Video Marketing Trends: Why Short-Form Content is Dominating
Hey there, digital marketers and content creators! Ready to dive into the world of short-form video content? Grab your smartphone and get comfortable, because we’re about to explore why these bite-sized videos are taking over the digital landscape.
Before we jump in, let me share a quick story. Last year, I worked with a local bakery – let’s call it Sweet Treats. The owner, Mike, was skeptical about video marketing. “I’m not a movie star,” he’d say, laughing nervously. Fast forward six months, and his 30-second TikTok recipe teasers were driving a 150% increase in foot traffic. How’d we do it? Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to explore today.
- The Rise of Short-Form Video Content
First things first, let’s talk about what we mean by “short-form” video. Generally, we’re talking about videos that are under a minute long, often even shorter. Think TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
The popularity of short-form video has exploded in recent years. According to Cisco, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022 – that’s 15 times higher than it was in 2017. And a big chunk of that is short-form content.
But why the sudden surge? Well, it’s not so sudden. Platforms like Vine (RIP) paved the way years ago, but it’s the perfect storm of technology, user behavior, and platform algorithms that’s really driven the trend.
For Sweet Treats, we started with simple 15-second videos showcasing the process of decorating a cupcake. These quick, visually appealing snippets caught people’s attention and left them wanting more.
- The Psychology Behind Short-Form Content
Now, you might be wondering, “Why does short-form content work so well?” It all comes down to psychology and our ever-shrinking attention spans.
Microsoft famously reported that the average human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shorter than that of a goldfish. While that specific claim has been debated, there’s no denying that we’re bombarded with more information than ever before.
Short-form content caters to this reality. It delivers information or entertainment in quick, easily digestible bites. It’s the video equivalent of a snack – satisfying, but leaving you hungry for more.
Moreover, short-form content taps into the psychology of “variable reward.” Like a slot machine, you never know what you’re going to get with the next video, which keeps you scrolling for that next hit of dopamine.
For Sweet Treats, we found that viewers were more likely to watch multiple 15-30 second videos than a single 2-minute video. This increased overall engagement and kept the bakery at the top of people’s minds.
