In 2022, 64% of marketers are increasing their investment in short-form video. But at what cost? 🤔

Jan 19

We’re calling it now: 2022 is the year of short-form video.

Sure, it’s only January. It might be too early to call it, but we feel pretty justified in doing so.

Short-form videos may already have transformed the way we experience social media. But there’s a lot more where that came from.

Eclipsing longer video and even live video, short-form video has taken social media by storm.

In fact, according to research conducted by HubSpot, 26% of all social media marketers intend to invest most of their marketing spend in short-form videos.

Meanwhile, 95% of those who already use it are planning to increase or maintain their investment, and 50% of all social media marketers plan to use it for the first time this year.

Just as short-form video transforms our social media platforms, marketers are flocking to make the most of this successful trend.

But in spite of all of this, short-form video hasn’t proven itself reliable everywhere.

In fact, several social media platforms – namely Twitter – failed to successfully incorporate it into their respective apps.

Which begs the question… if the short-form video isn’t right for all social media platforms, is it right for all brands?

Let’s find out.

1) The importance of platform

Ever heard the phrase “small but mighty” and rolled your eyes?

Well, short-form video has proven itself to be a bigger asset to marketers than we may ever have thought possible, even just 5 years ago.

But is it right for every brand?

Most brands will find that they have a stronger presence on a specific social media platform.

And naturally, every social media platform is favoured by slightly different demographics of users.

So, where are your audience? Do they prefer social media platforms where the short-form video is a huge part of the platform, like TikTok, Instagram or YouTube?

Or can they be found on social media platforms where the video isn’t as important for high engagement, like Facebook or Twitter?

Answering this question is the first step towards finding out if a short-form video is right for your brand.

2) Why video works

When deciding if video, specifically short-form video, is right for your brand, it is important to understand why video marketing works in the first place.

Video marketing is a tool that allows marketers to do three key things:

1) Educates audiences about a brand’s service, product or story

2) Entertains audiences whilst reflecting the brand’s voice and identity

3) Builds consumer trust through stages 1 and 2, and through giving a visual face* for the brand

(*Please note, the brand’s ‘face’ in this scenario doesn’t always have to be a particular person. It can refer to visual cues that reflect the brand’s identity.)

Before implementing a short-form video into your marketing strategy, ask yourself: is my current social media marketing plan delivering on these key areas?

3) To trial or not to trial

That is the question.

Ultimately, every brand is different. As a result, your campaigns should be, too.

So, whether video marketing is right for your brand or not, all brands can feel confident that their marketing plan will be successful as long as they make sure that their social media presence provides the following:

1) Educates audiences about a brand’s service, product or story

2) Entertains audiences whilst reflecting the brand’s voice and identity

3) Builds consumer trust through stages 1 and 2, and through giving a visual ‘face’ for the brand

To do this, marketers should consider implementing a variety of different strategies, including short-form video, meme marketing, localism, influencer marketing, supporting noble causes and charities, or even re-examining which platforms are right for your brand.

In 2022, 64% of marketers are increasing their investment in short-form video. Will you be one of them?

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