Short-Form Content Explained: Why Bite-Sized Media Rules the Digital World

Short-form content is all over the internet. It’s the driving force behind social media and the majority of what’s used for digital marketing. Let’s dig into why that’s the case and how you can use it in your business’s marketing strategy.

Why use it?

Short form videos and posts are ideal for mobile users and are highly shareable on social media. They’re great for quickly capturing attention and boosting engagement.

For example, TikToks are designed to be shareable, and x posts are often shared with commentary. The more your content is shared and discussed in the comments, the more your audience will remember you. These bite-sized content pieces are fantastic for brand awareness and recognition.

This type of media is where the conversation is happening and you should be a part of it.

How short is short?

Short-form content is typically considered to be under 60 seconds or less than 1,000 words. Examples would include: social media posts (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram), short blogs, reels, TikToks, and brief emails.

Short-form videos or written posts are designed to be quick and easy for you to produce, easy for your audience to consume and digest, and to drive engagement.

Think of these videos and posts as “snackable” content. They’re not where you really dig into the meat of your industry. They’re quick, high-impact, ways to get and stay in contact with your audience.

Keep it simple

“Under 60 seconds” is probably still too long. Depending on who you ask, the average adult attention span is reported to be around 8 to 12 seconds. That’s it.
You have 8 seconds to get your point across and make an impact with your viewer. You have even less time to grab their attention in the first place. Most browsers will keep scrolling if they aren’t hooked in the first 2 seconds.

How to do it

The exact plan will depend a bit on what type of short for media you are making, but here’s a general checklist to guide you.

1. Consider Your Audience. Know their demographics (age, location, interests, etc), pain points, and how they consume content on each platform. Then create with them in mind.
2. Choose the Right Format. Think about where your audience is, the main idea you want to get across, and what type of content will help you to communicate best.
   1. Video clips (15–60 seconds): Ideal for storytelling, product demos, or tips.
   2. Carousels: Multi-image posts on Instagram or LinkedIn.
   3. Memes/GIFs: Humor and relatability.
   4. Text posts or tweets: Snappy insights, quotes, or quick facts.
3. Hook Immediately. The first few seconds matter most. Use attention-grabbers like, “You’re doing this wrong…” or “Here’s the trick nobody talks about…” If you don’t get them right away, they’re gone, and so is that chance to engage with them.
4. Deliver valuable information efficiently. Stick to one idea per post. Provide quick tips, hacks, or stats. Use simple language and direct messaging.
5. Add a Call-to-Action. End with something like, “Follow for more tips”, “Link in bio”, or “Comment ‘Yes’ if you agree”. The more they interact with that post, the more likely they are to remember you and be served more of your content by the social media algorithms in the future.
6. Use Platform Features. Work within the platform’s system design to give your content a boost and to get noticed. Just like you want your website to be optimized for mobile users, you want your original content to be easy for your audience to enjoy.
   1. TikTok: Duets, sounds, trending hashtags.
   2. Instagram: Reels, stickers, polls.
   3. YouTube Shorts: Vertical format, eye-catching thumbnails.
7. Use subtle branding. Utilize your brand’s color scheme, logo, or tone of voice. Prioritize value over promotion. You’re not shouting your name at potential customers. You’re letting them get to know you and trust you.
8. Repurpose content. One blog post can be turned into a 30-second tip video, a carousel, a tweet thread, and more. You can (and should) use more than one format for a concept or topic, but each piece should be suited to the format and platform you plan to use. Don’t just copy and paste everywhere.
9. Check performance: Data such as views, likes, shares, saves, and comments provide real numbers to see if you’re making an impression or not. Double down on what works. Don’t waste time on what doesn’t work. You’re not just chasing clicks, but content that provides value should rise to the top.

What about long-form?

Long-form content is typically over 1,000 words or longer than 5 minutes in the case of a video/audio piece. Examples include in-depth blog posts, whitepapers, webinars, YouTube tutorials, and the like.

Longer, more fleshed out content can be great for building your brand’s authority in a field. Deep diving on a topic helps to educate and potentially convert more readers than a short, pithy video might. Almost anyone can pretend to know what they’re talking about for half a minute, but a demonstration or a thorough explanation shows that you’re not bluffing about your professional skillset.

Possibly the biggest advantage gained with long-form media comes from its SEO potential. Search engines prioritize websites with in-depth content that was created by real people (or at least looks like it). Once your website or profile page is at the top of the search results, leads will have an easier time finding you and uncovering all the valuable content you have waiting for them.

So why NOT long-form?

By all means, use long-form content. Just not on its own.

The longer your videos or blogs are, the longer they take to create. If you’re going for something formal and high quality, that’s even more time consuming.

It’s better to create something decent and put yourself out there than to spend all your time and resources chasing that one “perfect” thing. Just go knock out something short and genuine.

You also have to keep in mind who you’re trying to reach. The average browser doesn’t think they have time to stop and watch or read something long. You have to win them over, preferably without constantly battling their miniscule attention span.

The Right Mix

The more time your audience spends watching your videos or reading your posts, the stronger brand recall will be. Better brand recall means more high value leads.

Your digital marketing strategy should include a healthy mix of content, but the easy-to-create, easy-to-consume nature of short-form makes it absolutely essential for reaching your target audience.