If you've been on social media at all the last couple of years, you've probably taken notice of it's newest rising star...short-form video. With the insane growth of TikTok after its global launch in August of 2018, it's no surprise that other platforms took notice. In November 2019, Instagram started testing out the Reels feature and in September 2020, YouTube launched it's own version called YouTube Shorts. By 2022, video content is predicted to be responsible for 82% of all web traffic. Have we convinced you yet?
Where Do I Start?
So, you know you need to utilize short-form video, but how do you do it? Let's start with the basics. First and foremost, make sure you always shoot in vertical format. Now that we've nailed that down, let's jump over to time. A short-form video ranges from 15 seconds to 2 minutes long. Depending on the platform you're posting on, certain lengths perform better. For example, Instagram users like it short and sweet with videos closer to
that 30-60 second mark. TikTok started out with a 60 second time limit but expanded to 3 minutes earlier this year giving users more creative freedom. YouTube Shorts can be 15 to 60 seconds long. Creativity is endless with these types of videos!
Trends to Watch
From user-generated to educational content, there are many ways to utilize this video format. When gathering inspiration or ideas for what to create, check out the explore pages on each platform to gauge an idea for what people are responding to and engaging with the most. You may find that one video works really well with your Instagram audience while your TikTok following responds better to another. Play around with it and have fun!
Short and Simple
The important thing to remember with the short-form video trend is to keep it engaging and informative. Studies show that the average attention span of people today is only 8 seconds. 😳 Keeping your videos to the point and easy to understand will keep your audience captivated and coming back for more!
Now it's time to be set free and start creating content! Don't be afraid to allow trial and error to help guide your creative process and strategy. The people will tell you what they like and don't like - trust us! The most important thing we want to stress is to enjoy the process and have fun. Social media and keeping up with trends can be a full time job (speaking from experience, here!). Especially when getting started, make sure you're focusing on the quality of your content and not the quantity. You'll thank us later!
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