Video-first marketing: Turning short-form clips into long-lasting loyalty

“Short and sweet,” is a thing for a reason and it extends to many areas of life, including your marketing.

For a long time, videos, at least online, were treated as an afterthought, a nice to have, or maybe even not at all. Today, social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have pushed short-form content to the forefront. 

Why does short-form content work?

Short-form content works for various reasons. For example, attention spans can be quite short, so short-form content gives you the opportunity to grab viewers’ attention quickly and it’s easily digestible. It can also feel relatable and authentic, among other benefits.

There are so many opportunities to create short-form content, from snippets of longer videos, to tutorials, tips or advice, sharing information or facts, and so much more. The options are endless!

Value over virality 

Of course, a viral video would be amazing, but it’s not the most realistic goal and it’s not going to help with long term loyalty. Beyond the potential of boosting visibility and the hope of going viral, there’s an opportunity to use short-form content to help build long-lasting loyalty among your audience, but how do you do it? Shift your focus. 

Think, “how is this video relatable or helpful? What do viewers get from this clip?” These are the kinds of questions that you should consider when creating content.

Stay consistent 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll probably say it a thousand times over, consistency is important. It helps users become familiar with your brand and helps stay top of mind. When brands know who you are and see your content often, it can help them connect with your brand and can help them trust you. 

Be authentic

Another thing we’ve probably talked about a million times is the importance of authenticity and that’s especially important for short-form content. We don’t want to just watch videos of someone trying to sell us something all the time! And just in case you needed to hear this, videos don’t have to be perfect either! 

Repurpose and expand

One short video clip doesn’t have to just be one short clip. One video can be used on multiple platforms - for example, on Instagram and TikTok or Instagram and Youtube. You can also build on your videos. Maybe you’ve received a comment on a video that you want to highlight, like a frequently asked question. On TikTok you can reply to that comment with a video and the comment will be highlighted in your new clip. These days, many users also find success by commenting on or reacting to content they’ve seen online. Beyond that, you can repurpose video content in other ways, such as, creating infographics, quote posts, and more. This helps maintain consistency and brand voice.

Measure what matters

Like we said, going viral is unrealistic and it doesn’t necessarily have a meaningful long-term impact. So while likes can be important at times and are nice to see, look beyond them. Instead, track metrics like saves, shares, actions like follows or link clicks from videos, and the quality of comments that you receive. And on that note…

Don’t forget engagement

Any good relationship isn’t one sided, and the same can be said for socials. If you’re posting short-form content, make sure you’re keeping up with engagement, reply to comments, like content coming from other users, etc.

Short-form videos may not last long, but the impact can last far longer and be far greater. When we use video to deliver value, to be authentic and trustworthy, we’re creating the foundation of lasting relationships. Are you creating short form content?