How Short-form Videos are a Long-term Investment in Your Brand’s Future

We have all done it; opened a TikTok, Facebook or Instagram Reel from someone and suddenly…you’ve been scrolling for hours. There’s just something so addicting about scrolling through reels and videos that melts away all of life’s problems and responsibilities, what’s not to love?

Whether you mean to or not, everyone falls victim to the appeal of short-form content. It allows a little bit of enjoyment, and you always rationally have time for a video that is less than two minutes and almost guaranteed to make you smile.

The question on marketer’s minds is, “How can this be utilized for my brand?” Well, the answer is easier than you might think. HubSpot reports that for the fourth year in a row, short-form video content is the most used form of content by marketers. This is no wonder, as short-form video has the highest ROI of any marketing activity as of 2023.

So, what’s the appeal?

Short-form content is a remarkably easy way to show off your brand’s personality. This can be done through funny videos at the office, finding clever ways to engage in trends or even just showing your company’s unique qualities. Short-form content is so digestible that people cannot get enough of it. If you want yours to be successful, the first step is to get into the ring. Content is everywhere these days, which means that your brand should be too.

There is no way to know exactly what is going to go viral, especially when it seems like each week another social media platform is changing its algorithm, but a little research goes a long way. Finding trendy or eye-catching videos and strategizing a way to merge them with your brand’s persona is always a good place to start.

How to Build on the Momentum

Once you know how you want to present your brand online, regularly posting on all channels and engaging with your followers is your ticket to the top. Creating content that not only highlights all of the unique qualities of your organization, but is also entertaining and interesting to your audience and your customers should be your brand’s social media priority. Nowadays, more and more consumers want to buy from companies who not only have a great product or service, but also great values. By utilizing short-form owned media to share your company’s beliefs, you can build stronger relations with your customers and create a whole new group of brand champions.

Brand champions, really?

The short answer is yes; when people appreciate good content, they engage with it. But that’s not all, surveys suggest that people are twice as likely to share video content than any other type of content. By spearheading your organization’s video presence, you can help reach markets that were previously untapped and increase your brand awareness all at the same time.

Sites such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram are also a great way to obtain user-generated content (UGC). Features such as TikTok’s “duet” ability allows your customers to link your content directly to their review. This benefit is two-fold; not only is your content going to reach a whole other group of people, but now it is being shared alongside a trustworthy review from someone who isn’t being paid to promote your brand. Today’s consumers are a whole new breed of free thinkers, what do they think of your brand?

Utilizing short-form video content in your brand’s media mix strategy creates the potential for increases in brand awareness, customer relations and consumer engagement. It can be hard to keep up with the ever-changing trends, but there is always a good reason to implement short-form video content into your brand strategy.

Not content with your brand’s content? Appleton is an award-winning, full-service advertising agency in Orlando, Florida that specializes in delivering a strong, unified visual and verbal presence through branding and messaging. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to build a strong and cohesive brand that standardizes any company’s look and communications across print, web, social media and video. Your branding goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-972-1123 or info@appletoncreative.com.