I am 5 feet tall. 5 feet tall exactly. That’s about the height of your standard floor lamp, the average height of a 12-year-old (it hurts a bit to acknowledge that), the cheap Christmas tree in your apartment or even a miniature horse.
All my life, I’ve been told, “Great things come in small packages.” And for a long time, I shrugged this off and just felt awkward standing next to my much more average-sized peers.
Enter social media marketing.
Social media is all about bite-sized content - small but impactful moments, ideas, stories and information. In turn, social media marketing uses short-form content as a tactic to sell things, whether it’s a product, place, behavior or idea. And with the average attention span of our audiences at 8 seconds and continuing to shrink, we must be able to harness the power of short, engaging content that not only feels true to a brand but also doesn’t get lost in the sea of social media content.
Let’s dive into what short-form content really is, why it should be in your marketing plan and along the way we’ll dabble in some best practices for you to keep in your back pocket.
Breaking it Down
Short-form video content is any type of video content that’s less than 60 seconds, designed to be quick, easy to watch and highly scrollable. This bite-sized content makes it easy for audiences to scroll through on their preferred social media platforms, and viewers typically watch several at a time, sometimes saving them to come back and reference later.
Why Short-Form?
Good question. This type of content is taking over the marketing world for several reasons, including:
- Attainability: Short-form videos are simple to discover, quick to watch and easy to understand – perfect for our time-crunched consumers.
- Engagement: Short-form videos often have higher engagement. Viewers are more likely to watch a video start to finish if it’s shorter.
- Discoverability: Shoutout to the algorithm – our beloved social media platforms use algorithms that recommend certain pieces of content to users based on their own interests. This makes it super easy for a brand’s short-form content to reach a wide audience.
Not only that, but 81% of consumers want to see more micro-content from brands (Sprout Social), 73% of consumers prefer watching short videos over reading text when learning about products or services (Wyzowl) and 66% of users consider short-form content to be more engaging than any other format (Sprout Social).
Still hesitant? Here’s another fact: Users will retain 95% of a message watched on video as opposed to only 10% read in text (Sprout Social). So, how’s that newspaper ad placement working out for you? (This is sassy, you can remove if you desire. Also, idk if we do newspaper placements at VI lol, so I’m sorry if so)
How Do I Create This Magical Short-form Content?
Part of the beauty of short-form video is that it’s intended to be “lo-fi” and accessible, meaning that it should appear organic and natural within a social media feed, and is typically shot on an iPhone. But without a proper strategy, it could be a disaster, so think twice before you go out and buy a tripod and maybe check with VI’s team of experts on short-form content.
Here are a few tried-and-true best practices to consider when beginning your long journey into the world of short-form content:
Focus on a strong hook
The first 3 seconds are crucial. Lean into voice-over and strong visuals.
Don’t try to hack the algorithm
If you truly understand your audience, it will reach them.
Keep it authentic
Consumers are craving authenticity from brands, with 70% of consumers reporting that authenticity provides them with more confidence in a brand and are searching for deeper connections with the brands they support (SocialBee).
Trust the human factor & tell a story
People are more likely to trust a person more than a brand. In a digital landscape saturated with polished and curated content, be relatable and speak your audience’s language.
Optimize for each platform
For the love of all things good and holy, please shoot vertical video.
A good question to ask: Will this video make my audience “feel seen” in any way?
Closing Remarks
“Small but mighty” is another phrase often repeated to me, and I think the phrase also accurately defines short-form content. Although a 30-second Instagram Reel may not seem like much, it’s what your audience pays attention to, and it has the potential to drive conversions quicker than any million-dollar TV ad placement could. It paves the way for a brand to feel more approachable, real and personalized, which is what our consumers are looking for today.
And you know what else is small? Halloween candy. Engagement rings. Kittens. Fancy watches. Kisses on the cheek. Ladybugs. All small, but all hold value.
Ready to embrace the power of small things, like short-form content? VI’s team of marketing and content strategists can tackle your big marketing challenge in a small (but mighty) way.
