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December 9, 2024
You’re scrolling through your social feeds and a short video catches your eye. Before you know it, you’ve watched the entire 15 or 30 seconds of content. Short-form video is taking over digital marketing, and for good reason. These bite-sized bits of video are the perfect way for brands to grab your attention and share a quick message. For you, they’re a great way to get a fast dose of entertainment or information. Short-form video is transforming how content is created and consumed, and digital marketers need to take notice.
The popularity of short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has exploded. People love the quick, fun, and entertaining clips. As digital marketers, we need to leverage this trend.
TikTok, in particular, has over 800 million active users and continues to gain more each day. The platform is ideal for creating and sharing short videos, typically 3 to 15 seconds. Brands that want to reach younger audiences should definitely have a presence on TikTok. Some ways to use it for marketing include:
Posting fun product teasers, demos, and ‘how-to’s. Keep them ultra-short, around 5-10 seconds.
Launching TikTok challenges and hashtag campaigns. This is a great way to increase brand awareness and user engagement.
Collaborating with influencers. TikTok influencers, especially those in the millions of followers range, have major sway with audiences. See if you can partner with influencers to promote your brand or products.
Instagram Reels are also gaining ground. They allow you to create short video clips, set to music, with creative tools like effects and filters. Reels live right in the Instagram app, where over 1 billion people spend time each month. Some Reels marketing ideas include:
Giving an ‘inside look’ at your company culture or behind-the-scenes footage of how your product is made.
Sharing Reels showcasing your product or service in an interesting or unexpected way. Get creative!
Repurposing other video assets into short-form Reels. For example, chopping a longer video into multiple Reels.
Short-form video is exploding for good reason. It’s highly engaging, easy to consume, and provides an authentic look at your brand. Leveraging short-form video is a must for any digital marketing strategy.
Post short clips showing behind-the-scenes footage, employee spotlights, or your product in action. This gives viewers an inside look at your company’s culture and values.
Share quick tips, how-tos, or listicles on your social channels. This establishes your brand as a helpful resource while driving traffic to your site.
Run video ads on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Even 15-30-second spots can significantly boost brand recognition and recall.
Create an explainer video to clearly demonstrate your product or service on your homepage. This can increase conversion rates by up to 86%!
Run a video contest or giveaway on social media. Require viewers to like, comment, or tag a friend to enter. This exposes new potential customers to your brand in a fun, engaging way.
Interview industry experts or influencers on your YouTube channel. Not only does this provide valuable content, but the exposure and backlinks will drive referral traffic.
Short-form video is a marketing must-have. When leveraged effectively, it can spread brand awareness, nurture new leads, and ultimately drive sales. The possibilities are endless, so get out there and start capturing those influential seconds of video!
To create compelling short-form videos, focus on these best practices:
Aim for 15-60 seconds. Short-form video is meant to be quick and easily consumed. Keep your message simple and avoid cramming too much into one short clip.
Your thumbnail is the first thing viewers see and can make or break whether they click to watch your video. Use an interesting image that relates to your content and includes text to give viewers an idea of what it’s about.
You only have a few seconds to grab attention, so get right into your key message or content. Don’t spend time with lengthy intros, backstories, or build-ups. Hook viewers immediately.
Short-form video is meant to be highly visual. Incorporate b-roll footage, screenshots, text, graphics, and images to keep it interesting. Simple animations or effects can also help bring your content to life. But don’t overcomplicate the visuals which could distract from your message.
Finish with a clear conclusion or call-to-action to give viewers a reason to take the next step. This could be following you on social media, signing up for your email list, making a purchase, or contacting you for more information. The ending of your short-form video is an opportunity to drive more engagement.
Following these best practices will help you master the art of short-form video and create content that captivates your audience. Keep experimenting and improving to build a successful short-form video strategy.
So there you have it. Short-form video is taking the digital marketing world by storm. Brands of all sizes are tapping into the power of short-form video to boost brand awareness, engage audiences, and drive real business results. The platforms and tools have made it incredibly easy to create short, fun, and impactful video content. And the audiences are there, with billions of views happening every single day.
If you’re not already leveraging short-form video as part of your digital marketing strategy, now is the time to start. Even adding just one short video a week to your content marketing efforts can lead to huge benefits. Think about the types of short-form content that would resonate most with your target customers and get to creating. Start sharing on the major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and see how your audience responds.
The rise of short-form video is happening fast. Brands that get on board now will gain a competitive advantage and find themselves ahead of the curve. And who knows, your short-form video could just be the next viral hit! The opportunities are endless. So stop reading and start recording – your audience is waiting.
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