WRITTEN BY Caitlin Jardine
Short -form video has largely been on the rise ever since TikTok really hit the ground running back in 2019. We have seen those platforms that have previously dominated (such as the likes of YouTube with their focus on episodic style long-form video formats) have taken a decline as audiences of today crave immediate, engaging and visually stimulating content that they are able to consume amongst the business and the chaos of their faced paced lives.
So what can businesses and creators looking to dominate in this current digital landscape learn?
Read this blog to find out what prompted this rise in short form video, where we have seen it blossom amongst real life examples, what effect this has had on audiences and what we can take away from it.
The Rise of Short-Form Video: How We Got Here
This change in demand from users on social media and online may be due to several factors. For one we already know, particularly as we move through each generation, that audiences attentions spans are becoming less and less, with immediacy at the forefront as developments in technology allow us to access vast amounts on information at the click of a button. Whilst it may not be as extreme as some claim it to be, studies have proved this decline to be true which is why it isn’t surprising that short, engaging content has become more effective in robbing the attention of todays audiences.
Strategy Adjustment
Secondly the platforms themselves have had to adjust and develop to this shift in content consumption habits. In a highly competitive market, they have had to develop systems that make theirs the leader, in the fight for eyes on content which further drives the demand as to what audiences now expect from their social networks and applications. Particularly as a lot of this content is mobile first, being readily available on users smartphones as their primary function, means that being able to engage and digest content via quick videos on the go is vital.
Examples of Short-Form Video Success
The rise of TikTok itself has largely prompted the success of this rise in short-form video and has prompted other platforms to jump on the bandwagon too, with it’s success. Having launched internationally as ‘TikTok’ in 2018, particularly at a time of uncertainty coinciding with the pandemic of COVID 19, it surpassed 1 billion actives users already by 2021 and that has only doubled. This has led more and more brands and business to consider TikTok as a space to reach their customers, seeing as so may seem to appear to be loyal users of the platform. They have used the platform in a more casual and relatable way to connect with their consumers and by leveraging viral trends, some brands have seen massive impact on sales by doing so.
Instagram Reels was introduced by Meta off of the back of TikToks’ success, introducing this short-form style of video to audiences without have to relocate to a new platform. Originally Instagram dominated the social space, championing polished and high quality imagery that allows brands and businesses to sell themselves, and so the rise in demand of quick, snappy videos was always going to have a more detrimental affect on the likes of these networks. Instead, what Instagram has done is diversify so that it can do both, keeping in with their native brand and as to what they are widely known for, whilst offering a way for audiences to access the short-form video content that they demand. It has also developed many peoples outlook on Instagram and challenging that only the top quality imagery and videos can prove to be successful. With what many have experienced on reels, brands have now begun to realise that even on Instagram, a mixture of high-quality and well as more authentic and relatable, short-form content can drive audience interaction.
Even Youtube, who we previously talked about being the leader for the more longer format videos has had to adapt to compete with audience attention on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Introducing Youtube Shorts, which follows a similar format to both TikTok and Instagram Reels, allows users on the platforms to ‘scratch their itch’ of immediacy when relevant, whilst keeping their core Youtube set up for those turning to the platform for increased escapism, diverging their attention away from their everyday lives, utilising Youtube in place of a TV show or film.
Why Short-Form Works
We know that short-form video works from the following outcomes attributed to the platforms and businesses who have adopted this new style of content. In particular it has proven to produce high engagement rates, whether through organic or paid social posts. Brands that have utilised short-form video over longer format or static imagery have seen that audiences have more likely engaged and watched the video in full, which in turn has signalled higher relevancy and completion rates to the platform algorithms.
What short-form video has also done is increased the shareablity of content between communities. With the emergence of viral trends and challenges being so prevalents this has allowed more and more brands to gain exposure organically, just through the nature of engaging and shareable content.
Unlike high-budget video production, short-form videos can quite literally be created by anyone anywhere, quickly and with minimal resources, so you don’t need to be an expert! And particularly as we have seen that the more raw and unedited the content appears to be, the more familiar and trusting it comes across to audiences, who are more likely to resonate with the content you are putting out.
What have we learned?
Short-form video has taught us that authenticity is what really wins over an audience; overly polished and scripted videos often underperform when compared to the more raw, authentic style content usually delivered amongst this short form style of content. That short-form content has generated a wave of virality for even the smallest of accounts, in increasing visibility and driving growth. Also relevant in enhancing engagement as a lot of these trends and challenges prompt user participation or replications or even just driving comments and shareablity, amongst their communities and peers.
In Conclusion…
What has allowed short-form video to be so successful is because it aligns perfectly with modern audience behaviour as it is quick, engaging and interactive. Brands and businesses looking to continue to utilise it’s success should understand what it is that in fact makes content shareable, engaging and relevant if they are wanting to continue to thrive online.
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