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Rishabh leads the content strategy at Content Beta, a creative video and design agency for Tech & SaaS companies.
Short form videos have emerged as a dynamic and engaging way to connect with audiences. These bite-sized videos usually last a few seconds to a couple of minutes. They are memorable by quickly delivering messages, stories, and entertainment.
From showcasing brand products to sharing quick tutorials, short form content has become a staple on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and more.
In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits, best practices, and real-life examples of short form videos. We aim to provide you with several YouTube shorts ideas, TikTok video ideas, Instagram reel ideas, and more.
Short form video refers to video content that is concise and brief in duration. These videos are typically shorter than traditional long-form videos. They are designed to capture the viewer’s interest and convey a message quickly.
Short form videos can vary in length, ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. They are often created for social media platforms, where users have limited time and shorter attention spans.
These videos are known for their ability to engage viewers in a short amount of time, making them popular for sharing information, entertainment, and marketing purposes. There are several short video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat which are well-known for hosting short form video content.
Short form video content is crucial in our fast-paced digital world. It effectively engages people and is well-suited for mobile viewing.
These brief videos hold attention and are easily shareable on social media, increasing reach and interactions.
They’re great for introducing brands and products swiftly. They successfully encourage creativity in a limited time frame.
Short videos are budget-friendly and can include challenges to involve users, building a community.
Using platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, which are trendy, helps in reaching younger audiences and tapping into current market trends.
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Following is a list of 7 helpful benefits of short form video:
Short form videos grab viewers’ attention swiftly, resulting in heightened engagement rates. Their concise nature encourages people to watch the entire video. It leads to more interactions, comments, and shares.
Due to their compact format, short form videos are easily shareable across various social media platforms.
This shareability amplifies their exposure, as viewers are more inclined to pass on content that can be quickly consumed and enjoyed by their peers.
Short form videos offer an efficient way to introduce brands and products to a vast audience in a short span.
These videos capture key elements and messages, leaving a lasting impression and fostering brand recognition.
Crafting short form videos often requires fewer resources and a shorter production timeline compared to longer video formats.
This cost-effectiveness allows businesses, particularly those with limited budgets, to create engaging content without significant financial investments.
The time constraints of short form videos challenge creators to convey meaningful messages in a concise manner.
This limitation sparks innovative thinking, pushing content creators to explore unique and visually captivating approaches to storytelling.
Short form videos cater perfectly to the mobile viewing habits of modern audiences. With the majority of online interactions occurring on mobile devices, these videos can be conveniently consumed during short breaks, commutes, or leisure moments.
Leveraging platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, which thrive on short form video content, enables brands to tap into current market trends.
This strategic utilization keeps brands relevant and appealing to a younger demographic, aligning their content with the latest cultural and social shifts.
Short form videos fit into your content strategy by:
It’s important to note these important factors:
Being adaptable to trends and experimenting with different approaches ensures your short form content ideas remain relevant and engaging. This drives your content strategy’s success.
There are several trends to look out for these days. Here are some of them:
Videos that foster engagement by allowing viewers to actively participate through polls, quizzes, and challenges.
This trend initiates interactive experiences, creating a two-way communication channel between brands and their audiences.
Encouraging users to create content related to your brand or products. This trend enhances authenticity, as real people share their experiences.
Additionally, it fosters a sense of community as users become brand advocates.
Temporary videos, often found in Stories on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, add a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
This trend capitalizes on the fear of missing out (FOMO), compelling viewers to engage quickly before the content disappears.
Quick tutorials, tips, and how-to videos provide valuable insights to viewers. This trend caters to the audience’s thirst for knowledge and quick solutions. It positions your brand as a helpful resource.
Sharing glimpses of your company culture, work processes, or the people behind the brand. This trend humanizes your brand by fostering a sense of transparency and relatability. It builds a deeper connection with viewers.
Utilizing augmented reality (AR) and creative effects to enhance video engagement. This trend adds an element of creativity while making your content visually captivating and memorable.
Partnering with micro-influencers who are individuals with smaller yet highly engaged followings.
This trend uses their authenticity to reach niche audiences effectively and lends credibility to your brand.
Crafting engaging narratives within a concise video format. This trend challenges creators to convey emotions and stories effectively, allowing viewers to connect with content quickly.
Highlighting products or services in brief videos, focusing on key features and benefits. This trend addresses the demand for quick information and aids in driving purchasing decisions.
Incorporating trending sounds, music, or sound effects to enhance the viewing experience and capture attention.
This trend adds an auditory dimension to your videos, making them more engaging and memorable.
By staying informed about these evolving trends, you can adapt your short form video strategy to remain relevant and appealing to your audience.
While there are numerous platforms available – here are the top 5 for companies to peruse for short video marketing:
YouTube Shorts can be effective for sharing bite-sized educational content, product demonstrations, and insights.
While typically more consumer-focused, B2B companies can use Instagram Reels, as well as stories, to provide a behind-the-scenes look at their operations, showcase their team, and share quick tips.
A professional networking platform where companies can share short videos to showcase their expertise, company culture, and industry insights.
With its short video capabilities, Twitter allows B2B companies to share quick updates, industry news, and insights to engage with their audience.
Companies can use TikTok creatively to simplify complex concepts, share office culture, and provide quick snippets of value to their target audience.
The success of these platforms for companies depends on tailoring the content to their specific audience, goals, and industry.
Certainly, here are slightly longer descriptions for each type of short form video:
Generate excitement and curiosity among your audience by unveiling sneak peeks of upcoming products through intriguing visuals and teasers. These short videos create a sense of anticipation, leaving viewers eager to learn more about what your brand has in store.
Slack is a popular messaging and collaboration platform that helps teams communicate and work together efficiently.
This short form video primarily focuses on explaining Slack’s features and benefits. In only 30 seconds, Slack utilizes live clips, animations, and screencasts effectively.
It also plays upbeat music in the background. It concludes with their website link which is a clearly visible call to action (CTA). The addition of Slack’s logo at the end also reinforces branding.
Google is a renowned technology company known for its search engine and a range of online services.
This product teaser is a creative explanation of Google Calendar’s features. With the help of upbeat music and an engaging backdrop, it conveys their point effectively.
This concise short form video consists of several live clips and animations. The voiceover is clear, precise and enthusiastic. All in all, it is a captivating product teaser.
Zendesk is a well-known customer service software company that offers tools for businesses to manage and improve customer interactions, support, and engagement.
This short form video uses a creative narrative to explain the purpose of Zendesk. It makes use of captivating vector animations as well as kinetic typography. In doing so, Zendesk efficiently outlines their role in customer relationships.
They use animated shapes – referred to as “relationshapes” in order to explain their concept to the audience. With soothing and cheery music playing in the background, this product teaser remains engaging.
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Atlassian is a well-known company that develops software tools for teamwork, project management, and collaboration.
This Instagram reel has made use of numerous 3D animations in order to explain their company. In 15 seconds, this short form video has effectively covered Atlassian’s biggest projects and what the company is all about.
It’s easy-to-understand, and uses kinetic typography which provides better clarity. The video commences and concludes with the brand logo and strengthens its identity. Moreover, it uses dynamic music to keep the audience engaged.
Provide an authentic glimpse into the inner workings of your company, showing the people, processes, and values that drive your brand. These videos humanize your business, fostering a deeper connection with viewers who appreciate transparency and relatability.
Grammarly is an advanced writing tool that provides real-time suggestions to improve grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. It aims to refine written communication.
Grammarly provides its viewers with an engaging BTS on their commercial – ‘Back to School’. It makes use of appealing visuals which include dynamic angles, and creative camera work.
Within 30 seconds, the audience gets a sneak peek into the creative process of Grammarly’s crew. The short form video has no dialogue and upbeat music playing in the background. It concludes with Grammarly’s logo and strengthens their branding.
Apple is a renowned technology company known for its innovative products such as iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, as well as software like iOS and macOS.
This short form video is an elaborate explanation of Apple’s ‘Experiments V: Dark Universe’. It showcases how the creative crew overcame several obstacles while shooting the experiments.
The video is a mix of live clips and transitions. It lets viewers witness several BTS aesthetics such as shots of workspaces, equipment, and tools. In doing so, the audience can immerse themselves in the process effectively.
Microsoft HoloLens is an augmented reality (AR) headset that blends digital content with the real world. It enables immersive experiences for industries like gaming, design, and education.
This BTS snippet provides a glimpse into the initial stages of action, offering insights into the transformative potential of this technology.”Design Build Operate” presents a concise video series delving into the Industrial Metaverse’s impact, showcasing how HoloLens 2 revolutionizes the sector.
It does so with the help of a visual demonstration while using live-action footage. With energetic music playing in the background, it adds a sense of enthusiasm for the product.
Offer concise yet valuable tutorials that guide viewers through specific tasks or share industry insights. These quick educational videos position your brand as an authority while helping your audience solve problems. They also help the audience acquire new skills in a time-efficient manner.
Zoom serves as a video conferencing platform, facilitating virtual meetings, webinars, and collaborative sessions with ease.
This tutorial video illustrates the setup procedure for the Zoom Rooms Huddle Kit. It commences with an overview of the kit’s components and progresses into a user-friendly, step-by-step guide for its operation.
The video features live-action footage against a distraction-free white backdrop. It is accompanied by soothing background music.
IKEA, a renowned Swedish furniture retailer, presents an array of stylish yet budget-friendly home furnishings and decor. Famous for its flat-pack furniture and inventive design approach.
Illustrating IKEA’s design ethos, the Motion Language tutorial video uses vibrant animations. It highlights the brand’s values regarding customer retention and effective promotion.
The video concludes with the IKEA logo, reinforcing their identity. It maintains a captivating pace. Additionally, cheerful background music adds an engaging touch.
Adobe Creative Cloud provides a range of software and services for creative tasks like design and editing.
In this tutorial, you’ll find a clear, step-by-step visual guide to using Adobe’s AI image tool, Firefly. With an enthusiastic narrator and simple instructions, it effectively showcases its various features.
The video skillfully combines live-action clips and screen recording. This tutorial is segmented into 7 sections, with the presenter highlighting the software’s creative abilities in text effects and settings. The video concludes with a clickable subscribe button, serving as its call-to-action (CTA).
Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO tool that aids businesses and marketers in analyzing competitors, researching keywords, and enhancing website rankings.
This tutorial visually walks you through four simple methods to find email addresses. It emphasizes useful software choices and provides email verification tips. With a clean backdrop, the tutorial is a focused guide to mastering this Ahrefs feature.
The tutorial merges live-action clips and screen recordings, accompanied by immersive sound effects and captivating visuals. It ends with the company logo and a clickable call-to-action (CTA).
SEMrush is an online platform, a SaaS (Software as a Service) tool that helps businesses achieve measurable results through online marketing efforts.
The tutorial video provides a brief and clear introduction to SEMrush, explaining its fundamental elements. This video creatively blends motion graphics, a presentation deck, and screencasts, resulting in a concise yet engaging presentation.
The incorporation of cheerful background music maintains the video’s engagement. In the visual demonstration, the use of a highlighted cursor enhances the understanding process. It begins and concludes with its company logo, adding to the branding efforts.
Showcase content created by your audience, celebrating their loyalty and engagement. By featuring user-generated content, you not only demonstrate appreciation but also create a sense of community around your brand. It encourages others to participate and share their experiences.
Buffer is a prominent social media management platform that simplifies scheduling, analytics, and engagement across various social media platforms.
This Instagram Reel focuses on advertising a blog published by Buffer. The short form video features a female narrator sharing her firsthand experience about the effectiveness of AI tools, directly related to the blog’s topic.
The reel is short and precise. It effectively conveys its message and adds a touch of relatability. Since reels are easily shareable, Buffer has effectively increased its chances of brand awareness. Thus, it has cleverly made use of User Generated Content in order to promote its blog.
Adobe Creative Cloud is a collection of computer programs and services for creative tasks like designing and editing.
This YouTube Short includes a visual artist who gives the viewers through a brief tutorial – based on first-hand experience. The video effectively gives viewers a snippet of how to make infographic animations.
The video makes use of helpful animations, screencasts, and live clips. With energetic music playing in the background, the YouTube Short proves to be engaging. It also shows viewers the finished product which makes the video more impactful.
Slack streamlines business communication with real-time messaging, file sharing, and tool integration in one platform.
Given by a proficient Slack user, this quick reel provides a concise tutorial on effectively using Slack. It quickly highlights the various modes of communication and collaboration that Slack has to offer.
The reel is a mix of live clips and screencasts. The presenter speaks clearly and enthusiastically. He dives into the intricacies of Slack with the help of an engaging visual demonstration.
Condense noteworthy events, achievements, or campaigns into visually engaging highlight reels or montages. These compilations capture the essence of a larger narrative, allowing viewers to relive key moments quickly.
Samsung is a global technology company renowned for its extensive range of products, from smartphones and electronics to home appliances.
This fast-paced reel is an informative recap on Future Gen House with SmartThings. With energetic music playing in the background, it keeps the viewers captivated. The reel consists of animations, transitions, kinetic typography, voiceovers, as well as live clips.
This short form video also provided its viewers with statistics, which made the reel more impactful. It creatively highlighted the main takeaways. The video ends with their website link, which acts as a CTA.
Share authentic experiences from satisfied customers, allowing them to speak directly about the benefits of your products or services. These testimonials build trust and credibility, helping potential customers make informed decisions based on the positive feedback of others.
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UiPath is a prominent automation software company that offers tools for businesses to streamline processes and tasks through robotic process automation (RPA).
This customer testimonial is given by the Supply Chain Executive at Tarsus Distributions. He speaks at length about the several benefits that UIPath has to offer.
This video is divided into 6 segments to provide viewers with better clarity. It is made of live clips and action footage. The narrator speaks clearly and elaborately.
The video begins and ends with their logo which reinforces branding. It also displays their website link at the end, which acts as a strong CTA.
Zoom is a widely used video conferencing platform that enables people to hold virtual meetings, webinars, and online collaborations seamlessly.
This customer testimonial is given by an associate at Hubspot. He provides an in-depth review on how the two apps – Zoom and Slack are beneficial for Hubspot.
In doing so, he swiftly highlights several features and benefits of Zoom. Within 2 minutes, the audience is captivated by everything that Zoom has to offer.
This short form video is a combination of live clips and B-rolls. The video has upbeat music playing in the background throughout. It also starts and ends with the logos of both Zoom and Slack.
Codecademy is an online platform that provides interactive coding lessons, helping individuals learn programming languages and develop coding skills at their own pace.
This testimonial is given by Tommy Nicholas, the co-founder of Knox Payments. It is a short and impactful 15-second video.
The narrative of this testimonial is to briefly convey the impact that Codecademy had on Tommy’s life. It highlights what Codeacademy can do for all of its users.
The video is a mix of live clips and screencasts. It has soothing music playing softly in the background. This video concludes with its logo and reinforces branding.
Address common questions concisely through short video snippets that provide clear and straightforward answers. These FAQ videos save viewers time by delivering quick solutions to their queries. It enhances their experience and showcases your brand’s responsiveness.
It’s a startup offering eco-friendly electric ride-sharing with scooters. They focus on easy and green urban transportation.
This clear, step-by-step guide shows how to use the ‘Beam,’ which is a Jetson scooter. It uses live clips and on-screen text for better understanding.
The under-60-second video highlights various features while soothing background music keeps it engaging. It ends with the brand logo, enhancing their branding.
Trello stands as a popular project management tool, utilizing boards, lists, and cards for visual and collaborative task organization.
This FAQ video focuses on educating viewers about Trello Boards, delivered in an engaging and efficient manner. Vibrant vector animations, lively music, and close-up screen captures effectively convey Trello’s message.
The voiceover is clear, concise, and enthusiastic. Within a brief 5-minute span, viewers gain a comprehensive understanding of Trello’s features and advantages. The inclusion of their logo at the conclusion reinforces Trello’s branding.
Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand to create short video advertisements that promote your products or services. Leveraging their credibility and reach, influencer ads add authenticity to your marketing efforts and tap into the influencer’s engaged audience.
Salesforce is a prominent customer relationship management (CRM) platform. It helps businesses manage and enhance their interactions with customers, streamline processes, and drive growth.
Starring Matthew McConaughey as the voice of Salesforce, this commercial showcases people commending the company’s benefits, leading to a growing community. It symbolizes Salesforce’s impressive expansion and reliability.
It’s a short and engaging commercial which is made entirely of live action footage. Along with upbeat music in the background, its script is also in the form of a rhyme. It concludes with the Salesforce logo which strengthens their branding.
Adidas Football is a popular brand known for its sports gear, especially for soccer. They create shoes, clothes, and equipment that help players perform their best on the field.
This 30 second commercial stars the renowned football player – Lionel Messi. Using five Messi clones, the advertisement creatively emphasizes the uniqueness of Messi’s identity.
With celebratory music playing in the background, this short form video is engaging. It ends with the Adidas logo and effectively reinforces branding.
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Samsung is a leading technology company recognized for its diverse range of products, including smartphones, TVs, and home appliances.
This short form video commercial stars the famous David Beckham. It focuses on advertising its new product – Galaxy Note. The advertisement shows David Beckham playing with a football while the new Galaxy Note captures his best moments.
It is engaging and effective. Within just a few minutes, it showcases attractive features of the phone in a creative manner. It ends with celebratory music.
Initiate interactive challenges that encourage viewers to participate creatively and engage with your brand. Short form videos outlining these challenges invite users to showcase their skills, creativity, or unique perspectives, fostering a sense of involvement and community.
Apple is a globally recognized technology company celebrated for its extensive array of products, encompassing iPhones, MacBooks, and more.
“Shot on iPhone” originated as a contest, inviting iPhone users to share their best photos on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. A panel of judges would then evaluate the entries, with chosen images being featured online, in Apple stores, and on billboards.
Samsung is a renowned multinational technology company acclaimed for its diverse range of products, including smartphones, televisions, and household appliances.
The #YouMake campaign empowers you to celebrate your uniqueness by personalizing products and service offerings from Samsung. It’s all designed to suit your individual lifestyle.
The reel is a dynamic and energetic video featuring upbeat music. It’s concise and utilizes kinetic typography to convey messages creatively.
The inclusion of b-roll footage enhances visual engagement, and results in a lively and captivating presentation. It concludes with Samsungs’ logo and website link, which effectively strengthens branding and provides the viewers with a strong CTA.
These diverse types of short form videos empower your brand to communicate, engage, and connect with your audience using various content approaches.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most beneficial best practices with respect to creating short form videos.
Begin your short form video by introducing a captivating element that immediately captures the viewers’ attention and engages them.
Within the first few seconds, make your audience curious or evoke an emotion that compels them to keep watching. A strong initial impression is crucial to stop viewers from scrolling and make them invest their time in your video.
Short form videos thrive on the platform’s time constraints. Use this limitation to your advantage by streamlining your message to its essential elements.
Respect your audience’s time and cater to their preference for quick, digestible content.
Even though short form videos are brief, prioritize good video and audio quality. Clear visuals and sound contribute to a more professional appearance that builds trust with your audience.
Despite the video’s short duration, viewers are more likely to engage with content that looks and sounds refined.
Define a precise and clear message for your short form video. Avoid cluttering it with unnecessary details that can dilute the impact of your core message.
By maintaining clarity, you ensure that your audience receives the intended message without confusion.
Create a simple narrative or structure for your short form video. Storytelling captivates viewers by providing context, emotional engagement, and a logical development.
Even in a brief timeframe, a well-constructed story can hold attention and make your content more memorable.
Visuals play a vital role in short form videos. Use your creativity to craft visually engaging content that complements your message.
Incorporate dynamic visuals, graphics, animations, or visual metaphors that enhance your narrative and leave a lasting visual impression.
As many viewers watch videos with the sound off, consider adding captions to your video. Captions ensure that your message is accessible to a wider audience, including those who are browsing in quiet or noisy environments.
They also provide an additional layer of engagement and inclusivity, as viewers can follow along even without sound.
End your short form video with a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). Direct viewers on the next steps you want them to take, whether it’s visiting your website, subscribing, sharing the video, or engaging in a specific action.
Integrate your brand’s visual elements, such as your logo, color palette, and font, into your short form video.
Consistent branding reinforces your identity and fosters brand recognition among viewers, even in the context of a brief video.
Regularly monitor trends, news, and events in your industry or niche. Adapt your short form video content to align with these developments, demonstrating that your brand stays current and responsive to your audience’s interests.
Staying relevant keeps your content engaging and positions you as a source of up-to-date information.
By following these best practices, you can create impactful short form videos that effectively convey your message, engage your audience, and contribute to your overall content strategy.
We provide valuable services, from videos (like Product Demos, Product Explainers, Training videos etc) to design elements (including pers, Presentation Design, and beyond).
We have experience crafting content for the B2B, Tech, and Software industries, and we proudly present our Creative as a Service (CaaS) package. This package grants you consistent access to our specialized video and design team for a set monthly rate.
Our teams are committed, our pricing transparent, and our delivery swift. You can always be assured of the quality and timing of our work.
With the help of our skilled professionals who specialize in scriptwriting, filming, editing, and post-production, we ensure the creation of top-tier short form videos.
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Short form videos are more than just trends; they are powerful tools for digital marketing. By crafting compelling hooks, delivering clear messages, and creatively engaging viewers with visuals, your short videos can resonate with audiences in an effective way.
From sharing a behind-the-scenes peek at your brand to driving calls to action, these compact videos open doors for creativity and connection. Make use of their capacity to connect with broader audiences and create a memorable impact in the online world.
Short form videos are gaining popularity due to several reasons, some of which are:
The best short form video platforms are:
Crafting a compelling hook for your short form video involves capturing attention within the first few seconds. Incorporate intriguing visuals, a thought-provoking question, or a surprising statement to keep viewers engaged.
A strong call to action (CTA) within a short video should be concise yet impactful.
Encourage viewers to take a specific action like visiting your website, signing up, or sharing the video with their network, emphasizing the value they’ll gain.
Ensuring brand consistency in short form videos entails aligning your videos with your brand identity.
Utilize consistent colors, fonts, logos, and imagery that reflect your brand, reinforcing recognition and trust.
Avoiding common mistakes in short form video creation involves:
Neglecting these aspects can hinder engagement and diminish the impact of your videos.
