Recently LinkedIn has also introduced short-form content in their feed. The question here is does it work?
Firstly lets discuss why it is important to focus on short form video for B2B / industrial and small businesses.
Our attention span is getting progressively shorter, decreasing by 25% in 15 years – sitting at just 8.25 seconds now. This makes sense, at least from a marketing perspective, with so many different channels vying for our attention – it’s drawn in a different direction very quickly.
As per Sproutsocial – “About 81% of consumers express a desire to see more short-form videos from brands.”
The Why?
Cut through the competition, especially in traditional industries
Ask yourself how many of you have seen a short form content from a steel manufacturing company, or laser cutting machine manufacturer or chemical manufacturer etc.
No right?
So it becomes crucial when this form of content is still relevant, to go ahead of the competition. It shows your authencity and brings value overtime to its customers. It also makes your industry topic and product more accessible to audience.
Great way to build personal brand
If you are a CEO or a Marketing manager of a B2B company, it makes sense for you to create a personal brand in the industry. Suppose you are a Marketing Head for a B2B SaaS company. To get better audience reach and engagement you can share tips on how your software helps solve real-time problems, present some case studies and applications, fun work-related content, and some interesting industry-based stories.
Reach like no other conventional channel
Let’s take the example of Alex Hormozi.
Alex is a true entrepreneur, who began recording video in his closet with a webcam – an example of how short-form content can help drive a multi-million-pound business.
Not only are his videos super engaging, but the virality of his short-form content makes it enviable to most businesses – who are looking for ways to replicate it.
Why his short-form video works:
- Alex’s videos are driven by personal stories, but the actual structure of them is replicable.
- He uses an attention-grabbing hook,
- followed by a compelling story and a strong CTA.
But it’s the personal stories and opinions that really resonate with his viewers and increase the shareability and virality of his short-form videos.
He wouldn’t have made it big if he wouldn’t have been using short-form content as his frontline marketing channel to drive sales.
The How?
And if you are posting short-form content, then how can you make use of this content form for branding, communication and lead generation?
What factors are important in delivering a high-quality short video?
Content Relevance
The video should resonate with the target audience’s interests and needs. Understanding your audience is crucial for creating content that engages them.
Visual Appeal
High production quality, including good lighting, clear audio, and engaging visuals, enhances viewer retention. A visually appealing video is more likely to be shared and remembered.
Conciseness
Given the short attention spans of viewers, keeping videos under 60 seconds is often ideal. This ensures that the message is delivered quickly without losing viewer interest.
Strong Hook
The first few seconds are critical; they should grab attention immediately. Use intriguing visuals or questions to entice viewers to continue watching.
Call-to-Action (CTA)
Including a clear CTA encourages viewers to take the next step, whether it’s visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, or following on social media.
Concluding Statements
As a B2B company, you should get in the game right away. You are still not too late to get into shortform content production. The best way to get started is through How To videos.
The only drawback of short-form content is that its “Not targeted”. Well, that statement can be true, but marketing is all about experimentation and adaptability. But I feel the best way to go about short-form content is through a personal branding route and not as an organization.
It also depends on your business and audience.
- Are they hanging out there, and
- Is your industry one where you can make the content entertaining and native to the platform?
As per my observation, Short form content best works for hiring new employees. It has organic reach and enables a wider audience.
I have kept this blog quite brief and specific without focusing on excess clutter. Hope you like it!!!
