to meet your business objectives.
Why are short-form videos popular?
Short-form video content is the future of social media marketing. With the way the algorithm works, short-form videos can promote higher engagement as they are shareable across social media with your targeted audiences. TikTok has enabled brands, organisations and content creators to go viral overnight while Instagram’s algorithm continues to prioritise reels. Shorter videos are also easier for audiences to consume as they can be accessed from anywhere, on any platform and any device.
Short-form videos work well on landing pages and in newsletters to break up content and can be shared easily across social media platforms. They’re also easier for consumers to remember, as you only have a short amount of time to make an impact and get your point across within less than a minute of their time.
Short-form video content that works
The Drum reported last year that 90% of marketers who create short-form videos will increase or maintain their investment next year. But how do you know if shorter videos are right for your business? The key is understanding the types of videos that work for your business and what your audiences want to see.
Although short-form video content continues to dominate social media platforms, the angle has slightly changed. Before, there was so much focus on jumping on the back of viral entertainment videos and replicating the content – think of the dances, pranks and other entertaining videos that have circled around on social media and gone viral in the past. Recently, there’s more demand for brands, businesses and content creators to create authentic content. Audiences want to see behind-the-scenes videos and get to know the faces behind the brand – how many ‘day in the life’ and ‘get ready with me’ videos have been dominating your feed recently? What’s great about these videos is that they help to portray your brand’s personality and make your business feel human and relatable.
As a small business owner, I rely heavily on social media to promote our products and reach our target audiences online. I have seen an increasing demand for shorter videos and a need to expand our content across different platforms to target a wider audience. But I have also seen a difference in the type of content that’s published on these platforms. Last year, the focus was getting your brand to go viral. This year, it’s more about being authentic. Consumers want to see the faces who run the brand. It’s not just a case of what you do; they want to know your personality, who you are and your values. As the saying goes, ‘people buy from people’ – before they buy from you, they have to buy into you!
Consumers also want to be educated, whether that’s learning more about you as a brand, your products/services, or how your business works – they want to know the ins and outs of your business before buying your products or services. One lesson I’ve learned along the way is that while you should pay attention to popular trends, it doesn’t mean that they’re right for your business and they need to be relevant to what you do too. The videos you choose to record need to relate to your brand and your audiences – they need to help you achieve a goal, which goes back to the importance of creating content with a purpose.
Making short-video content work for you
If you’re thinking about investing in short-form video content, then it’s important to consider how you’re going to create videos that serve a purpose and meet your audiences’ needs. What are you trying to achieve from your videos and who are you trying to reach?
To help ensure that your video content is reaching and engaging with the right audiences, then we highly recommend putting a content strategy together. Thinking strategically about your video content will help determine what type of videos you can create that your audiences are going to want to see and share with their peers, which in return, will help increase your engagement and reach a wider audience.
At Spindogs, we have a team of content and social media experts who can ensure your video content delivers a return on investment. As part of our services, we help to determine your content and create a well-informed strategy that includes the types of video content to create and how to deliver, share and measure your video performance to ensure you’re creating winning content for your business and audiences.
