If you’re trying to make the most of video marketing, you’re likely looking at various metrics to figure out which type of content will get you the best possible results.
The choice between short form content production and long form video content is just one of many, but it is essential. Video metrics and data on your previous content can give you some idea of what content length has worked for you and others in the past.
But the truth is that both short form and long form content production can be wildly successful if utilised correctly. Aside from figuring out whether you need shorter or longer videos, it’s also important to consider everything that goes into short form and long form content production. Longer videos will likely rack up a higher cost and be a lot more time-intensive than short form content production.
In this article, we’ll take a look at when you should be investing your time into either content type.
What’s Short Form vs Long Form Video?
How long is a piece of string?
Length is an arbitrary metric; that’s why going forward, here’s how we define short and long form content, respectively.
Shortform video is any video under 10 minutes. This can include quick promos, recipe videos, step-by-step guides, trailers, advertisements, music videos, etc.
Of course, shortform video can get even shorter and snappier than this. Just think of Instagram stories or vines. The majority of video content you watch on social media is only anywhere from a few seconds to two minutes long. This short length makes shortform video easy to consume and share. They are comfortable to watch across all devices, even if viewers are only staring at a phone screen.
Longform video, accordingly, is all video content that is longer than ten minutes. The length of these content types heavily affects what sort of formats you might expect. For example, longform video often includes live Q&A Sessions, webinars, conferences, comedy specials, video essays, and more. It’s rare for branded longform video to appeal to the masses as shorter content does. But the consumers that you can engage with this type of content will be much more engaged and learn more about your brand in the process.
When Should You Use ShortformvsLongform Content?
We’ve already touched on the fact that both shortform and longform video content has their advantages. So here are some scenarios in which you might want to use either.
Always Use Super-Shortform Content
We are talking about the super short, snappy, snackable kind! If you want to succeed on social media, video marketing is crucial. For example, longform, often gets the most engagement and gets shared more often. That’s why you should definitely not miss out on sharing a quantity of short, snappy videos that are easier to make in the first place.
Snappy content can be as simple as getting your social media manager to walk around the office to film colleagues’ getting up to. Short content like this won’t drive long-term engagement, but it will keep your brand alive in between more involved projects.
Use Shortform Content to Highlight Your Brand
“Longer” short videos up to ten minutes in length are great to give entertaining insights into your brand in a variety of places. Use this content on your website in the form of about videos on your website, product videos in email campaigns or information on initiatives your brand is taking. Keep in mind that the most effective shortform video rarely reaches ten minutes but is only a minute or a minute and a half in length.
Use Longform Content Sparingly, and Make It Count
Longform video is not just the hardest to make but also the hardest to launch. To get enough engagement with longer content, you’ll need to plan the creative focus of the video much more thoroughly and keep it engaging throughout. Longform content should also provide clearer value. Mild amusement won’t cut it for over ten minutes of watch time. Nonetheless, some brands have released amazing promotional videos and short films to highlight what their companies and products are all about.
Longform video is a chance to get creative and take the time to make a point as best as you can.
Invest in Branded Shortform and Longform Content Production
Are you looking for the perfect partner for your next video project? Highstakes films in London specializes in branded content. We don’t only know how long a video should be to get its point across, but what it needs to entail to be engaging, shareable and value-driven. Get in touch today to talk to us about your video production needs.
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