Short-form video is the hottest trend in social media marketing right now. Indeed, research shows that:

💰 Short-form video has the highest ROI of any current marketing trend (as defined by HubSpot)

📈 67% of social media marketers plan to invest more in short-form video than any other format in 2024

💸 91% of those using short-form video in 2024 plan to maintain or increase investment

Whether you’re totally new to the world of short-form content or are looking to level up your existing strategy, you’re in the right place, because we’re going to share 10 tried-and-trusted best practices for creating short-form video that drive views, clicks, and conversions.

Let’s get into it…

1. Optimize Short-Form Video for Different Platforms

Hear the words “short-form video” and you’ll likely think of TikTok and Instagram Reels.

But those aren’t the only platforms to consider. Facebook rolled out its own Reels feature globally in 2022, while YouTube launched its TikTok rival — the aptly named YouTube Shorts — back in 2020. Even X/Twitter, which was originally all about words, says that four-fifths of user sessions now involve video.

This presents a key challenge for social media marketers, because each platform requires its own approach.

To give just one example, thumbnail images display from one platform to the next, so you’ll need to change your cropping to ensure they contain all the necessary information. As demonstrated by Warby Parker, which chose to edit out the “eyewitness news” graphic for the TikTok version of this thumbnail:

On a similar note, if you’re thinking about creating a video on TikTok then reposting it across all your other channels, think again. When you download a video from TikTok, the platform adds its own watermark — and if Instagram detects that watermark, it’ll downrank and demote your content.

In other words: it’s fine to share the same type of content across multiple platforms, but you need to edit specific versions for each channel.

👉 Learn more: TikTok for Business: Top 10 Brands Smashing it on TikTok

2. Remember: Shorter Isn’t Always Better

Given that we’re specifically writing about best practices for short-form content, this next best practice might sound counterintuitive. But bear with us, because we’ve got receipts to back it up.

There’s plenty of disagreement over what, exactly, constitutes a “short-form video.” But we prefer a broad definition of any video lasting 5 – 90 seconds, which aligns with the favored video durations across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Which brings us to a key point: videos at the longer end of the short-form spectrum tend to perform better.

In fact, data shows that the most successful TikTok accounts (AKA those with the most followers) post longer videos, on average, than smaller accounts.

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This is backed up by separate research from Buffer, which found that the longer the TikTok video, the more views it tends to get.

So don’t think that your short-form strategy has to be all about bite-sized videos. There’s plenty of scope for longer content — just keep it within the 90-second limit for best results.

3. Grab Attention Early

Clearly, most users on short-form video platforms don’t visit your profile to view your content — they stumble across it by chance in their for you feed.

It’s easy for social media users to get into the habit of mindlessly scrolling up to get to the next video (and the next, and the next). So if you’re going to stop them in their tracks, you need to capture their attention in the opening couple seconds.

Do this by starting your short-form video with an attention-grabbing sound or eye-catching visual. Just like this frankly alarming example from Duolingo:

@duolingo STREAK REMINDER 🔥🗣️🗣️ #streak #duolingo #streaks ♬ som original – luinz🅱️7️⃣

4. Add Captions for Accessibility

This next tip applies to any type of video content, regardless of length: make it accessible by adding captions.

In the US, approximately 15% of adults report some trouble hearing. That’s around 37.5 million people who might not be able to hear your video. What’s more, if we exclude non-social users, just under three-quarters of people choose to watch social media videos without the sound turned up. So unless your video requires literally zero additional context, if you don’t add captions, it’s guaranteed to miss the mark with a large chunk of your audience.

Glossier shows us the value of captions in short-form video in this Instagram Reel:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Glossier (@glossier)

Without them, anyone watching without sound would miss all the key information about the dates and locations of the brand’s New York popups.

Fortunately, adding captions isn’t complicated. In fact, most platforms will do it for you. For example, with Instagram, just:

  • Upload your Reel
  • Tap the Stickers button:

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  • Choose Captions to automatically add captions to your Reel:

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Easy, huh?

👉 Learn more: Instagram Reels 101: Everything Your Brand Needs to Know to Get Started

5. Position Captions in the Right Place

So we’re agreed: captioning your videos is a good thing.

But where should those captions sit within your video content?

As a general rule, it’s best to position captions in the lower center of the screen. But you should move them to make space for important visual elements in your video, such as the product you’re promoting. Also, remove captions during any pauses in speech to make it easier for viewers to follow what’s going on.

The North Face gets it right in this Instagram Reel:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The North Face (@thenorthface)

6. Leverage Trending Topics

One of the keys to short-form content success is understanding what works on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok, which are highly driven by trends.

When a trend takes off, you’ve got the chance to join the conversation, which can help you generate a ton of extra views and engagement.

This explains why a bunch of brands went wild for the following hard-to-describe trend, as demonstrated by Lyft…

@lyftall we know is lyft laugh love 💞♬ original sound – Empire State Building

…Ritual…

@ritualBut I can support your nutrient needs 🫶♬ original sound – Empire State Building

…and, weirdly, the Lawn Tennis Association:

@lta Seriously stop asking 😓🎾 #tennis #tennisplayers #Wimbledon #funny #symphony ♬ original sound – Empire State Building

But a trend that blows up one day may fall flat 24 hours later. So, if you’re going to create trend-driven content, you need to constantly stay on top of the latest content formats and sounds.

(Which means spending longer scrolling Insta and TikTok. For research.)

👉 Learn more: 10 Examples of Brands Hopping on Social Media Trends (That Worked)

7. Add a Persuasive CTA

Whatever conversions you’re trying to generate, short-form video can deliver an impressive return on your marketing bucks.

But that’ll only happen if you make your content actionable. By which we mean your videos should include a clear, compelling call to action (CTA), such as:

  • Click through to a campaign landing page
  • Shop your sale or buy your latest product
  • Comment on your video post

Soft drink brand Recess shows how to do it:

@takearecessRecess happy hour giveaway alert! We’re selecting 20 lucky and soon-to-be-chill winners to receive the new Recess Zero Proof Craft Mocktail happy hour sampler – featuring our newest mocktails, the Recess classic “cosmo” and island “spritz as well as fan faves, “margarita” and “paloma.”♬ original sound – Recess

Unusually, this video contains two (complementary) CTAs — one at the start that persuades viewers to keep watching, and another at the end explaining how to enter the Recess giveaway. So there’s never any doubt about what to do next.

8. Loop Your Short-Form Content

Want a quick-and-dirty tip that can encourage viewers to watch your content for longer?

Try creating looping videos without an obvious start or end point, like this example from Everlane:

@everlane @Lara is serving in the new Utility Pants.🤍 The Labor Day Sale continues all weekend long with 25% off sitewide. #Everlane #barrelpants #barreljeans #utilitypants ♬ original sound – Everlane

Kinda hypnotic, huh?

The beauty of this type of short, sharp video content is that the viewer doesn’t instantly realize they’ve reached the end of the video, so they’re more likely to watch it all over again.

This can be helpful for reinforcing key messages. The more times someone sees your CTA, the more likely they are to take action.

(And, as a side note, this tactic can also boost your view count on platforms like TikTok.)

9. Keep Videos Snappy To Boost Engagement

Just because a video is short, there’s no guarantee your audience will keep watching to the end.

Today, our social feeds are so cluttered that it’s easy to get distracted by the next thing. Which means we’re constantly battling to keep viewers engaged and paying attention.

Of course, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for creating engaging short-form video content. But one effective approach is to make your videos feel more dynamic. That means ditching long, static shots in favor of snappy transitions (plus plenty of animations, overlays, and other visual effects).

Let’s take a look at this tip in action, courtesy of Converse:

@converseHOW TO PLAN A GOOD PARTY Step 1: Put RENEGADE NYC in charge of everything DJs: KXAH Nas Leber DAZEGXD Shot by: Renegade NYC Music by: Doctor Jeep “Mecha”♬ original sound – Converse

This video is 47 seconds long — pretty lengthy by TikTok standards. But it keeps us engaged throughout with constant camera movement and diverse perspectives that switch rapidly from close-ups to long-shots to drone footage.

All of which makes you want to stick around.

10. Stick To a Consistent Posting Schedule

The popularity of platforms like Instagram and TikTok stems from their ability to present users with content they’ll love.

It’s all down to the magic of their algorithms: they quickly identify when a video is generating lots of views — then show that same video to a ton of other people.

Keeping the algorithm happy is all about creating and sharing a consistent stream of content. Ideally, aim to post once a day, or at least weekly if that’s not possible. That way, you’ll always have enough fresh content for the algorithm to select from and show to your audience.

👉 Learn more: 12 Strategies For Creating an Effective Social Media Content Calendar

Want to learn proven social media strategies from industry leaders? Book your place at our next Social Media Strategies Summit Virtual Conference!

Featured image by Pexels.

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