An Overview Of Short-Form Video and Online Marketing

By Tom Seest

How to Create Short Videos In Your Business

Have you ever wondered how to create short-form videos for your business? Have you wondered how to get users to engage with your brand and content? If so, then read on.

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Why You Should Create Short Videos In Your Business

Many online entrepreneurs used to be very intimidated by the thought of using video as a media format in their business. They didn’t want to be on camera and didn’t know what they would talk about for 10-20 minutes or longer.
It was a daunting concept for many. Then a trend was born on social media sites that have not only exploded as a fun way to share information but an actual preference many consumers have for learning in any niche.
Short-form videos, which are bite-sized recordings, have taken off on TikTok, but now seeped into other platforms, where your target audience anxiously awaits your latest input, not just once a day but several times a day.
Because of its popularity of it on TikTok, other social networks have implemented the same type of video opportunities (such as Reels). So your ideas can generate traffic for you from more than one place.
Below, you’ll find out how to create these snack-sized video recordings and how you can use them in your business strategy to drive traffic to your blog, get people to sign up to your list, and convince them to buy a product from you.

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What Does Short-Form Video Length Really Mean?

Many people have different definitions of what a short-form video actually means. For some people, it means not going over 10 minutes in length. But for other people, it means under 60 seconds.
In fact, you can make videos as short as 15 seconds or even less if you want to. If you look at commentary that viewers have left on people’s short-form videos, when they go over 60 seconds, it needs to be for a good reason.
If you are telling a story and you take three minutes to tell it, you may experience a backlash. The story is engaging and worth the time they are spending to listen to it. It may seem selfish that consumers are only giving you such a short amount of time to connect with them, but in a world full of sound bites and short attention spans, you have to learn to make it work for you.
Keep in mind that you are not limited to a single short-form video. If you have a story to tell, you are welcome to stretch it out as a series of videos rather than making one lengthy one.
You have to gauge the attitude of your specific followers and see where they stand on video length. Sometimes, you’ll get a bit of backlash if you make a series of 60-second videos that could have been placed in one three-minute video.
You will learn what your target audience likes and prefers so that you can keep your videos concise and to the point, delivering the exact information they are looking for without bloating it with unnecessary details.

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How to Establish a Goal for Each Video

When you have an interest in creating short-form videos, you want to start by having a goal in mind for each video or series of videos. By knowing what your overall goal is for this particular video, you will be able to achieve your objectives to help you reach the end result you are after.
Some people use short-form videos to increase awareness about their brand. But others like to have a more specific goal in mind. That might be generating leads so that you can build a list of subscribers.
Or, you might be promoting products as an affiliate marketer and hoping to earn higher commissions. If you have a product of your own, you might want to convert your viewers into buyers.
Sometimes, you’re trying to do something a little more strategic such as developing social proof about your brand, so your video might entice people to engage in the comments section or help the video go viral by sharing or using the video to create their own (like a duet or stitch on TikTok).
Once you know your goal for the video, it will help you create the storyboard for your video so that you know what information needs to go in it, what emotions you need to generate in your audience, and what your call to action should be.

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How to Record Short-Form Video for the Right Audience and Platform

TikTok is Probably the best-known platform for short-form videos. It originally began as an app where teens and tweens were dancing, lip-syncing to their favorite songs, and doing comedy skits.
However, it has evolved into a platform for all ages and interests. Instead of only offering entertainment value, there’s also now an element of education and information for all niches.
It’s important that if you want to succeed with short form videos, you understand who your target audience is and target them on the right platform. While your audience might be based on multiple platforms, they may have a bigger presence on one over another.
For example, if you’re targeting senior citizens, there are seniors on TikTok (and growing in numbers), but they’re more likely to be on Facebook instead, while younger generations are on TikTok and Instagram.
Even though YouTube is primarily known for longer videos, you can also upload shorter ones there, too. They’re home to a wide array of demographics and have videos on almost any topic you can imagine, especially since they’re the second largest search engine on the Internet.

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How to Use Storytelling Skills Attract Engagement

Storytelling skills are important for videos, regardless of how short or long they are. However, they’re even more important for short-form videos because you have a limited amount of space to convey your message.
Whether you want someone to sign up to your list or purchase a product from you, your goal is to get them to connect with what you are saying and realize that you are someone who can help them solve a problem or achieve their goals in life.
When you can weave emotion into your short form videos, along with a clear message, it will make people want to engage with you and get to know your brand at a deeper level.
You want to start with a hook that gets their attention in the first couple of seconds. Make sure you are discussing the situation or story with them on a personal level and use your body language strategically, making eye contact with the camera and not watching the screen with your face on it.

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How to Maximize the Use of Visual and Audio Elements

With short-form videos, you can bring more traffic and views to your videos by using trending audio and sounds on your recordings. The music or sound effects, paired with visual elements, can often have a bigger impact than simply stating information.
The sound or music that you are playing will set the mood and tone for your video and what the viewer will be feeling. If you want to, you can use a voice-over recording instead of being on camera and speaking.
As for visual elements, some people like to use graphs such as charts or images, but you can also use text over the video so that you can emphasize a message or clarify something that may not be clear in the video itself.

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How to Include a Strong Call to Action

Even though your video is only seconds or a couple of minutes long, you still want to have a call to action that lets people know what they should do next After they consume the initial video.
If you go on a platform like TikTok, you’re going to see many successful content creators who routinely have a call to action at the end of every video. For example, they may tell you to hit the follow button.
They might ask you to like and share the video. They may want you to do it or stitch the video. Another thing they may ask you to do is comment and answer a question or give your $0.02.
Another call to action that is not based within the app may be to follow a link in the bio and go to sign up for something free, which gets them on your list as a subscriber. Or, you might send them directly to a product using a link so that they can purchase it and give you the sale or commission.
If nothing else, then you want to make sure you tell them to follow your account or go to the next video in your series. This keeps them engaged with your profile so that they have a better chance of becoming a loyal follower.

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How to Use Attention-Grabbing Thumbnails for Short Form Videos

You may be thinking that because you are on a platform like TikTok, where people are scrolling through their For You Page, thumbnails are not as important as they may be on a platform like YouTube.
However, they are just as important on these platforms as they are elsewhere. If someone clicks on your profile after watching one of the videos that appeared on their For You Page, they are going to see a list of all of the videos that you have done previously.
You want them to be able to scroll through the thumbnails and easily be able to identify which videos are relevant and interesting to them. Having a good visual paired with text is an important part of using thumbnails to your advantage.
If you don’t have any text on your videos’ thumbnails, where they can see what it would be about, chances are they are going to go back to their feed and look at other people’s short-form videos.
Short-form videos may be a trend that is rising right now, but it’s not something that’s going to disappear tomorrow. Time has shown a sharp decrease in attention spans, and consumers are adamant about not sitting through fluff and filler content – when there are brands out there that get to the point and don’t waste their time.

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