Video isn’t just popular among audiences, it’s essential to virtually every business’s marketing strategy and has been for a few years. The question is: has video content and how audiences consume it stayed the same?

The answer is no. In fact, the global pandemic, COVID-19 only amplified how much time people spend online consuming content. With the rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels, marketers have seen the increasing popularity of interactive and relatable, and especially short-form, video content, and it’s not going away.

Current Video Marketing Trends 

While there are many people who still value long-form, informative, and highly produced videos, most audiences have steered away from that. Short-form social media video platforms and/or features such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and stories, have trained audiences to expect short (less than 30 seconds), engaging, and relatable videos.

Short-Form Videos 

Short-form videos are exactly what they sound like. They’re short videos. To be considered short-form, videos can be up to two minutes and 30 seconds in length. (We’d recommend you stay under a minute, generally.) However, the length of these videos can vary based on the platform that you’re using. TikTok recently extended its video limits from three minutes to ten. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts can be up to 60 seconds, and videos on Twitter can reach up to two minutes and 20 seconds.

So, what makes short videos so popular? They’re easy to consume for audiences. People simply don’t have the attention span or the time to dedicate to watching a long video. TikTok and Reels are ideal for these audiences because it allows them to surf or indulge in different types of content quickly.

To determine the right length of videos for your business, listen to your audience. Monitor the analytics for each video you post. If you share a video that’s a minute and a half long and viewers are dropping out before it’s done, it’s too long. Try a thirty-second video. Are your viewers watching the whole thing? Your audience will tell you what their sweet spot in attention span and interest is – if you know where to look.

User-generated Content 

The challenge with shorter videos is finding innovative and strategic ways to keep audiences engaged. People aren’t really looking for over-the-top videos with impressive effects or transitions, so companies need to find ways to reach their audiences and break through the overwhelming amount of content that people see each day.

User-generated content can be defined as original, brand-specific content created by customers and published on social media or other channels. For videos, consumers are paying attention to authentic and engaging content from a brand, and user-generated videos are the best way to showcase it. This type of content can come from a variety of places. For example, consumers can share videos reviewing a company’s product or service. In contrast, employees can share behind-the-scenes clips of their day working for the company, showcasing company culture and benefits.

How Do These Trends Help Your Brand? 

It all starts with your consumer, client, customer. What do they prefer? How do they want to consume information or learn about what you have to offer? Start there. If they are like most people online, they’ll appreciate shorter, less produced, more engaging, and frequent video content.

You can incorporate these video trends and your audience’s preferences into your marketing efforts to increase brand awareness and encourage engagement. By using short-form videos and user-generated content, audiences can connect more with your brand, feel open to engage with it, and maybe even share the content.

Also, these videos are low in production cost and are very efficient. You don’t need to create large teams or develop a hefty budget to create these more quick and casual videos. Just don’t skimp on the strategy or you’ll just have a bunch of videos and little return. At Pushing the Envelope, our approach is simple: strategic social media content that has a high proportion of engagement-related posts. The result is an active online community that doesn’t just follow your brand – they champion your brand. If you need help developing a video strategy or overall marketing plan for your business, let us know. We’d be happy to help.