By Doug Brown 
Videos are fast becoming the norm for online content. Short videos have become extremely popular in the last decade with the boom of social media and the introduction of platforms like Tik-Tok and Instagram Reel. The low attention span of the average online user also plays a vital role in this switch. A great resource to collaborate with to make free creative videos is Vlogr.
It is also straightforward to make videos today. You can edit videos online and publish them directly with close to no-efforts. Short videos are the future of internet communication, but what makes them so memorable?
Why Use Short Videos?
1. Build Anticipation
A short video provides a sense of urgency and the anticipation to watch more. Think of these as small rushes of dopamine that helps you build curiosity about your brand. Movie trailers have been using this philosophy for generations to create interest.
2. Keeping Users Hooked.
When a user spends many hours on a single video, they tend to tune out and move to other things. The advantage of small videos is keeping them hooked and jumping from one to the next.
This involvement is why we watch only one movie a day but can binge-watch a set of episodes the whole day. It is easier to consume content in smaller and snack-able bursts.
3. Repeat Watching.
Short-form content also gets more repeat views that long-form content. Since they take less time to consume, people do not mind re-watching a small video instead of a more extended range. When users see a video more often, it also creates a long-lasting impression in their minds.
If you notice the start or the end of a show, made using an outro maker, are lodged in your brains for more prolonged times than the whole show — this is because of its short and repetitive nature.
4. Shareability.
Short videos mean more people get to the end of each video. This factor also increases the relatability from the content, which leads to more shares. Short videos are statistically proven to get better growth when shared.
People who are regular viewers of long-videos also watch short videos when sent to them, but the reverse of this is not valid.
5. Quantity Posting.
Making short videos takes less time and effort. This gives the creator the freedom to make more videos and post more often. Some social media platforms rank your content higher when you post more often. Thus, small videos make business sense.
6. Cost-Effective.
Lastly, the most critical factor is costs-saving. Short videos can take small budgets, minimal equipment, and basic skills to create. They can also be made in bulk, which will help protect the repetitive cost of production.
Small videos also do not need complex editing tools like Davinci Resolve. Mobile-phone and online editing tools, which come with pre-set templates, are ideal for this fast-paced practice.
Short Videos Ideas:
1. Behind The Scenes
These forms of videos are easy to make and used by any brand or individual alike. BTS videos showcase the process of your production, the life of a blogger, or the working of a company. It is in its most basic form — the process that leads to the service you are selling.
These small videos show an honest representation of the brand. BTS content will help establish a face to your brand and help connect with the users emotionally.
2. Fun Facts
Learning or informative content is one of the most consumed forms of online videos. Based on your business domain, create small videos that share intriguing facts, anecdotes, or insights. These will keep users involved and portray your brand as a subject-matter-expert.
These do not have to be about your brand but around your domain. For example, If you are a company that exports sports goods. Make videos that show the history of shoes, or the change in policy regulation in exports, etc.
3. How-To Videos.
These videos work best if you are a product-centric company. You are making small videos that explain your products’ working or another new tech in that field. This video will help your users understand your products better and also educate new users.
4. Entertaining Videos
Entertainment is a very niche-specific video type. By making videos that entertain people, you can grab eyeballs and eventually build a user base to direct sales. Products like Vine and Reels are the perfect example of this model. They are short-form videos, packed with punches.
5. Event trailers
If you have an event, webinar, or conference coming up, use a video to build the anticipation and spread the world. A video opposed to a text-post can better encapsulate all the information and are presented better with visual aids.
You can also share videos of past events and the introduction of upcoming events as a trailer. The brief nature of the video will make them highly impactful.
6. Product Features
Mobile companies like Apple and OnePlus have been using this trick for many years. The use of small videos to establish features of a phone, months before its launch. While long-form video reviews and unboxing are essential, they cannot be as impactful without these smaller videos.
7. Moving Image.
Lastly, if you are unsure about making high-production videos but still want to leverage the advantages of video content, make moving images. These are animated posters, looped-banners, and GIFs for social media.
While they can be a mear image or text posts, you can improve your page ranking and get better engagements by making them into videos. Tools on social media platforms like Boomerangs and online GIF makers have been created for this very purpose.
Final Thoughts,
The more you dwell on the idea of short videos, the more you see them all around you. From Whatsapp forwards to website introductions, these videos are becoming powerful tools, and not using them would only harm any brand or business.
The only factor to consider in making good videos is that they must add value to your user. Do not fall prey to trend-jacking and mass-hysteria. Make videos that are directed to your target-audience and solace a purpose. The results will definitely follow in due-time.
SME Paid Under
Sitetrail Research Team