While video has been a dominant medium in the past few years, mobile short-form vertical video is now the breakout format.
Short-form videos are increasingly popular among consumers. A recent study found that 73% of consumers prefer to watch a short-form video to learn about a product or service.
Short video formats are described as the sweet spot of attention, the ideal medium for a brand to tell its story and get discovered.
In this article, we will discuss the use of short-form videos in advertising. We will explore what short-form videos can be used for, and how to create a successful short-form video campaign on three major platforms: YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Where a traditional video (TV, desktop) serves mainly an awareness objective, short mobile videos can be used throughout the whole marketing funnel. 82% of people trust social networks to guide purchasing decisions, leading to what is called “community commerce”.
The buzzing hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit, gathering more than 50 billion views on TikTok, is a prime example of how short videos can be used to achieve conversion goals.
Why short-form videos are a must in your media plan ?
The popularity of streaming video across different devices, video lengths, and creators has reached an all-time high. The more formats you use, the more likely you are to break through.
While traditional advertising can be seen as conventional, less relatable, more promotion focused, short videos such as Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts or TikToks are more authentic, have a higher reliability and trustworthiness.
How to launch successful short-form video campaigns ?
Short-form video ads require a different creative approach than traditional video ads. In addition to being shorter in length (15 to 60 seconds), short-form video ads also need to blend in with organic content to achieve a native look.
The basis of the video remains (draw attention from the beginning, integrate your brand naturally, connect with emotion and storytelling, clearly state a call to action), however short video should be tailored to the platform it’s used for.
Creative best practices:
- Keep it vertical and short: between 15 and 60 seconds
- Start your video with a bang (3-second rule) - bold visuals and sound. Don’t wait until the end of the video for the punchline, put it first
- Include sound to hold attention (music, sound effect, voice)
- Use relevant text
- Include a compelling Call-To-Action
- Use relevant hashtags
Cherry on the cake:
- Open the video with a question to attract viewers, capture attentionFollow channel-specific features: text overlays, voiceovers, green screen, duets, transitions, emojis
- Add a human element to stimulate emotions
- Use trends as storytelling template
In conclusion, short-form videos are a powerful marketing tool that can be used to reach a wider audience, engage with consumers, and drive conversions. By following the creative best practices outlined in this article, you can create short-form video campaigns that are effective and engaging.
Claire Seredynski
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