Short-form videos are rising as a powerful tool for growing your follower base across various social channels. These engaging videos are suitable for a large number of people, particularly those who have short attention spans.
With platforms like TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts experiencing remarkable growth, now is the time for brands to tap into short-form video content to grab their audience's attention and engage them.
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- Tips and Best Practices for Using Short-Form Videos
The Rise of Short-Form Videos
Short-form videos are becoming popular because of their ability to catch people’s attention quickly, deliver messages efficiently, and provide an immersive experience in just a few seconds.
Brands can take advantage of such types of videos to increase awareness and connect with their audience on a deeper level. Statistics from sources like Statista, Socialinsider, Woosuite, and SproutSocial reveal interesting figures:
- YouTube Shorts see 30 billion daily views.
- 91% of Instagram users watch videos weekly, and short-form video ad revenue is expected to cross $10 billion.
- Short-form videos get 2.5 times more engagement than long-form videos.
These numbers reveal the impact and reach of short-form videos in today’s digital era.
The Characteristics of Short-Form Videos Across Social Channels
Each social network is characterized by its unique specifications for short-form video content. Understanding these practices helps video marketers apply the proper tactics for creating effective videos across every social platform.
Here’s a breakdown of each social channel, to help you customize your videos and make them more effective:
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Instagram
The length of an Instagram reel is 90 seconds long compared to 60 seconds for stories.
However, if you wish to go for video ads, they are up to 120 seconds. The video mode should be portrait and the ideal cover photo for Reels is 1080 x 1920 pixels - Aspect ratio of 9:16.
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Facebook
Extended from 60 seconds, the length of a Facebook reel is 90 seconds.
As for stories, the maximum duration allowed is 26 seconds. The Facebook video ads are up to 240 seconds and this makes sense especially for advertisers who need additional time to convey the messaging of their ads.
The video mode is portrait and the most recommended thumbnail image size is 1080 x 1920 pixels, similar to Instagram - Aspect ratio of 9:16.
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TikTok
Recently extended from 3 minutes, TikTok’s maximum video length is now 10 minutes.
The shorter video duration starts from 15 seconds to 60 seconds. Regarding their ads, the video length ranges between 5 seconds to 60 seconds.
Same as Facebook and Instagram reels, the video layout has to be in portrait mode and the optimal preview image is 1080 x 1920 - Aspect ratio of 9:16.
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YouTube
Short videos across YouTube range between 15 and 60 seconds. Their ad length is also the same.
What differentiates YouTube from Facebook, Instagram or TikTok is their video mode, which is revealed in either portrait, landscape, or square shape.
The ideal cover photo for shorts is 1080 x 1920 pixels - Aspect ratio of 9:16, but accepts 1920 x 1080 pixels for horizontal layout and 1080 x 1080 pixels for the square mode. Aspect ratio of 16:9 and 1:1 respectively.
Tips and Best Practices for Using Short-Form Videos
Creating compelling short-form videos requires more than just understanding platform specifications; it involves creativity, strategic planning, and a deep understanding of your audience.
Here are some of the best practices to keep in mind:
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Use Videos in Portrait Mode
Short-form video platforms are designed for content to be shown in vertical format on mobile devices. The beauty about them is that they take up the entire screen and provide a more immersive and engaging experience.
Videos in portrait mode are generally preferable to videos in landscape layout as the last makes it more difficult to watch, which may lead to decreased engagement.
Source: Vessie
However, one of the main drawbacks of vertical-shape videos is that they might lose their quality or look narrow, particularly when they are viewed on larger screens such as desktops.
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Make Your Videos Catchy
To extend people’s attention, use pattern interruption, a creative method whose purpose is to extend people’s attention longer as they watch the video.
To add more excitement and avoid the video from being boring, make cuts and transitions, instead of showing the same view throughout the entire video. For example, use “um” or “ah” and pauses to make your content denser, with little jumps.
Another smart tactic is turning the camera angle at different points in the video or changing the background or outfit to surprise viewers.
Furthermore, to encourage your viewers to watch your entire clip and consume your content no matter if the quality of your video is good or bad, it’s advisable to add captions to your videos. According to a study, captions and subtitles help boost video views by 80%.
Source: Social Media Examiner
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Use Storytelling Techniques
One of the main benefits of storytelling in marketing is its power to boost a brand’s memorability. Interestingly, 55% of consumers are more likely to recall a story than a list of facts, and businesses with appealing brand stories have a 20% increase in customer loyalty.
To craft a successful storytelling strategy, start with a hook and employ elements, like the Hero's Journey, to captivate your audience and keep them watching.
The hero’s journey is a formula usually used in storytelling. It was popularized by Joseph Campbell, a mythologist and writer, and has been widely used by writers, filmmakers, and content creators.
The hero’s journey framework outlines the typical stages and elements of a hero’s adventure in a story.
Source: FT LONGITUDE
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Keep Up with the Trends
Successful video creators always follow the recent trends to produce compelling reels and short videos. Monitor the visuals, filters, music, and animations that are used by brands relevant to your industry.
Incorporating from these elements what most apply to your industry may increase the chance of your video reaching more people. It’s not about the video or music itself but the way they are combined to create harmony while being relevant to your social media strategy and brand messaging.
An example of an organization doing this well is New York University. Their social media marketing team has succeeded in highlighting their brand’s unique selling point on Instagram Reels.
They used Taylor Swift’s music which creates nostalgia in alumni as well as pride in their students, while showing prospective ones how great it would be to study and graduate from their university.
Source: New York University
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Showcase Your Products/Services
Showing how your product works in action helps your viewers visualize how and why they would use it.
Highlight your products, services, features, benefits, and customer reviews. Since you have a short time to deliver your messaging, try to emphasize the most important benefits within a few seconds of viewing time.
Testimonials explaining how your product or service has solved your customers’ problems are great ways to highlight your credibility and authority in the marketplace.
Your prospects and leads highly rely on reviews from third-party sources to make a purchase; the more reviews you share, the greater the chance of conversions.
There are various ways to encourage your customers to review your product, one of which is sending them a gift in return for a shout-out review. Below is an example showing how Olivia Excuses revealed an influencer-generated reel.
Source: Olivia Escuyos
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Master the Art of Thumbnails
Thumbnails are critical, especially for YouTube videos, because they boost the potential for clicks and views. According to Google, 90% of the best-performing videos have custom thumbnails.
There’s a variety of ways to use thumbnails smartly, one of which is showing the face of the person speaking in a fun and inviting way, like this example shown below:
Source: VBOUT
Thumbnails also work for Reels and TikTok as they tell your viewers what to expect before clicking to watch any of your videos and entice them to do so.
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Engage with Your Followers
Although the reach of organic posts across social networks has declined, algorithms, like the ones on Facebook, prioritize content that receives engagement such as likes, comments, and shares.
Responding to the comments on your shorts across all channels shows that you’re taking care of your customers' inquiries and boosts the visibility of your posts to reach more people thus gaining more followers.
The more you answer, the greater the chance to receive additional comments which boost your videos’ reach.
Source: VBOUT
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Optimize Your Video for Search
SEO is not only for blogs and websites but also for YouTube Shorts.
To optimize your SEO strategy for video marketing, start conducting keyword research to identify the search terms and keywords related to your video content that your audience are most likely to use.
You can begin with the title of your video, by using the main keywords within the heading.
Furthermore, use descriptions to encourage engagement and increase your CTR, and the corresponding hashtags to make your shorts more recognizable. In addition, to make your content more accessible and provide additional text to be indexed by search engines, consider using captions and transcripts.
Source: verbit.ai
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Be Humorous
Creating funny videos is a smart practice, especially on TikTok. Humor generates positive emotions toward your brand which stimulates engagement, as well as conversions.
TikTok users are 1.4x more likely to purchase a product if the sponsored video is humorous.
Here’s an example from Scrub Daddy, funnily showcasing their cleaning products, with amusing characters, to entertain their audience while highlighting the product’s features.
Source: TikTok
One thing to be aware of is to avoid using offensive content, as this would hurt your brand’s reputation and trust, lead to a decrease in the number of your followers/customers, and make your business pages subject to penalties such as account suspension, limiting your reach, or banning.
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Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)
A short-form video can convey the message but can’t include too many details, especially for platforms having character limits such as YouTube for Shorts and Twitter.
Therefore, including a CTA within your video or description guides your viewers about the next steps.
This CTA can redirect viewers and drive more traffic to your landing page/website, and blog post and increase the chance for higher conversion rates (i.e.: product purchases, free trial signups, demo bookings, ebook downloads, etc…)
The chart below shows that the top type of content customers want from brands on social media is “Links to More Information”, with 30% preference.
Source: Small Business Trends
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Cross-Post Your Video
To maximize your exposure, don’t limit your video marketing strategy to one channel.
Instead, publish your shorts across all your social networks. At times, it’s advisable to customize the video description and hashtags.
For instance, instead of adding a URL on Instagram, it’s more practical to add (a link in the bio) as the link is not clickable.
As for YouTube shorts, the description should be shorter than other platforms due to the characters’ limit and you might include the hashtag #shorts since it’s common there.
If you want to post your shorts across Twitter and LinkedIn and since they don’t have music and editing capabilities like filters or visual enhancements which are available in TikTok or Instagram, you can republish your TikTik videos across these two platforms.
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Businesses Effectively Using Short Videos
Several leading brands have effectively tapped into the power of short-form videos to engage their audience, showcase their products, and tell their brand stories in compelling ways.
Here’s a look at how some businesses are making a significant impact with short-form content.
With over 37 million followers on TikTok, Netflix promotes its content through snippets from its series, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive interviews with actors. This strategy doesn’t only promote their shows but also keeps the audience engaged with unique and entertaining content.
In addition, Netflix profile on TikTok bets on quick games with the public and fun cuts from the series to increase engagement and organic sharing of its content.
Source: Netflix
With a strong presence on Instagram, OREO’s social team has mastered the art of short-form videos to promote their widely loved product. Their content varies from creative product showcases to interactive posts that engage their massive following.
Source: Oreo
Audi’s use of sponsored Reels on Facebook and Instagram has significantly built awareness among potential buyers. Their content smartly emphasizes the innovation and luxury that the brand is known for, making an impactful connection with its audience.
Source: Audi
Emirates uses YouTube Shorts to reveal the diverse cities they fly to, their team, and various holiday themes. One standout video features a mountainous background filled with heart balloons, perfectly timed for Valentine's Day, demonstrating how effective visuals can enhance brand messaging.
Source: Emirates
On TikTok, Shopify focuses on content that resonates with entrepreneurs and business owners.
With over 220k followers, they utilize a variety of video formats to provide value and insights to their audience, showcasing the breadth and depth of their platform.
Source: Shopify
Celebrating their achievements and brand story, Intel makes great use of Reels on Instagram.
A notable reel celebrated the 44th anniversary of the 8086 microchip, highlighting Intel's long history of innovation in the tech industry.
Source: Intel
These examples illustrate the effectiveness of short-form videos in achieving various marketing objectives, from product promotion to brand storytelling. By analyzing these successful strategies, brands can gain insights into creating engaging content that resonates with their audience and drives follower growth.
Conclusion
Short-form videos offer a unique opportunity for brands to grow their followers by producing content that is engaging, informative, and aligned with the interests of their target audience.
By following the best practices outlined above and keeping up with the evolving trends in digital marketing, brands can effectively use short-form videos as a strategic tool to enhance their online presence and connect with their audience in meaningful ways.
Whether you're promoting a product, sharing insights, or simply entertaining your followers, short-form videos have the power to elevate your digital marketing strategy to new heights.
Author Bio
Georges Fallah is the marketing manager of VBOUT, an AI-enabled marketing platform. He has 10+ years of experience in marketing automation, social media management, content marketing, SEO, and analytics.
Georges can be contacted via Facebook or LinkedIn.
Website URL: https://www.vbout.com/
