5 Ways to Make Short-Form Video Content Work for Your Business

In recent years, marketing trends have favored short-form video content over long-form content. One of the biggest reasons for this is the rising use of social media and people’s preference for quick, easily digestible content for entertainment or education. 

Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are popularizing short-form videos. That said, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that social media algorithms tend to favor shorter content.

In this article, we’ll first examine why short-form videos are popular marketing tools and then walk through five ways to make them work for your business (with an example from one of our clients)!

4 Reasons Short-Form Videos Are Popular Marketing Tools

#1 High Engagement Rates

What is it about short-form video that boosts engagement? There are a few key factors, including recent studies indicating that our attention span may actually be shrinking! 

Short-form videos also allow people to get quick gratification and an almost instantaneous emotional response, which is inherently rewarding and increases repeat engagement.

In addition to the emotional response, there is also the ease of processing. When information is presented in small, digestible chunks, it reduces cognitive load and is easier to consume.

Of course, there is also the increasing use of smartphones. Over the years, this means that our content consumption habits have changed.

Short-form videos are tailor-made for on-the-go viewing, allowing viewers to escape for a few minutes on their small screen.

#2 Increased Shareability

When content is easy to process, emotionally rewarding to watch, and a click away from liking or sharing with a friend, you have the perfect ingredients for increasing shareability. Additionally, short-form videos often inspire imitation, creating trends that boost shareability. 

Adam Grant recently said sharing content like this is called “pebbling”—based on penguins gifting pebbles to partners! He says pebbling is a bid for connection. 

#3 Cost-Effectiveness

It’s not always the case, but short-form video is often more cost-effective than long-form video. One of the biggest reasons is that short-form videos are usually shot on smartphones, reducing equipment costs. Other factors include reduced time, which can lower rental, talent, and post-production costs. 

There is also usually a lower risk if the video doesn’t perform well, which means the financial loss will often be much smaller than with a long-form production. 

WARNING: Just because you create a cost-effective video doesn’t necessarily mean it will perform or represent your brand well. There’s a reason that people spend millions of dollars on 30-second ads at the Super Bowl!

Pro Tip: Consider filming multiple versions of your short-form video and performing A/B tests to see which one performs well. This is another way to boost cost-effectiveness and ensure your video gets the response you’re looking for!

#4 Algorithm Preferences

Ahh, the algorithms! Even if your long-form video content is brilliant, short-form videos are often favored and boosted by social media algorithms simply because they are quicker to gain likes, comments, and shares than long-form content.

More “engagement” is then interpreted as more valuable content. Platforms also aim to facilitate virality, often elevating content that creates that kind of engagement.

Algorithms also prefer higher watch-time percentages—the more times users complete watching a video, the higher the priority the video gets. And since users tend to finish short-form videos at a higher rate, the algorithms will often favor that content over others.

All this to say, algorithms are constantly evolving. For example, advanced AI can now analyze video for quality markers like production value, coherence, originality, and creator credibility.

It can also analyze audience sentiment by looking at the content of comments, not just the quantity. The good news for quality video is that the trend seems to be moving toward a more nuanced evaluation of content quality.

5 Ways to Make Short-Form Videos Work for Your Business

#1 Know Your Audience

Tailoring your short-form video to your audience boosts your chances of increased engagement (and potential virality!). To do that, focus your content on your audience’s needs, interests, pain points, and behavior. 

Use platform analytic tools, conduct surveys and polls, and analyze comments to help you create a persona for your audience that you can cater to. Include information about their goals, challenges, and preferences.   

As you create content, address your audience’s specific pain points and use language and references they can relate to. 

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to engage! Commenting back to your audience can boost your engagement and virality. Pay attention to how people respond, then adjust future content as needed. 

#2 Focus on Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool in short-form videos, helping to create emotional connections and memorable content. To do it well, use a story structure to share your content. For example:

• First, hook your viewer right away. To create interest, you could deliver your main point at the beginning or start in the middle of an action.
• Next, quickly establish the setting, context, and characters. (Make sure they’re relatable!)
• Then, present a challenge or conflict. Build the tension or interest. (Real, genuine challenges will resonate best.) 
• Finally, provide a satisfying resolution or punchline. 

Focus on one core idea or emotion throughout your video, and avoid cluttering the story with too many elements. 

Pro Tip: Use compelling visuals to convey information quickly. You don’t always have to rely on a script to tell your story! And if you do use words, make every word count—you only have a limited time to get your message across.

#3 Optimize for Silent Viewing

Designing videos to be effective with or without sound is crucial in today’s digital landscape. One primary reason for this is user behavior. Many users today watch videos on the go with the sound off, especially on social media, where many autoplay features play videos without sound.

For example, someone may take their phone to the doctor’s office and watch videos online in the waiting room. Having their sound out would be disturbing to others around them. 

Additionally, videos optimized for silent viewing often see higher view counts and longer watch times, which means your engagement goes up and chances of your video being shared increase! 

To ensure your video is optimized for silent viewing, follow these tips:

• Use accurate, well-timed captions for all spoken content.
• Use large, clear fonts and text overlays that are easy to read quickly. 
• Rely on strong, compelling visuals to convey your message.
• Incorporate graphics and data visualizations for informational content. 
• Include a clear, visually prominent Call to Action at the end of your video.
• Be sure to test your video without sound to ensure the message is clear.

 #4 Encourage Engagement 

Encouraging engagement and promoting user interaction in short-form videos is crucial for achieving your content goals. To do this well, follow these tips:

• Pick one call to action (CTA), and be sure it’s simple and action-oriented. For example, “click here to sign up.”
• Use contrasting colors or large text to make your CTA stand out.
• Create urgency by emphasizing scarcity or using words like “now,” “today,” or “don’t miss out!”
• Communicate “What’s in it for me?” from your audience’s perspective. 
• Pose thought-provoking or opinion-based questions that encourage response.
• Encourage platform-specific interactions. For example, TikTok duets.
• Ask your audience to create response videos and feature them in future videos.
• Encourage viewers to tag friends who might enjoy or benefit.
• Gamify engagement by asking viewers to “spot the difference” or notice something specific from your video. 
• Use short-form videos to promote long-form content like blogs, podcasts, or videos. 

The key is to make the interaction feel natural and valuable to the viewer. Avoid being overly pushy or sales-y, as this can turn viewers off. Instead, focus on creating genuine connections and providing value through your interactive elements.

 #5 Measure and Analyze Performance

Assessing your short-form video performance and adjusting your strategy based on data will help you boost your success rate! 

On social media, look at the analytics on the platform’s backend. You may also choose to use third-party platforms like Hootsuite or Sprout Social (at DreamOn Studios, we use Loomly).

Numbers that may be most helpful to track include view count, watch time, completion rate, engagement rate, follower growth, reach and impressions, traffic sources, audience demographics, and click-through rate. 

Here are a few tips for adjusting your strategy based on your analytics:

• Identify your top-performing content and note common themes, styles, or topics. It may be beneficial to create more content like your top performers!
• Identify when your audience is most active and experiment with posting at different times. 
• Study your audience retention graphics and analyze where viewers may be dropping off. Modifying the content structure of your video may help keep people interested. 
• Notice your audience demographics and consider adjusting your video to cater to their needs.
• Pay attention to your audience’s sentiment in the comments section. How do they feel? What are they asking? Then, create content that addresses their needs.

Pro Tip: Data should inform your strategy, not dictate it entirely. You want to serve your audience without losing your brand identity in the process. Be sure to balance analytics with creativity and authenticity.

Project Example: Short-Form Video Success

Recently, DreamOn Studios shot a short-form video for our client, Baker Youth Club, to help showcase the many ways kids can learn and have fun as they participate in their after-school program.

The goal was to utilize trends, fun audio, and high energy media assets to promote BYC’s programs! Check them out here!

Conclusion: Short-Form Videos Are Powerful Tools

In summary, short-form videos have become a powerful tool in modern marketing strategies, and for good reason. But it’s important to remember that while short-form videos offer numerous advantages, the key to success lies in balancing data-driven insights with creativity and authenticity. 

 Let’s recap why short-form videos are so effective:

1. High engagement rates due to quick emotional responses and easy consumption
2. Increased shareability, fostering social connections and viral trends
3. Cost-effectiveness in production and lower financial risk
4. Favorable treatment by social media algorithms, boosting visibility

To maximize the impact of short-form videos in your marketing efforts:

1. Know your audience intimately and tailor content to their needs and interests
2. Focus on compelling storytelling to create emotional connections
3. Optimize videos for silent viewing to increase accessibility and engagement
4. Encourage user interaction through strategic calls-to-action and interactive elements
5. Consistently measure and analyze performance to refine your approach

By understanding your audience, crafting engaging stories, and continually adapting based on performance metrics, you can harness the full potential of short-form videos to elevate your brand and connect with your target market.

Are you ready to create videos that help your business or nonprofit reach and engage more people?

We’d love to meet you and learn more about you and your audience. Schedule your Discovery Call or Studio Tour with us today!