Why Short-Form Video Needs to Be Part of Your Content Strategy Adapt your content to today's short attention spans to maximize their effectiveness.
By David Meltzer Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
YouTube has become a commercial advertising powerhouse in recent years, with short-form commercials before the start of almost every video you watch on the site.
We've all seen or heard countless minute-long or even 30-second commercials that come with traditional media, like television and radio. Those ads are too long; your interest usually dissolves within the first 10 seconds.
Related: How to Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube advertisers, unlike traditional advertisers, are able to consistently engage viewers within a short span, making their video marketing more efficient and effective. You should be taking advantage of short-form videos, too.
Shorter content and attention spans
The average human attention span is getting shorter as social media dominates the world with visual experiences. Short-form videos give you more freedom to produce hard-hitting, relatable videos that get to the point, without the overhead of creating more in-depth content. People buy on emotion for logical reasons, so appealing to their emotions in a short period of time admittedly becomes more of a difficult proposition.
Content-focused strategies have dominated the way companies, individuals and newer brands market themselves. Short-form video can come in a variety of different ways: livestreams, Snaps, sizzles, teasers, branded content, etc. Regardless the forum, you need to stimulate the interest of your audience. Be aligned emotionally (remember, buy on emotion for logical reasons).Then, as a marketer, transition the interest you stimulate in your brand or services.
Related: Video Is a Massively Powerful Marketing Tool. Here's How to Optimize It.
Stage theory strategy
There is a strategy that I call the "stage theory" that allows us to amplify and repurpose any content we create.
Content. Content. Content. Capture everything. Your audience wants to see behind the scenes, the day-to-day, the success, and the failures. Treat everything you do as a stage. Every action, every thought, every intention. Treat every experience, activity, or every event as a stage.
Social media as a stage
Many people tease teenagers, saying that if something wasn't posted on social media, it never happened. Nowadays, this perception is true, which is why we should treat everything as a stage. The more you document what is relevant to your brand or your philosophy, the more connections you will gain. The more connections you have, the more relationships you will build.
Related: 5 Low-Cost Ways to Get Started With Video Marketing
Leveraging your appearances
For example, you booked your big interview on TV and can't wait for everyone to tune in -- chances are that very few of the people you wanted to see it actually saw it.
Naturally, you're going to share this interview on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or an e-mail to everyone, sending out the video of your appearance makes you look like a self-promoter, so utilize that appearance as the stage instead. Instead, Make it a vlog, sharing with everyone your process and success. Capture the beginning, middle and end of the interview, the green room, the pre-interview and the cab ride home to extend your appearance in the form of a short, emotionally engaging video.
Benefits of brevity
Why should we go to short-form?
Easier to distribute: Now, you can easily share the shorts on eight- to 10-second sizzles, since they are small in file size.
Easier to remember: This is a huge factor, which aligns directly with the short attention span that we have. Think about it from the audience's point of view. Do we remember Martin Luther King's entire speech or just the one line, "I have a dream"? The same thing applies to short video. Keep it concise. Capture the important shots, images, overlays and the emotion that is created at every stage.
Easier to repurpose: Since our attention span is shorter and timelines are more stuffed, so content changes quickly. Once you capture it, you have the green light to repurpose your content and put it into perpetuity.
Related: How Many of These Video Marketing Mistakes Are You Making?
Avoiding TL;DR
Short-form videos and branded content are two of the most powerful to make the most of this stage. Take advantage to share your value with the world and the 3.2 billion people on the internet.
Learn to capture, repurpose, and perpetuate content, in order to amplify your message. Show the world your stage. Don't forget, people buy on emotion for logical reasons and short-form video is the best way to tap into those emotions today.
