If you haven’t already spent considerable time honing in on your video marketing strategy, it’s time to start. Video continues to be a huge player in the marketing strategy for top brands.
According to Statista, for each session in March of 2021, people spent an average of:
- 53 minutes on Instagram Reels
- 45 minutes on TikTok
- 30 minutes on Snapchat Spotlight
- 22 minutes on Triller
That is a lot of time spent on video content! One recent study found that the average American adult’s attention span has dropped from 12 percent in 2000 to eight seconds in 2021. In comparison, a goldfish has an estimated nine-second attention span. But, this is exactly what makes short-form video content so popular.
What is Short-Form Video Content?
Short-form video content is often 1-3 minutes long but could run shorter. Initially, TikTok only allowed 15-second videos, but now allows up to 3 minutes of content.
When it comes to short-form video content, shorter isn’t necessarily better. You want to hold your audience’s attention. However, if the video is too short, the content won’t have enough time to jump into bigger concepts or provoke the desired emotions.
These shorter videos can be used on your website or many top social media platforms. Some of the best platforms for publishing short-form video content include:
- TikTok
- YouTube Shorts
- Facebook Reels
- Instagram Reels
- Snapchat Spotlight
- Triller
- Magisto
- Lately.ai
- Wistia
- Hippo Video
6 Tips for Improving Your Short-Form Video Content
If you are like most marketers, you are planning to increase your marketing video plans this year. It’s important to avoid becoming stagnant and keep your strategy fresh. Here are six trends for 2022 that you can incorporate to make your short-form videos more powerful.
Stop the Scroll
The main objective for the start of your video should be to stop a scrolling audience in their tracks. People are looking through a ton of video, so what is making your content stand out immediately? Some of this comes down to the quality of video you showcase. Your pictures are worth thousands of words, so think about the effect of your imagery in the video.
The pictures alone can make people feel very strong emotions. Consider adding text for any important voiced comments since not all social media users are going to browse with their video on.
Launch a Brand Challenge
Some brands are starting trends they can get their audience to participate in with their own videos. If you understand your target audience and have an engaged following, then a brand challenge could be the perfect idea.
This requires thinking of a challenge that is somehow connected to your brand—like Colgate’s #MakeMomSmile challenge. You will want a catchy hashtag to help tie the videos together. If you can get influencers on board with creating content for your challenge, then you increase the odds of other people joining in and expanding your campaign’s reach.
Use Influencers
Speaking of influencers, using influencers might be the right strategy to increase your short-term video content. Not only will your influencer post their branded content to their own profile, but you can repost it on your own feed. Don’t be afraid to use micro influencers, who have smaller followings and often get higher rates of engagement. The most important thing is to find an influencer who appeals to
Influencer ads can work as a form of word-of-mouth advertising. If you give an influencer your product or services, they can create a review that helps convince your consumers who are within the audience. The more authentic the review, the more convincing it will be. Allow your influencers to work within their niches and appeal to the audience they’ve worked so hard to build up.
Dive Behind the Scenes
You can give your audience a special peek behind the scenes to offer more transparency and show more personality. The behind-the-scenes content gives you an opportunity to show a less formal side of your brand. Not only can you loosen up a bit, but your video content doesn’t have to be impressive either.
Get your leadership involved and consider what brand characteristics you are expressing with every behind-the-scenes video.
Avoid Selling
A huge turn-off in 2022 is overt selling tactics in the majority of content. Your short-form videos shouldn’t focus on getting the sale. Instead, allow your videos to slowly form connections with your audience. Use your content to entertain, teach or inspire your audience rather than jump for the sale.
You aren’t going to build a meaningful relationship if the relationship is one-sided. In other words, brands need to offer more value and reduce how often they are pushing for a hard sale. Use your short-form video content to make your brand more likable and more trustworthy.
Offer Quick Educational Content
If you want to create a great relationship with your audience, you should be teaching them things about the industry, life, cooking, fitness, tech or whatever other category is relevant for your brand. These videos should be boiled down to succinct nuggets of advice. Truly educational videos are more likely to be shared, which can also increase your reach so more people hear about your brand.
Creating free value is one way to help your audience connect with you as a leader. Your brand becomes an expert in the field if it can offer helpful insight. Always keep your points concise and hold the interest of your audience.
Build a Stronger Video Strategy with Vinci Digital
Of course, you can work on your video strategies by yourself and your team. Learning video may take a lot of your time since it is a very different medium. This tool is too important to miss out on.
If you are trying to take your video content to the next level, the Vinci team is here to help! We can help you improve the quality of your videos and mesh your video strategy with your overall marketing strategy. Contact us today and let’s start strategizing on your short-form video approach!
