Short-Form Video: The Ultimate Guide 2025
Attention spans have fallen to that of a goldfish – just 8 seconds…
That’s what many online sources say, but it’s actually something of a myth.
Even so, short-form video has taken off in recent years and it is here to stay, rather than just a passing fad. Which means that short videos do have power over audiences.
Most marketers say short-form videos are the most successful type of video marketing content, with 39% concluding that 30 to 60 second videos get the most engagement.
The truth is – brands and businesses are locked in a battle for people’s attention. And short-form video is a great way to grab it.
Attention is a resource – a person has only so much of it. – Matthew Crawford, NYT
If you want to get people’s limited attention, and get your brand noticed along the way, then short-form video is your best bet.
In this guide, we’ll look at what is meant by “short-form videos” and share some top tips on how to get the best possible results when creating and publishing them.
What are Short-Form Videos?
A rough and ready definition – short-form videos are between 5 and 90 seconds long.
These little bite-size pieces of entertainment have surged in popularity over the past couple of years with the rise of TikTok. This led to the release of features like Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, amongst others. Now, you can even promote your brand on the open web with Moments by Outbrain short-form vertical video ads in the style of TikTok, but featured on publisher sites, like CNN, Daily Mail, and more.
The reason why short videos are so popular is the instant gratification they provide – a quick-fix of content wherever you are – in the dentist’s waiting room, on your lunch break at work, standing in line at the store, or relaxing on your sofa in the evening.
Though the concept of a short-form video is simple enough, there’s a ton of variety in how to use them as part of your digital marketing strategy, as we’ll see in just a moment.
Why Use Short-Form Video?
It’s probably easier to list the reasons why you shouldn’t use short-form videos in your content marketing strategy – which are… none.
You have nothing to lose.
Short-form videos are:
- Quick and easy to make
- Cheap to create, publish, and distribute
- Easy for people to consume “on-the-go”
- Gets you noticed on multiple media platforms
- Increases your marketing reach
- Multi-purpose – can be used for brand storytelling, product demos, testimonials, and more
Short-form videos align perfectly with modern content consumption habits. They give people just enough content to entertain or inform without demanding too much time and attention. They are especially useful for reaching a younger audience (under 25s) who prefer quick content bursts.
You’ll also get a lot more data from short-form video campaigns, which means you can quickly see what’s working and what isn’t, then tweak your short video marketing strategy in real time.
Now we’ve explained what are short-form videos, let’s take a quick look at the different online platforms where you can promote them.
Top 5 Short-Form Video Platforms
1. Moments by Outbrain
Imagine you’re browsing through your favorite news site or blog. Halfway down the page, you see a band of short-form vertical videos that you can swipe through to find a topic that interests you, similar to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube shorts.
That’s what Moments by Outbrain does. It adds vertical video reels to trusted media outlet websites, blogs, and other online publishers on the open internet.
And it works! Research from MediaScience shows that Moments short video delivers a 49%+ increase in aided brand recall and 64%+ increase in brand recognition compared to similar social media environments.
2. TikTok
TikTok is the grandaddy of short-form video (at nine years old!). Most people think of dance and viral challenges, but there’s a wide variety of content on there, including comedy, storytelling, DIY projects, cooking tips, and plenty more.
The short video platform allows users to create and share videos that are up to 3 minutes long, but the most catchy ones are often just 15 to 60 seconds.
The TikTok app is designed for scrolling, as you can swipe to the next one quickly. The powerful algorithm quickly learns what you like, then keeps serving up more of the same.
From a marketers point of view, TikTok is great as it has more than 1 billion monthly active users around the globe, with more than 150 million in the US alone.
3. Instagram Reels
Launched in 2020, Reels quickly became Instagram’s answer to TikTok. It has a similar look and feel to TikTok, but blended with the functionality of the Instagram app. Reels lets its users create videos up to 90 seconds long. When you post your short-form video, it integrates directly with other Instagram features, making it convenient if you’ve already built a brand presence on the platform.
4. YouTube Shorts
Launched globally in 2021, Shorts allows users to create bite-sized videos that are up to 60 seconds long and post them on the YouTube platform. The good news for marketers is that YouTube has a massive reach, as it’s the second most visited website in the world.
The YouTube algorithm is also very good. If your short catches on, it could be shown to lots of people in your target demographic who don’t already follow you. As it’s linked to your main channel, any boost from Shorts can spill over to your other videos.
YouTube has also started rolling out monetization options for Shorts, which means there’s potential to make some cash directly from your short-form videos, depending on how well they perform.
5. Facebook Reels
Facebook Reels lets you make up to 60-second videos, and you can share them just about anywhere on your profile – like on your news feed or in groups, which is pretty handy. What’s cool is that if you’re running a page or have a business, you can really get your content in front of different types of audiences. After all, everyone from your grandma to your college buddy is probably on Facebook.
How to Create a Winning Short-Form Video Content Strategy
Creating short-form video content that cuts through the noise and gets noticed is no mean feat. There are several steps you should take to create a strategy that works.
- Define your objectives: Start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your short-form video content. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate leads, or boost social engagement?
- Know your audience: Understand who you are creating content for. What are their interests, pain points, and online habits?
- Plan your content: Consider the problems your product or service solves and how you can present these solutions in a quick and engaging way.
- Create a content calendar: Organize when and where each video will be posted. Schedule your posts to maintain a steady flow of content.
- Production quality: While short-form videos don’t always need professional-level production, it’s worth taking the time to ensure clear audio, good lighting, and stable footage.
- Optimize for each platform: Tailor your videos for the platform on which they will be shared. Each media platform has different best practices for video length, hashtags, and more.
- Engage with viewers: Ask questions or invite comments, and respond promptly to any activity on your videos.
- Analyze and adapt: Track metrics like view counts, likes, shares, comments, and watch time. Analyze what works and refine your strategy to suit.
A powerful approach to short video marketing: Gary Vaynerchuk’s GaryVee Content Model
Gary Vaynerchuk, a well-known marketing expert uses an interesting content strategy known as the GaryVee Content Model.”
His approach starts with creating a single long-form piece of content, such as a keynote speech or a video blog, which acts as a content “pillar.” This long-form content is then broken down into numerous smaller pieces of shareable, short-form content that can be distributed across various platforms.
In terms of short-form video, you can use a similar approach. Film longer videos, such as talks, interviews, or documentary-style footage. Then, break it down into “micro-content” or short clips to share as social media videos or use as ads.
Short-Form Video Marketing Trends 2025
“Micro-moments” is the latest buzzword in marketing, and short-form video is the ideal medium for it. Let’s expand on the key trends in short-form video marketing to watch out for in the coming year:
Improving viewer retention
Videos under 90 seconds achieve impressive viewer retention rates, with up to 50% of viewers sticking around till the end. As more and more people start creating short-form videos, marketers will have to work harder to keep people’s attention.
Common mobile video marketing techniques apply, such as cutting mid-action, focusing on big, bright visual elements, and using short snippets of copy or subtitles to keep people watching. Keep an eye on TikTok, as visual trends tend to emerge there first before spreading to other platforms.
Influencing buyers
64% of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching related video content on social platforms. That’s why so many brands are eager to jump on-board the short-form video train. In 2025, you’ll probably see brands leaning more into platforms like Moments by Outbrain, TikTok, and YouTube, hoping to create viral content.
Monitoring daily viewing habits
The amount of time people dedicate to watching short-form videos is growing, currently averaging about 1 hour and 16 minutes daily. Marketers should work out when their audience is most likely to online and schedule videos to coincide. Brands can experiment with putting out multiple short video content pieces per day and test which ones have the most impact.
Short-Form Video Tips and Best Practices
Each online media platform has different audiences and ‘rules’. Here are some tips and best practices for each of the main short-form video platforms you might be using.
TikTok
Your first few seconds are the most important. Use a hook that grabs attention. On TikTok that usually means something surprising, humorous, or intriguing. You should also take the time to engage with your audience by responding to comments and chatting with other creators.
Moments by Outbrain
Moments short-form videos appear alongside news articles and blogs, so make sure your videos are high-quality and relevant to the surrounding content and audience.
Plan your videos so that they flow smoothly from the article content and keep a professional tone that matches the publishing environment.
And don’t forget to use Outbrain’s built-in analytics to monitor and tweak your strategy based on viewer interactions and engagement metrics.
Instagram Reels
Instagram users like content that’s interesting and aesthetically pleasing. Use high-quality video recording equipment and keep a consistent style that reflects your brand.
Don’t forget to use text overlays and captions, as many users watch videos without sound while out in public. You can also include a clear CTA (call-to-action) in the text that goes with your video post, such as directing viewers to your bio link or visiting your website.
YouTube Shorts
YouTube audiences often seek content that either entertains or educates, so aim to make Shorts that add value in a clear way.
To make life easier, you can create Shorts from your existing longer content. Find key points that resonated well with your audience and clip it for a Short.
Facebook Reels
Facebook is great for finding your target demographic and creating content that resonates with them. Keep up with regular posting to engage your audience.
General short-form video best practices across platforms
- Keep it snappy: Regardless of the platform, keep your content concise and direct. Aim for 30 to 60 seconds for maximum engagement.
- Film in portrait mode: Most people watch short-form videos on their phone, so make it easier for them to view by shooting your videos vertically. It also means you don’t need to crop them, which impacts quality.
- Strong openings: The start of your video should make viewers want to keep watching by opening a curiosity loop or teasing some kind of value.
- Test and learn: Use platform analytics to see what works and refine your approach based on real data.
3 Inspiring Short Video Marketing Examples
Colgate – #MakeMomSmile
Colgate’s #MakeMomSmile challenge was a big hit, resulting in more than 750k posts. Colgate launched a TikTok challenge to celebrate Mother’s Day in a sweet and engaging way. They encouraged TikTok users from around the world to post videos doing something special for their moms. It was all about bringing out beautiful smiles, which aligns perfectly with the Colgate brand.
Greenpeace – Half The Oxygen We Breathe
This simple, yet hard-hitting short video is only 30 seconds long, but packs a real punch. The footage of people breathing heavily and audibly as they go about their business generates curiosity, with the pay-off in the final scene, revealing that our oceans produce half the oxygen we breathe.
It’s a master class on how to deliver an important message in a way that doesn’t preach and instead grabs attention by playing on curiosity. This approach is ideal for platforms like YouTube, where the first few seconds of an ad play before giving people the choice to skip. The goal is to stop people hitting that “skip” button!
Tiffoodss and Fly By Jing
Another way for brands to benefit from the short-form video craze is to team up with well-known influencers in their niche. Influencer marketing is powerful, as you tap into the trust an influencer has already built with their audience. That’s exactly what happened in the case of Tiffoodss, a food vlogger with almost 500k followers on TikTok. Food seasoning brand Fly By Jing teamed up with her to advertise their product and offer a 10% discount to viewers in a series of short videos.
Short-Form Video: The Future of Content Marketing
If you want to stay relevant in today’s online world, then short-form video pretty much has to be part of your marketing mix.
If you want to get in on the action, it’s a good idea to try and anticipate which way things are heading. Let’s take a look at a few things that will shape the future of short-form video marketing over the next few years.
- More personalization: As AI advances, we’re sure to see more catchy and personalized videos. We might start to see videos that feel like they’re made just for you, based on your past likes and interactions. They might even address you personally, unless people find that too spooky and switch off!
- Powerful engagement tools: Augmented reality, audience participation, and other immersive ways to interact with short-form video content marketing will probably emerge.
- E-commerce integration: With direct shopping links, videos are becoming mini storefronts. You see something you like in a video, and with just a few taps, it can be on its way to your door.
- Cross-platform expansion: Short-form videos will continue to spread across different platforms. Even LinkedIn recently added short video features. Each platform will have its own twist on the format to suit their users.
- More creativity: With so much content out there, the push to make something that stands out is stronger than ever. Boundary-pushing creativity is the name of the game as brands and creators compete for those precious seconds of your attention.
- Focus on authenticity: Most viewers can spot fake sincerity a mile away. Brands who manage to keep it real and create content that connects on a personal level will win.
FAQ
What is a short video?
A short video is any video that’s typically less than a minute long. These are quick snippets designed to catch your attention fast and convey messages in a punchy, engaging way.
What do you call short videos?
You might hear them referred to as “shorts” or “short-form videos”, or perhaps even “vertical video”. Different platforms have their own names for them, like TikTok videos, Moments by Outbrain, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or even just “clips.”
Why are short-form videos becoming so successful?
Short-form videos fit perfectly with our busy lives. People want content that’s quick to consume, easy to digest, and still packed with value. Plus, they’re just fun and often very creative, which makes them super shareable and engaging.
Why can’t brands ignore short-form videos?
Short-form videos are everywhere. They help you catch attention, build brand awareness, and engage with audiences while scrolling through feeds on their phones.
What is the best format for short-form videos?
The best format tends to be vertical video because most people hold their phones upright. Keep it snappy with quick cuts and jump straight into the action. Make sure your content is visually appealing and gets to the point fast.
Does short-form video content convert users?
Yes, when done right, short-form videos can definitely drive conversions and leads. They’re great for grabbing consumer attention, nurturing potential buyers, showcasing products, explaining benefits and features quickly, and providing a strong call to action that viewers can follow right away.
