What's Better? Short Vs. Long Form Video Marketing
Have you ever wondered what’s better: short-form or long-form video? Yeah, me too. I'm going to tell you about it, because it's a really important question and one that impacts your marketing strategy.
Shorter videos are better for getting your point across.
In general, shorter videos are more digestible and easier to watch and share. They're also more likely to be watched and shared than longer ones. This is down to the fact that short-form content has higher engagement rates than long-form content.
For example, according to HubSpot, people who watch YouTube videos have a 75% chance of sharing them with others. And when viewers do share them on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, they usually share the entire video instead of just one frame or screenshot (which means it's likely they'll take advantage of all the information in it).
Longer videos build credibility, foster trust, and provide value.
Longer videos are more likely to be shared: People love to share longer-form content. According to a study by Vidooly—an online video marketing platform for brands and agencies—the most shared video on Twitter in 2018 was a 90-second video. This isn’t surprising when you consider how much time it takes to create an engaging piece of long-form content that’s worth sharing on social media (or anywhere).
Longer videos also provide more value to the viewer, who can use them as reference points for future projects or simply enjoy as something interesting and entertaining during their downtime between tasks. The extra effort required from both parties makes these videos seem more authentic and trustworthy than short ones, which can help build trust between brand and consumer over time.
Longer form videos help deliver more in-depth and complex messages.
Long form videos are more likely to cover more in-depth and complex topics. They’re also able to provide a better user experience, as they can be watched on your own time and at your convenience.
As a result, long form videos are better at delivering complex information that requires multiple steps or sequences of events. For example, if you were creating an instructional video about how to use a new software program or app, it would be impossible for you to explain everything in just one minute or less—you might only get through half the material before having to stop! On the other hand, if you made your video 40 minutes long instead (or even longer), then there would be plenty of space for you explain everything clearly without rushing through anything important.
Each video type has its place and can work in tandem with one another.
The video type you choose should be based on the goals you want to achieve, but don't discount one type in favor of the other. Both short and long form video can be used to build brand awareness, build credibility and trust, and tell a story.
If you're trying to get your viewers' attention quickly and grab them for an extended period of time, then shorter videos are your best bet. However, if you're looking for something more substantial that will help build trust with your audience by delivering information in a more detailed way (while still being quick), then longer form videos may be the answer.
The point here is that each video type has its place in a marketing campaign; they just need to work together as part of an overall strategy.
Know your audience.
To begin the process of creating a video for your business, you'll first need to know your audience. Why? Because what works for one audience might not work for another.
A good place to start is by defining your target market and identifying their needs, wants, problems and goals. If you're selling a product or service that helps people save money on this thing they need/want/need/want (yes, I'm referring to all those Amazon Prime deals), you can use that as an example of how short form videos can help bring awareness about why one should buy from you vs. someone else selling the same thing as well as long form videos that talk about the value proposition of buying from you instead of other sellers who may be offering lower prices than yours.
Like any marketing strategy, video needs to be customized and tailored to the needs of your business, industry, and audience.
A short form video is not necessarily better than a long form one. What matters most is that you understand what type of content your audience wants from you and then use that knowledge as the basis for creating videos that will resonate with them.
Here are some factors to consider when deciding between short versus long-form videos:
Purpose: Is the purpose of this particular piece of content educational or promotional? If it's promotional in nature then there's no reason for it to be longer than 5 minutes (unless you're trying to sell something like an expensive product). If it's educational then think about how valuable people would find such information before determining how long they should watch or read it.
Format: It's important not just how long each video is but also what type of format works best within its allotted length. With shorter formats like Facebook Stories (15 seconds) or Instagram stories (1 minute), brevity is key so keep things simple by using text overlays instead of narration or complex graphics when possible; however if you want viewers' attention span on YouTube then try adding subtitles instead!
Conclusion
Video marketing is an important part of any content strategy, and it can be a powerful way to reach your audience. But it’s important to know your audience, their needs and how long they are willing to watch a video before deciding which length is best for you.
As with all marketing tactics, there is no one-size-fits-all solution here. The key takeaway here is that there are many different types of videos out there and each works better in different situations. By creating short form content alongside longer form content and tailoring it specifically towards your audience’s needs, you will be able to maximize the benefits of both formats while minimizing their drawbacks
To learn more about creating content that converts, click here to check out the details for my content marketing class!