Trying to make a splash with short-form video content material? You’re not alone. Brief-form video is all the craze proper now, with GWI reporting nearly half of all web utilization is dedicated to watching video content material.
However, with so many individuals leaping on the short-form video ship, standing out is extra necessary than ever. Listed below are our prime suggestions for together with distinctive and compelling short-form video content material in your advertising and marketing technique — and charming your viewers.
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What’s short-form video?
Brief-form video refers to video content material that’s between 5 seconds and ninety seconds lengthy. Brief movies are supposed to be fast, simply digestible content material for viewers scrolling by way of social media feeds or different shops.
Frequent examples of short-form movies embody TikTok movies, Instagram Tales and Reels, YouTube shorts, and Snapchat Highlight and tales.
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Why is short-form video so common?
Brief-form video content material isn’t new. In truth, Vine – the short-form video app launched in 2012 – was an early pioneer of the format. However what began as a distinct segment platform has grown into one thing a lot bigger, with tech giants like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube catering to quick consideration spans and launching short-form video options of their very own.
At the moment, TikTok is probably the most downloaded app on this planet, and ranks primary for client spending in keeping with a report by information.ai. Different short-form video platforms, like Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube, aren’t far behind.
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Equally:
Whoa.
This rise in recognition is due, partially, to the truth that short-form video is extra accessible and fascinating than ever earlier than. With a median video size of 15-30 seconds, creators can ship their message in a really small window of time – permitting viewers to devour content material on the go along with little to no dedication.
Information from Wyzowl discovered that 73% of shoppers want to observe short-form movies when studying a couple of services or products.
Brief-form movies can be shared and watched from any system, which furthers their accessibility and recognition amongst customers. From sending Snapchat tales on the subway to watching YouTube shorts within the dentist ready room – viewers can entry and interact with content material at any time.
Brief-form video can also be usually low-cost and simple to provide and requires minimal manufacturing effort. All you want is a smartphone and a good suggestion. Plus, internet hosting platforms like TikTok and Instagram are all free to make use of.
Platforms themselves are additionally tailor-made to person pursuits. TikTok’s algorithm suggests movies primarily based on what customers like to observe, whereas Instagram’s Discover web page helps customers uncover new content material that aligns with their pursuits. This concentrate on personalization and connection retains viewers engaged with the platforms and your content material.
In a nutshell, short-form video content material is common as a result of:
- It’s straightforward to create and share
- It may be simply considered on the go
- Social media algorithms promote content material customers like
- Algorithms make discoverability and virality straightforward
- It requires minimal manufacturing prices

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13 short-form video greatest practices
Dive into short-form video advertising and marketing with the following tips and greatest practices.
1. Use vertical content material
Most short-form video platforms are designed for content material to be considered on cell units in a vertical format.
Vertical codecs enable movies to take up the total width of a telephone display, making a extra immersive and fascinating expertise for the viewer.
On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, customers are used to scrolling by way of vertical feeds and shall be extra prone to watch your content material if it’s in the identical format. In contrast, horizontally-aligned movies can typically seem small and tough to view, leading to decrease engagement.
If you wish to know one of the best sizes for content material on each platform, try our social media dimension information.
2. Hook your viewers
Brief-form video is simply that: quick. This implies you solely have a number of seconds to seize your viewers’ consideration.
Beginning your video with a powerful hook, by way of on-screen textual content, eye-catching visuals, or with a tantalizing story, can assist draw your viewers in and maintain them watching.
The very best sorts of short-form movies for advertising and marketing seize consideration, evoke feelings, elicit motion, and encourage engagement. Deal with creating an emotional narrative that may persist with viewers lengthy after they end watching.
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3. Take note of developments
Brief-form video developments transfer quick, and one of the best creators are those who can keep forward of the curve.
Are there sound bytes or songs which can be getting used many times? Filters, animations, and visuals that you simply see posted day after day? Audiences are drawn to those developments, and incorporating them into your movies will enhance the probabilities of your video reaching extra folks.
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4. Maintain it quick
Whereas short-form movies can technically be as much as three minutes lengthy, one of the best ones are lower than a minute.
Brief is the candy spot on platforms like TikTok, which reported to WIRED Journal that the optimum video size sits at a bite-size 11 to 17 seconds. In truth, the identical report discovered that movies over 60 seconds truly stress customers out – yikes.
Equally, whereas Instagram reels might be as much as 90 seconds lengthy, Hootsuite reporting discovered that between 7 and 15 seconds is the place you wish to land.
Right here’s a breakdown of very best lengths on all short-form video platforms:
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5. Publish usually
Consistency is vital in relation to short-form video advertising and marketing. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram prioritize accounts that submit between three and 5 occasions per week, whereas platforms like Snapchat recommend posting a number of occasions per day.
Common posting retains your viewers engaged and offers the platform’s algorithm sufficient content material to select from when surfacing movies. This can assist you attain extra viewers and construct an viewers of loyal followers.
Remember that high quality is simply as necessary as amount—be sure you submit attention-grabbing and fascinating content material reasonably than merely churning out low-quality movies every day. Intention to spend a while refining every video and creating content material that your viewers will get pleasure from.
6. Companion with related influencers and types
In the event you’re trying to attain a wider viewers, teaming up with influencers or related manufacturers might be extremely efficient. Information from Civic Science discovered that 14% of 18 to 24-year-olds reported buying merchandise within the final six months attributable to a blogger or influencer recommending it.
Partnering with related manufacturers and influencers can enhance your attain and assist create extra participating content material on your short-form movies. Search for influencers with an identical audience to yours with a superb observe report of manufacturing high-quality content material.
For model partnerships, think about corporations which have comparable values to yours, or merchandise which can be complementary.
Bonus: Be taught the fundamentals of constructing an influencer advertising and marketing marketing campaign in our full information.
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7. Keep away from cross-posting video content material with watermarks
Probably the most important boundaries to manufacturers and creators in relation to short-form video content material is resourcing. Whereas a 15-second video may not appear to be a whole lot of effort, creating authentic content material does take effort and time.
Due to this, many manufacturers decide to cross-post the identical video throughout a number of social media platforms. Whereas this will save time, it’s necessary to notice that recycled content material, particularly content material with clear watermarks, can harm your rankings on platforms like Instagram.
In 2022, Instagram introduced it might begin prioritizing authentic content material on its platform. Because of this recycled content material might be given much less visibility, hurting your general attain and engagement.
Does that imply you’ll be able to’t cross-post in any respect? Effectively, not likely. Take a look at our weblog on eradicating TikTok watermarks so you’ll be able to cross-post with out getting penalized.
8. Showcase merchandise in use
Probably the greatest methods to leverage short-form video content material as a model is by showcasing your merchandise in motion. Explainer movies assist potential clients visualize how and why they’d use the product, constructing anticipation for it, if carried out appropriately.
You possibly can simply showcase a product’s options, advantages, and testimonials—all inside a number of seconds of viewing time. In case your product has a distinct segment use, like Vessi’s waterproof sneakers, present viewers all of the methods they’ll use them of their on a regular basis life.
Think about set up and set-up movies for extra technical merchandise. Your clients will admire the comfort and also you’ll have the ability to higher educate them on how your product works.
9. Faucet into user-generated content material (UGC)
An effective way to get extra eyes in your short-form content material is to faucet into user-generated content material (UGC). This may be something from buyer tales, opinions, and testimonials to movies of your clients utilizing the product.
By leveraging UGC, you construct belief with potential clients as they’ll see the real-life experiences of people that have used your services or products. You possibly can then share this content material in your channels for added publicity.
Equally, constructing hype round product drops, launches, and promotions matches short-form video platforms properly. 79% of TikTok customers say they prefer it when manufacturers give you challenges, developments, and memes they’ll take part with.
Supply free merchandise or trials for one of the best TikTok Sew or Duet movies. Or, have interaction a well-known influencer to speak about your product and create a branded hashtag–like Shaq and Papa John’s Pizza did under.
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10. Be genuine
Brief-form video content material is all about authenticity. Customers are drawn to movies that really feel sincere, actual, and honest.
Information from Nielsen discovered that globally, a median of 64% of TikTok customers say they are often their true selves on TikTok, whereas a median of 56% of TikTok customers say they’ll submit movies they wouldn’t submit elsewhere. This sentiment isn’t restricted to a specific locale, language or tradition.
The very best short-form video advertising and marketing highlights the human behind the model, not simply the services or products. Excessive-production worth is much less necessary than creating an genuine reference to viewers.
Don’t be afraid to indicate imperfections, behind-the-scenes content material, and candid moments, with the intention to enhance relatability.
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11. Be humorous
Humour is a large a part of platforms like TikTok, not solely as a result of it’s enjoyable to observe, but additionally as a result of TikTok customers are 1.4x extra doubtless to purchase one thing if a sponsored video is humorous.
Humour creates constructive emotions in the direction of your model, naturally resulting in increased engagement and conversions. All the time keep away from offensive content material, however don’t maintain again when tapping into present developments or cultural references that may make your video stand out.
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12. Make your content material accessible
Accessibility in social media is now not a nice-to-have, however an absolute should.
Individuals with disabilities ought to have the ability to view your short-form video content material as simply as another viewer. That’s why you’ll want to be sure that any textual content or audio included in your movies is accessible and optimized for viewers who could have listening to or visible impairments.
This may embody including textual content overlays or captions, in addition to any visible cues which may assist viewers perceive the content material. Moreover, it’s best to concentrate on offering high-quality audio that may be heard clearly.
Listed below are a number of extra recommendations on making short-form video content material accessible:
13. Embrace a call-to-action (CTA)
Brief-form video content material just isn’t full with no clear call-to-action (CTA) on the finish. This must be your cue to direct viewers on what they need to do subsequent, whether or not it’s subscribing to a channel or visiting your web site.
On social media platforms like Instagram, you too can make movies shoppable and encourage viewers to buy instantly. In the event you don’t have the choice to tag a product instantly, add a purchase order hyperlink in your bio or within the video description. This can assist you capitalize on each view.
In the event you’re utilizing hyperlinks in your bio, be sure you add UTM monitoring parameters to it so you’ll be able to simply observe how many individuals click on by way of and make a purchase order.
Brief-form video instruments
Creating and sharing short-form movies is straightforward when you’ve gotten the precise instruments. Take a look at our prime picks under.
Adobe Premiere Rush
Wow’d by all of the skilled transitions, cuts, and results you see on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube? Wish to learn to make them your self? Adobe Premiere Rush is the right instrument for creating high-quality short-form video content material while not having knowledgeable video editor.
Supply: Adobe
With Adobe Premiere Rush, you’ll be able to add transitions, customise titles, alter pace, add audio, and even use color correction methods from inside the app. Plus, you’ll be able to export your new creation to any social channel, utilizing the right side ratio on your viewers.
Adobe Specific
Adobe Specific is for these searching for a faster solution to edit on the go. Whereas not as strong as Adobe Premiere Rush, it’s good for creating short-form video content material shortly and on-the-fly.
Reap the benefits of the preloaded templates and themes, drag-and-drop options, and video resizing capabilities to create customized short-form movies on the go. Plus, add textual content, animation, and stickers to provide your movies a novel edge.
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CapCut
CapCut is one other unbelievable video enhancing app in the event you’re trying to create spectacular short-form movies. It’s owned by the identical mum or dad firm as TikTok, so it has all the pieces you’ll want to create viral content material.
With CapCut, you’ll be able to trim and merge clips and add varied sound results, customized fonts and stickers to your movies. Plus, the app is totally free! Take a look at extra free video enhancing instruments on our weblog.
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Hootsuite
Scheduling short-form video content material generally is a trouble in the event you’re doing it manually. That’s why we suggest utilizing Hootsuite to arrange an automatic schedule on your content material.
Hootsuite lets you simply plan, submit and monitor TikToks, Instagra, Reels and Tales, and YouTube movies in a single place. In contrast to many native schedulers, which have caps on how far forward you’ll be able to schedule content material, Hootsuite helps you to schedule posts as far out as you need.
With its strong analytics suite, Hootsuite additionally helps you perceive your content material’s efficiency and alter accordingly. Plus, it helps a number of accounts, so you’ll be able to handle all of your manufacturers and channels in a single unified dashboard.
Create, edit, and schedule jaw-dropping short-form movies for any platform utilizing Hootsuite. Strive it free at this time.
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