Chances are, if you’re not already harnessing the power of video trends in 2023, you’re missing out on a big slice of the audience pie. Videos allow you to engage more deeply with your audience and expand your brand’s reach.
However, the video space evolves fast. Short-form content is––at least for now––the name of the game, but that could change on a dime. Fear not, dear biz owner. That doesn’t mean you can’t ride this train until it ends!
Keep reading as we dive into some video trends you can start incorporating into your marketing strategy. If you’re ready to step up your content game, videos––and specifically short-form videos––may be where it’s at.
What’s Short-Form Video?
Just what it sounds like, really. Think brief, typically a few seconds to a few minutes, max. Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and now the rise of YouTube Shorts means there’s no shortage of places to create this type of content, and it’s becoming increasingly popular as time goes on.
Short-form vids are created with easy consumption in mind, catering to today’s audiences of decreased attention spans and busy lifestyles. Think of short-form videos as snappy, engaging, visual, and binge-worthy. People also naturally want to share them, which makes them great for social platforms.
Some short-form video ideas might be things like:
- Product demos
- Behind-the-scenes clips
- Tutorials
- Skits
- Animations
- User-generated content
Short-form videos often revolve around some kind of trend or trending topic, or sometimes a challenge or specific hashtag to maximize engagement and reach. So, how do you do it? We’ve got some tips for that!
Master the Art of Storytelling in 60 Seconds or Less
Let’s face it, many of us have the attention spans of gnats these days. As the collective attention span has shrunk, the ability to tell a story in 60 seconds or less has become an essential skill for businesses looking to leverage short-form content. You have to develop a knack for creating bite-sized videos that deeply resonate with your viewers to keep them wanting more. The keys to doing it well are keeping them relatable, authentic, and true to your brand’s voice.
How to do it:
- Every video should have a single focus. One compelling story or message and that’s it.
- You must make use of strong visuals and animations that support the story narrative. You could even use augmented or virtual reality elements (AR and VR, respectively) to create immersive and enhanced storytelling experiences.
- Make it hooky right from the start to grab viewers and reel them in.
- Experiment with different formats, like behind-the-scenes, peeks, product demos, or even testimonial stories.
- Make sure every video has a clear CTA to point viewers to the desired action.
Leverage User-Generated Content
You might not realize it yet, but user-generated content (UGC) is a fantastic way to get into the short-form video game. It can help foster a sense of community among your audience, offer strong social proof, and highlight your services or products.
Plus, it’s cost-effective since there’s no investment in creating the content yourself. You’re simply encouraging your audience to create their own content that happens to feature your brand that you then re-purpose for your own marketing efforts. Just be sure to give credit where credit is due!
How to do it:
- Try creating a hashtag around your brand and encourage your clients and customers to share their videos while using it.
- Consider creating a giveaway or contest with the caveat that participants have to create and share videos using your branded hashtag.
- Be sure to foster a sense of belonging and community when using this strategy because that’s part of the fun and effectiveness of it.
- Repost or share the content created by other users on your own social media channels, with proper attribution to the original creators. It’s a bit of a win-win!
Embrace Vertical Video Creation
Like it or lump it, vertical video has become a new standard format for videos on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. You can take advantage of it by ensuring your videos are optimized to be viewed vertically. It does require a bit of forethought to create an experience that’s seamless and engaging, but we know you’ve got it in you!
How to do it:
- Frame it right. In other words, make sure your content is framed to focus on the most important visual elements you want to be highlighted.
- Consider using captions and text overlays to help convey key messaging. Just be sure the content is readable and within the “safe zone”.
- You can also experiment with editing techniques specific to vertical videos, like layering, split screens, and swipe-up transitions.
Collaborate with Influencers and Creators
We think it’s safe to say since the internet is still around, it’s a sure bet influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon either. It’s an excellent way to reach new people. Just make sure your influencers are aligned with your brand values before leveraging their expertise, and always aim for authenticity. People want to connect with real people.
How to do it:
- Suss out potential brand partners that could be a good fit for your brand and assess their values and their audience.
- Don’t micromanage. Give partners creative freedom to create the kind of content that is authentic to them and that they know will resonate with their people. You just reap the reward.
- Encourage long-term relationships. Trust is built over time, and the only way to gain street cred with someone else’s audience is to stick around for a while.
- Consider doing live-streaming events, interviews, or content behind-the-scenes with your collaborators, to offer your audience an experience that’s even more interactive, authentic, and engaging.
Ride Video Trends and Challenges
Another way to make short-form videos work for your strategy is to keep an eye on popular hashtags and creators, so you can keep abreast of the latest video trends and challenges. Participating in them boosts engagement and visibility; when you’re feeling brave, you can even start your own challenge.
How to do it:
- Monitor TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels for some of the top creators and hashtags.
- Make sure the trend that’s currently on the rise is relevant for your target audience and brand before you participate.
- Adapt as needed so that trends are aligned with your own values and brand messaging.
- Shout it from the rooftops on your social channels, and make a point to intentionally engage with people who interact with your videos.
- You could even incorporate some e-commerce elements, such as shoppable videos to make it easy for your audience to purchase a featured product.
Gain Insights for Growth via Video Analytics
Like everything else, monitoring performance is always key to refining your strategies and ensuring the best outcomes and ROI. Metrics like engagement rates, view counts, and audience demographics can offer you valuable insights to help you optimize your content.
How to do it:
- Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and set clear goals for your video marketing strategy.
- Keep an eye on watch times, audience demographics, view counts, engagement rates, and other metrics that are helpful in tailoring your content to the right audience.
- Use the data you collect to identify trends that would be helpful for your brand and areas you might need to improve upon.
- Optimize your tactics and content with data-driven decisions to achieve the best results.
Long-Form Content is Still Necessary
Yes, short-form videos and content is having a moment these days. However, long-form content ain’t dead. Regular YouTube videos continue to thrive, as do podcast platforms. This means the demand for in-depth, informative content doesn’t really go away. Like most marketing and money-making strategies, it’s always wise to diversify. That means offering a mix of short and long-form video content tailored to different platforms and segments of your audience.
How to do it:
- Consider long-form content and what formats and platforms it is best for. Maybe it’s YouTube, maybe it’s Spotify, or maybe it’s even LinkedIn.
- Create informative, meaty content that showcases your brand and offers your audience real value. This might be things like webinars, interviews, how-to videos, and more.
- You could even repurpose some of your long-form content into shorter clips to widen your audience reach without doing extra work.
- Another great idea is to create long-form content that’s more serialized and episodic in nature to keep people coming back regularly.
- Mix it up when you push content out, offering short-form content one day and a longer video or piece of content on another day.
- Don’t forget to optimize your videos for search engines, including tags and keywords, so they rank higher and attract more views.
Spring has sprung, friends. That means the time is now to revamp your 2023 video marketing strategies and help your brand flourish. Embrace the beauty of short-form videos, set up collaborations with really cool people, and ride the trends. You’ll soon be dominating the land of video and connecting with your audience like never before. Need more video content advice? Talk to us!
