More than ever, people are consuming content via social media—a platform where you have to quickly stand out if you don’t want users to pass you by. One of the most popular ways of doing that today is through short-form video content. Only growing in popularity, this medium gives businesses and creators sometimes just a few seconds to make their point and draw viewers in.
This can be difficult for businesses that may be used to producing longer-form content, such as blog posts or interviews. Luckily, there are several ways you can take advantage of tools like TikToks and Instagram Reels even with little to no experience. Here, the business leaders of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their advice for leveraging short-form videos to draw more consumers to your business.
1. Focus On The Motivation Behind The Video
When considering video usage, I focus on the motivation behind it: sharing a message with emotional resonance. Emotional resonance doesn’t always mean making people cry; it can trigger memories or evoke specific emotions that trigger actions. I also explore the motivation behind the content itself. For user-generated content, is it due to a unique event or is it a cost-saving strategy? If a video highlights charity support, is it aligned with your mission or aimed at momentarily increasing brand awareness? These questions guide strategic conversations and ultimately lead to giving content a long-term cohesive theme. – Will Humphrey, Windy Films
2. Transform And Repurpose Long-Form Content
Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok videos are the hottest platforms right now to take advantage of for both content creators and businesses. For personal brands, you can simply repurpose some of your long-form content from your podcast interviews, your vlogs or even the daily short snippets of your Instagram Stories. You can highlight a specific question from an interview and then transition to your answer. The question could be the hook of your IG Reel, which would attract a specific target audience that might be interested in that very specific question. This has worked for me in the past, especially when giving tips and advice. For example, I have an IG Reel that I posted a couple weeks ago that reached over 192,000 plays by me simply giving advice on how to collaborate. – Fritz Colcol, Simply Thalia
3. Optimize Each Video For All Platforms
Unify the format so you can post the same short videos on different platforms. This will help you create omnipresence so your prospects see you everywhere they go. If you already make YouTube Shorts, adjust the editing algorithm with little tweaks so it looks good on other platforms. For example, place your subtitles a bit higher to make sure they aren’t covered by other elements when published on TikTok. Then, just use an automated scheduling tool to publish your clips everywhere. Remember that every social channel has its own users. You will be posting the same content but it will be shown to different people. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
4. Tell An Interesting Story
In my career, I have witnessed how effective storytelling in videos can be in driving engagement and generating interest. By crafting videos on Instagram Stories and Reels that tell stories or offer tips relevant to our brand identity and values, we have been able to grow our audience and establish a stronger connection with them. This has resulted in larger yet more targeted followings, brand awareness, higher viewer retention rates and, ultimately, improved conversion rates. – Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
5. Keep It Authentic
One tip I’d recommend to small businesses for maximizing the potential of short-form video content is to keep it engaging and authentic. Craft content that resonates with your audience by sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses or quick tutorials or by showcasing your brand’s personality. Authenticity builds trust and a genuine connection with viewers. It’s also crucial to stay consistent with posting schedules and to interact with comments and feedback. We’ve seen success by focusing on storytelling and addressing customer pain points, which has led to increased engagement and brand awareness. – Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME
6. Capture Attention By Solving A Problem
Short-form video content can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool for small businesses. The key to successful short-form video content is to create high-quality videos that capture the attention of your target audience in just a few seconds. Start by identifying your audience’s needs and creating videos that solve their problems or provide valuable information. It’s also important to use search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to ensure your videos are easily discoverable online. Don’t forget to track engagement metrics regularly and monitor progress so you can adjust strategies accordingly over time! – Jennifer A Barnes, Optima Office, Inc.
7. Keep Videos Snappy And Entertaining
Short-form video content can be super helpful for businesses looking to engage with their audience and boost their visibility. The best way to take advantage of such videos is to keep them snappy and entertaining. Doing this can help you grab quick attention from your users. Start with a strong hook or attention-grabbing element within the first few seconds. This can be a surprising visual, a compelling question or a teaser of what’s to come. Use concise and clear messaging. Get to the point quickly and avoid unnecessary filler. – Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite
8. Take Advantage Of User-Generated Content
User-generated content is a goldmine of authentic and relatable content created by your customers or fans. It’s a win-win strategy because it not only saves you time and effort but also fosters a sense of community and trust around your brand. When you feature content from your customers—such as reviews, testimonials or examples of how they use your products—it shows that real people are enjoying your offerings, and that’s incredibly persuasive to potential customers. Incorporating UGC into your short-form videos adds a human touch to your marketing efforts, and is often more convincing than anything you say about yourself. Plus, it encourages your audience to engage with your brand creatively, turning them into active participants rather than passive consumers. – Pratik Chaskar, Spectra
9. Make Videos For Client Education
Small businesses can create several short videos about their products or services, client testimonials and also educational content to market and help their customers. Whenever we have a demo call, we send out a video with our past work and our process. This helps clients learn more about us before they come to the call. We also send educational videos after the demo call to keep them engaged. – Piyush Jain, Simpalm
10. Stay Relevant To Your Business
Keep it compelling and entertaining but also relevant. I’ve seen some businesses try too hard to follow the latest trends even if they have no connection to the business. For example, if you have a trucking company, cute cat videos don’t really connect with your business (though, if you’re creative, you may be able to find a link). Remember that large brands can get away with creative but irrelevant ads, as you see at the Super Bowl sometimes or with large insurance companies. But, a small business without wide name recognition needs to keep viewers engaged but also get across a specific message about their product or service. I’d suggest creating videos that showcase your essential product or benefit in an engaging way. – Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
