Best Practices for Short-Form Video

Move aside long-form video — there’s a new content sheriff in town. 

Short-form video is not just a passing trend; it’s a game changer. Over the last 8 years, short-form content has taken over the social media landscape, becoming one of the most popular and effective mediums for interacting with and engaging audiences.

This means creating captivating short videos is essential for brands and creators alike.

Let’s explore what you need to know about short-form video, from the social media platforms you should have on your radar to the best practices so you can craft compelling videos that will captivate your audience. 

What is short-form video content?

Before we fully dive in, let’s start with the fundamentals. 

Put simply, short-form video is a bite-sized content format that delivers a message quickly and effectively. While there are no hard and fast rules about video length for short videos, they’re typically between a few seconds to three minutes long. Unlike long-form videos, short-form content has the upper hand in catering to our shorter attention spans, which are averaging about 8.25 seconds. 

Regardless of the niche or industry, anyone can utilize short-form video content for marketing their brand. They’re easy to make, engaging, and well-converting. And people just like it. According to The Sprout Social Index in 2022, 66% of consumers say short-form video is the most engaging type of social content. So, why not capture your audience’s attention with the content format they already love? 

Best short-form video content platforms

Luckily, finding the perfect place to post your short-form content isn’t too difficult. To get you started on the right foot, here are the social media platforms you should check out where short videos are sustained the best. 

TikTok

It wouldn’t be a short-form video blog without the mention of TikTok. Since its launch in 2016, this app has rapidly become the hub for short-form content. With over 1.5 billion monthly active users (and counting), it is the fifth most popular social network worldwide.  

TikTok supports videos from 15 seconds to a few minutes in length, so there’s room to play. Create fun, fast-paced content that aligns with what viewers are interested in right now. 

Instagram Reels

Instagram has been around since 2010, but gone are the days of it being only a photo platform to share selfies. In 2019, they launched their own version of short-form videos called Instagram Reels.  

With Instagram Reels, you can share videos ranging from 15 to 90 seconds long. The platform is great for discoverability but still ensures you easily reach the people who follow your brand already. 

YouTube Shorts 

YouTube is still full of long-form videos, of course, but now they’ve created their response to short-form content: YouTube Shorts. 

Since its release in the US in 2021, creators can share clips up to 60 seconds with existing subscribers and non-subscribing users alike. This is ideal for helping you look beyond your current YouTube community to explore growth opportunities. 

Advice for picking your platform 

Reminder: Don’t feel like you need to pick just one platform to debut your videos. They all have their perks for helping you grow, be creative, and build a community. Try them all out, and soon enough you’ll find which combo (or singular platform) is the right fit for your brand. 

Best practices for short-form videos 

Before you go hitting the record button, learn these best practices to set yourself up for success. From repurposing old content into new clips to designing videos to be viewed with the sound off, these techniques will have you creating engaging short-form videos like a pro.

Repurpose other videos 

You don’t have to jump right into recording short videos for social media. If you’re new to the short-form video game, try working smarter, not harder. Repurpose your already recorded videos into a shorter format. 

Got video content from a podcast interview, a workout session, or a gaming livestream you’ve recorded? Using a video tool like Switcher, you can create clips from past productions to post on the social media platform of your choice. The clips can be as long or as short as you like, allowing you to grab the perfect funny podcast snippet or meaningful worship service quote. 

Take advantage of trends

If you’re looking to increase your relevancy on social media, utilizing trends is the way to do it. Not only are they fun, but users love exploring various interpretations of trends and will watch video after video (which means organic discovery of your brand).  

To identify a trend, simply spend some time on your preferred short-form video platform. Pay attention to what you’re seeing — and hearing. After a few finger swipes, you’ll get a sense of what’s popular. Just remember, not every trend will suit you and your brand, and that’s okay. When you find a trend that aligns with your voice and you know your audience will enjoy, film it and hit publish.  

Shoot vertical video

What do TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts all have in common? Vertical videos. Start your content creation process off right by shooting your videos vertically. 

You can technically shoot your videos horizontally, but you’ll need to crop them dramatically, which will look awkward and can lead to a loss in overall quality. Keep your phone or camera in a vertical position when filming, and you’ll ensure your video fills the entire screen and looks natural on mobile devices. 

Design for sound-off  

Whether waiting at the dentist or lying next to a sleeping family member, many viewers can’t or don’t want to watch videos with sound. In fact, over 90% of viewers watch videos with the sound off. With this in mind, create videos that can be enjoyed silently. Sure, the viewing experience will likely be enhanced with sound, but your video must still convey the same message, meaning, and emotion with no audio. 

Often, the best way to convey a message with no sound is through text. Subtitles or on-screen text graphics can be fun and engaging. For on-screen text, try not to get too wordy — keep in mind: it’s still a video, not an essay. 

Don’t forget about the caption. Sometimes, it’s enough to provide context in the caption rather than the video, whether it’s a call to action or a hint to keep an eye on the dog in the corner of the screen. 

Apply visual storytelling 

To help your videos stand out from the competition, visual storytelling is your key. A well-crafted visual story sparks curiosity and leaves a memorable impression on viewers. What do we mean by visual storytelling? Adding images, stickers, text overlays, and even creative transitions to your video to kick it up a notch. 

Switcher is your tool to easily add visual storytelling elements to your videos. Add graphics, text, and images with the tap of a finger. Want to add in a split screen or picture-in-picture view? Don’t worry, our app can help you handle that all, too.

Time to start creating 

With the best practices in your pocket, you’re ready to start filming your own short-form content — and having Switcher by your side makes creating short-form videos even easier: 

Streamline content creation 

It only takes one app and a few finger taps to have fresh content. When you livestream content for your brand, repurposing and creating short clips becomes even easier. Or, you can simply record short videos. Whatever you choose, Switcher has your back. 

Level up your video visuals 

Creative and skillful editing takes your short-form content to the next level. Luckily, when you use Switcher, enhancing your video with visuals is simple. With the multicamera feature, you can connect up to nine iPhones and iPads. Then, switch angles in real time so you don’t miss a thing when recording. You can also add in text, images, and graphics without fuss. 

Simplify your video workflow

Don’t worry about taking up all the precious storage space on your phone with the videos you’re going to upload. With Switcher, you can share your finished video directly to your preferred social media platform or save it to your cloud video library for future posting. 

Want more tips on creating and sharing video content, whether short, long, or somewhere in between? Subscribe to our blog to get notified right away when new articles come out!