Short-form video content is everywhere—on TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and beyond. With attention spans shrinking and mobile viewing on the rise, it’s no wonder brands are leaning into short-form video marketing to engage audiences.
Video can inform and activate audiences to act: from healthcare to purchasing. See more of our work with American Kidney Fund here.
You need to make intentional decisions about where you spend your limited time – and budget. Fortunately, we at Next Day Animations are the experts in succinct video marketing.
In fact, we’ve been partnering with organizations to create engaging explainer videos for over 14 years.
Do short videos actually convert users? The answer to the question is clear:
From marketing, to healthcare, to politics: experience has shown us time and again that animated video is an exceptional tool for inspiring action and activating audiences.
In this blog, we’ll explore the power of short-form video content, how it influences user behavior, potential challenges, and best practices for creating a short-form video strategy that drives real results.
The Power of Short Form Video Content
We define short-form videos as 60 seconds are less. In essence, a short video is any video designed for quick consumption, making them an ideal way to grab attention fast. We create many explainer videos under 5 minutes or less designed to share massive amounts of information with peak efficiency.
So why is short video so popular? Studies show that videos under 60 seconds generate twice the engagement of longer ones.
Believe it or not, Lifewire states that 57% of Gen Z users do most of their product research using short-form videos! The days of Yelp and Google reviews may be a thing of the past before we know it.
This section highlights how short-form media can be leveraged by brands looking to boost visibility and influence purchasing decisions.
Our explainer with the Brooklyn Library pairs familiar stories with an important message to build a piece of content that is both memorable and informative.
How Short-Form Video Content Impacts User Behavior
The rise of short-form video content has changed the way audiences interact with brands. Here’s how:
What is a ‘Reel’ or ‘Vertical Video’ ?
If you’ve ever seen a TikTok, Youtube Short, or Instagram Reel – you’ve seen a vertical video.
Utilizing a tall aspect ratio better suited to phone screens, vertical video – also known as ‘9:16 aspect ratio videos’ or ‘reels’ – grows more popular every single day.
While this article discusses short-form video content in general, our studio offers comprehensive packages that encourage clients to build campaigns which reach audiences where they are. Confirmed to improve awareness and conversions, this often means formatting the same short video in multiple sizes.
Our studio offers a variety of formatting options to fit your budget and audience:
Simple Reformatting
By adding branded backgrounds to your traditional explainer video, you enhance the look of your animation while stabilizing it for a 9:16 environment.
Use simple reformatting when you want the fastest and most affordable route to bringing your video to reels, TikTok, and shorts.
Custom Reformatting
With custom reformatting, our professional team reanimates your completed horizontal video to fit the vertical video format.
Our team carefully replaces and re-spaces important elements of your animation, retaining visibility on platforms that cut content off with buttons and captions.
9:16 / Reel / Vertical Design
Consider creating an animation wholly designed for the vertical environment: if your campaign won’t rely on the use of traditional, horizontal video, count on our award-winning team to design an animation that shines on socials.
Use 9:16 video design when don’t need a full screen version of your campaign video.
How to Build a Winning Short-Form Video Strategy
Creating effective, short video content is about more then chopping together a highlight reel of your best long-form content.
It’s crucial to maximize every second to engage, inform, and drive action. With online attention spans estimated around 8 seconds these days, every second matters. And that’s not an exaggeration!
Here’s how to craft a short-form video strategy that delivers results:
Know Your Audience
Every video project that comes through our studio starts with a Project Kick-Off Call. This is an opportunity for our expert scriptwriters to align with our production team, who both spend time getting to know the goals of your project – and your organization in general.
Why do we start our projects with client audience research?
Because your video doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s for someone, at a certain time, in a certain place. Clearly defining these factors is the first step to expert levels of impact.
Clearly identifying your audience makes it possible to tailor your video to their goals and preferences. This leads to higher engagement and more effective communication – aka, a more successful video, and overall campaign.
Encourage Action
A well-structured animated explainer video doesn’t just entertain—it drives action. Whether your goal is conversions, follows, or shares, always include a clear and compelling CTA, such as:
- “Click the link to learn more!” (For product sales or event sign-ups).
- “Drop a comment if you agree!” (For engagement and boosting reach).
- “Follow for more quick tips!” (For growing your audience and sharing information).
Remember, social media algorithms favor engagement—so prompting viewers to like, comment, or share increases visibility and extends reach.
Maximize Your Impact: Consistency, Across Platforms
Once you’ve invested the time and effort to create a solid animation, don’t neglect your roll-out strategy.
When it comes to short-form video strategy, optimizing for different platforms is key. Each platform has unique requirements, so adapting your content ensures it performs well wherever it’s shared.
We know how complicated navigating the waters of social media can be. Take advantage of our complimentary Launch Consultation when you partner with our studio. Or see more tips on Short Form Content from Forbes here.
The Bottom Line on Short Form Video
Short-form video isn’t just a trend—it’s a powerful tool for engagement and conversion. By understanding the effects of short-form video content and leveraging the best structure for short-form videos, you can turn quick clips into powerful marketing assets.
