There’s a new kid on the block and he’s boosting sales and brand awareness on a scale rarely seen in marketing. His name is short-form video.
In life, there are some facts that are undeniable. A good breakfast sets you up for the day; a smile is always met with a smile; it will inevitably rain the day you forget your umbrella.
In marketing also, there are some facts that are undeniable. SEO drives sales, user-experience is essential, and most recently, video is king.
We know that video improves your SEO, increases engagement, and elevates brands, but did you know not all videos are created equal?
Yep, there’s a new kid on the block and he’s boosting sales and brand awareness on a scale rarely seen in marketing. His name is short-form video.
What is short-form video?
As the name suggests, short-form videos are videos that are, well, short.
The videos are usually any length between 15-60 seconds, although creators of videos that run for a couple of minutes also call them short-form.
These videos may be short in length, but they pack a marketing punch. They capture the viewer’s attention and if done well, keep it. If done really well, they are shared and spread like wildfire.
TikTok dances, rants on YouTube Shorts, or amazing Instagram Reels are examples of short-form videos that dominate social media.
Why should you care about short-form video?
The stats say it all. A recent report from HubSpot ranked short-form video as the number one tool for lead generation and engagement, with 85 per cent of marketers surveyed calling it the most effective format on social media.
Another study by Wyzowl found that people share videos at twice the rate than any other form of content. The same report also found that 84 per cent of people decided to make a purchase based on a short-form video.
How can you capitalise on the short-form video trend?
Ready to get in on the short-form video action?
Successful short-form videos require more than shooting a quick clip on your phone – here’s the top eight ways to make sure your next short-form video ticks all the marketing boxes.
1. Hashtag it
The hashtags you’re using for a particular marketing campaign can really come to life when they’re attached to a video.
2. Collaborate with real people
Content created by an actual person always performs better than one that looks like it was generated by a faceless business, and collaborating with a creator or influencer is a great way to do this.
3. Post user-generated videos
Sharing or creating compilations of videos created by your customers featuring your brand gives your audience the opportunity to interact directly with you, and provides you with a better understanding of your audience.
4. Know what’s trending
Keeping up to date with trending content means you can create relevant videos that engage audiences while these trends are at the peak of their popularity.
5. Create a teaser
Short-form videos are by nature short, and it can be tricky to squish everything you want your content to say into one minute. So don’t.
Use your short form videos as teasers to more long-form content. For example, a real estate agent might do a short clip of its agents doing a dance in a high-end property, with the call to action to find details of the listing on their website.
6. Have fun – lots of it
It’s natural to not want to put yourself in the position where you look silly, but seriously, the funnier the videos, the more likely they are to be shared.
Don’t force it (forced humour is rarely funny), just relax, have fun and film everything – you’re sure to find some gems.
7. Show the reel you (pun intended)
They say a picture tells a thousand words, and if that’s true, videos tell a million.
So, make sure that what your video says is completely on brand; that it shows who you are, what your values are, what lifestyle you represent. Only then will real connections be made with your customers.
8. Get the team involved
Chances are some members of your team are creating short-form videos on social media.
Do they have fun at work? Love what they do? Encourage them to create content related to the brand. Maybe they can wear their uniform, or film at the office.
Get them to tag the company, and extra points if they promote products or services.
Short-form video is here for the long-term
Given the amazing results it’s achieving, it’s safe to assume that short-form video is here to stay.
This creates a great opportunity, as well as a challenge. The number of short-form videos on social media will only increase, making it more important than ever to make sure your videos stand out from the crowd.
Speak to the marketing experts
Creating short-form videos for marketing is most effective when it is part of a mix of marketing activities used to support a solid and effective marketing strategy.
Assemblo is a full-service marketing agency based in Melbourne that creates and executes marketing strategies that elevates brands and leads to increased sales and real bottom line results.
To find out how we can help your business, give us a call on (03) 9079 2555 or send us a note via the contact form below.