Short-form video is undeniably significant, as evident by the fact that countless people have found themselves scrolling through TikTok or Instagram Reels for hours without even realizing it.
The rapid expansion of TikTok has prompted almost all other social media platforms to adopt short-form video formats, resulting in social media professionals feeling the need to be like movie directors. As per the Sprout Social Content Benchmarks report, 52% of marketers consider adapting to changing content formats a hurdle while planning and organizing posts.
The positive update is that the short-form video format is here to stay and it’s valuable to make long-term investments in it.
Short Form Video Content
In other words, short-form videos are succinct and generally last under 2 minutes. They are designed to be consumed quickly and with ease, similar to the TikTok format.
How To Leverage Short Form Video Content
Manufacturers, it’s time to explore ways to maximize the benefits of creating short form video content for your marketing plan.
1. Start by doing your research
Observe how your rivals utilize short-form videos. Do they utilize videos frequently or not at all? How do they establish their tone? What is their approach to following trends, and what areas do they neglect? Utilize this knowledge to differentiate yourself in your field.
Sprout is a tool that can complete several weeks of manual analysis within just a few minutes. By using Sprout’s Competitive Analysis Reports, it’s possible to quickly identify the frequency of competitors’ video posts as well as their best-performing content across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, without spending time scrolling through pages or working with spreadsheets.
In addition to the competition, it’s important to analyze the data of your posted videos. Understanding which videos have succeeded can provide direction for your future approach.
2. Don’t be afraid to experiment
You need to conduct numerous experiments to discover the themes, trends, and tone that suit your style, such as testing out various Instagram Reel concepts and TikTok trends.
The process of transitioning to short-form video was a learning experience even for the biggest social media platforms. Jamie Dinar, who serves as the Senior Manager of Social Media and Digital at Glossier, recalls that considerable testing and learning were necessary, as well as spending plenty of time browsing through her own personalized feed.
3. Identify your target audience
It is crucial for manufacturers who operate within a supply chain to have a solid grasp on the entities that are procuring their goods, namely their intended audience or purchaser archetype. It is essential to determine the specific sector you are aiming to serve and the characteristics of the companies that require your merchandise in order to achieve success.
It is crucial to engage with your target audience through short-form video content on social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook.
Explore the competition and manufacturers from a different industry and get familiarized with the video content they create. It’s not necessary to invent something completely new, it’s important to be able to adjust and implement the strategies that have proven to be successful for your business.
4. Tailor short form video content to each platform
In today’s digitally-driven society, posting identical content and messaging across multiple platforms is no longer effective. Content designed for television is unsuitable for social media and a low-budget Instagram reel will perform poorly on television.
Matty Benedetto, who runs the Unnecessary Inventions channel, is a prime instance. He is an inventor who invents nonessential products, as his channel’s name implies. Matty usually produces a video of 10-15 minutes in length each time he creates one of these inventions.
Keep your focus on this point – what he does next is crucial.
Afterwards, he converts those videos into condensed highlights which will be uploaded on YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. He transforms the content to maximize its utility, and this strategy has proven successful for him as he is a popular YouTuber with 1.8 million subscribers. Moreover, leveraging short form videos has helped him gather 5.1 million followers on TikTok.
5. Develop brand awareness
Suppose you manufacture cooking pans that are outstanding and suitable for everyone. To begin building brand recognition, it is recommended that you use short-form video content. The objective is to become the ideal customer’s top-of-mind by being visible to them.
To attract the attention of bigger retailers, it is advisable to generate stimulating and informative content or exhibit the usefulness of your product(s) in action.
Furthermore, larger corporations are often mentioned by customers in the comments section of videos, particularly after becoming more aware of the brand. As a result, these consumers are likely to inquire with your targeted audience about purchasing your products.
6. Engage quickly with latest trends
It’s important to familiarize yourself with the short form video platforms mentioned earlier if you haven’t already. Trends can take the form of hashtags, challenges, dances, or even specific songs. These trends often become popular quickly, so it’s important to join in as soon as possible.
Many trends are enjoyable and playful, providing a great chance to put your own unique spin on them that aligns with your brand. Nonetheless, ensure that it is suitable for your brand, as certain trends have raised concerns for businesses. Once you have pinpointed a trend, you can readily save the audio from the video for future use.
Stay updated and seize trends promptly as they have a brief lifespan!
7. Schedule your videos
Although creating brief videos has become simpler these days, social teams still face difficulties in managing their workload. One of their key challenges is bandwidth, according to The Sprout Social Index. While several social media platforms have introduced their scheduling tools, scheduling posts still necessitates switching between different platforms.
Using the appropriate tool can help you reclaim the time that would otherwise be wasted. By employing Sprout, you can schedule a video to be simultaneously published on various platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels.
8. Reuse videos across platforms
The introduction of short-form video tools by various social platforms has made repurposing simpler, enabling you to produce multiple posts with minimal time and effort.
You can even start doing this now: Repurpose longer videos you currently have to get the ball rolling, without starting from scratch. For example, here is a YouTube clip our team turned into an Instagram Reel.
A helpful suggestion is to use pre-designed video templates to simplify your workflow. Just insert your videos into a template, and everything else will be taken care of. To access template choices on TikTok, click on the plus icon at the screen’s base and choose “templates” from the editor’s menu.
By using Instagram Reels, you have the option to transform any Reel containing three or more clips into a template, even your own once you begin releasing videos. All you need to do is locate a Reel that appeals to you, click on the three dots found at the lower right section of the screen and select “Use as template.”
To create a post, tap on the plus sign. For selecting a template, tap on Reel and then tap on Templates located at the bottom of the screen.
9. Lean into your community
When generating content for social media, it is important to consider the needs and interests of your brand’s audience.
Seek out user-generated content within your community to share on your own platforms, as well as to encourage the production of additional videos. It’s worth noting that according to The Sprout Social Index, approximately 39% of consumers appreciate genuine customer testimonials and demonstrations. Utilize the content created by your community, and establish a connection with them in the process.
10. Leverage content that humanizes your brand
Short-form video has the ability to humanize your brand by opting for embracing lo-fi authenticity and showcasing real employees.
Glossier showcases their employees and headquarters in their TikTok and Reels content as a means of executing this strategy. Jamie shared that they have a “meet the team” series where they request their store associates, who are referred to as editors, to introduce themselves and reveal their preferred Glossier product, which effectively promotes product discovery.
11. Engage, engage, engage
The reason why it’s known as “social” media is because one should increase their engagement in the comments section of their brief video clips.
Glossier is renowned for its exceptional efforts in fostering connections with its audience. According to Jamie, they stood out by utilizing social media to facilitate two-way communication, nurture a community through addressing comments and direct messages, and genuinely engage with their audience.
Glossier sets itself apart by implementing a surprise and delight approach towards ordinary users who share their experiences with their products, as opposed to exclusively targeting major influencers. Jamie explained that they offer free products, exclusive friends-only content, and engage with them privately through direct messages. As a result, they have observed that these users post more frequently without any prompt from the company, which fosters strong brand loyalty.
Brand loyalty is significant as stated in Sprout’s #BrandsGetReal Report, as 68% of consumers are inclined to purchase products from a brand that they feel more connected to than a rival.
12. Don’t try to sell
The final one could be considered as the most crucial.
Quick engagement of your audience is crucial for short video content. According to research, marketers must capture their audience’s attention and prompt them to act within 10 seconds, or they may move on to the next post on their feed. Failure to do so can result in losing them.
If your content appears too focused on making sales, people will simply scroll past it without a second thought. Instead of creating ads, concentrate on building your brand. Furthermore, consumers are not interested in hearing about your achievements; they want to know how you can benefit them.
By showcasing your products in unconventional and enjoyable manners, you can establish your brand and foster long-term connections with your customers, even if you avoid discussing pricing. When deciding to buy, they will recall both your company and its retailers.
How to prove ROI of short-form video
Demonstrating the return on investment of short-form video can assist in obtaining approval from your leadership team and establishing their confidence. Consequently, this can prevent extended approval periods and overlooking trends. Wyzowl reports that 63% of video marketers utilize video views as a means to calculate ROI. However, the metrics for your videos will vary based on your primary social targets and the platforms you utilize.
Below are some to help you begin:
- Video views
- Average watch time, or view duration
- Full video views vs partial (may also be called “watched full video”)
- Likes/dislikes
- Card clicks (YouTube-specific)
- Link clicks (for Instagram Stories)
- Engagements
According to Olivia Jepson, Sprout’s Senior Social Media Manager, in order to expedite approval processes, it is important to establish trust and inquire about the specific resources needed from teams and leaders to increase self-reliance. Additionally, supporting arguments with data can demonstrate the necessity for faster internal reviews and the benefits of agility over being hindered by excessive approval processes and input.
By utilizing a tool, you can simplify this process and demonstrate return on investment across multiple platforms from a centralized location.
Leverage short-form video content
By incorporating short-form video content into your marketing strategy, you can establish a fresh and engaging connection with your audience, enhancing consumer engagement and enhancing brand loyalty. This strategy is akin to following the latest trends, and can deliver quick and cost-effective results. It is thus recommended that you quickly adopt short-form video content in your marketing initiatives.
