To long form or to short form

The social media universe has officially crowned short-form, vertical video as king. From TikTok, Instagram Reels, to YouTube Shorts, social media platforms are prioritizing this format. It is no surprise to anyone that short-form, vertical videos should play a leading role in your visual strategy.

However, as the saying goes, you should never put all of your eggs in one basket. Long-form videos still have their place and play an important role in our video strategy. The key is to be more selective with the areas that call for longer videos.

For our purposes, we will define long-form video as anything that is longer than two minutes with a beginning, middle, and end. The short-form formats we speak of involve videos dominating TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. These videos are quick hits and are trendy, viral, entertaining, and under two minutes.

Let’s get into the benefits and shortcomings of both long- and short-form videos. We will also mix in a few suggestions on where each format is most advantageous, depending on your needs and available resources.

Long-form video: Conversions and SEO

Short-form vertical video should be a top priority for brands. However, there is no need to jump-ship with longer formats.

Studies show that long-form video content boosts conversion rates significantly. Conversion rates can be defined as the percentage of visitors to your platforms that complete a desired action set forth by your strategy. For some companies, the goal can be purchasing a certain product or subscriptions to a publication. Telling a bigger, longer story makes your intentions clear, subsequently convincing your audience to get on board.

Experts say quality, long-form videos establish a level of trust and admiration in brands. Longer videos provide ample time to flesh out your values and personality, attracting long-term audiences that also align with these characteristics.

Here’s another return-on-investment nugget when mining for long-form video: enhanced SEO and visibility. According to Lemonlight, long-format videos boost a website’s SEO or search engine optimization. If you can hook in audiences in the beginning and keep them invested, those engagement rates will signal to Google that you offer quality content. You can also add more keywords and tags in beefier videos to bump yourself up in search results.

Long-form video: Boosting trust and engagement

One of the toughest parts of any video is grabbing attention right away. Once that happens, the next hurdle is to keep them engaged. Studies have shown that those who stick around to the end are likely to convert.

So, how do you hook in audiences and reel them in? An emotional investment must happen. One of the most powerful mechanisms to do this is through narrative or storytelling.

Long-form videos give you the time and space to establish a narrative or a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Narratives contain arcs, within which a character experiences change. Audiences need to identify or empathize with a character. This process of emotional investment is considered a powerful vehicle of persuasion by scholars.

Narratives, or stories, are your heavy hitters to emotionally captivate audiences. This is where you can illustrate the most intimate sides of your brand’s voice and values. Many are wary of brands and their intentions. Messages don’t stick with lofty and vague claims from high-ranking officials. Identify someone who can share a personal story of change and impact within your institution’s community to reveal the relatable, human side of your mission.

Long-form video: Establishing trust and quality

Long-format, high-quality videos are also a powerful way to stand out in the noise and clutter. A polished, well-thought-out video establishes a brand’s credibility, authority, and expertise. It is difficult to demonstrate how you are a leader in your field and area of expertise within a short amount of time. Also, marketing experts say carefully crafted videos establish a reputation for providing value-rich content.

Despite all of these pros, long-form videos demand more time and attention from audiences, thus requiring a higher level of quality and production. Therefore, it’s important to be selective and strategic when pursuing a longer project. More on that later. For those with smaller teams and resources, here’s some good news: short-form video is where it’s at now.

Short-form video: Bite-sized convenience

One of the most obvious benefits of short-form, vertical videos is convenience. They are often shot on a phone and turned around in minutes. It is a convenient, cost-effective, and relatively low-stress way to create content. From cyclical events to glimpses of student life, there are a lot of areas in higher education that do not call for high-production value. There’s a time and place for robust lighting set-ups, heavy editing, and color grading, but not every idea necessarily needs that much bandwidth.

With this in mind, it is easy to establish a steady flow of content with limited resources. This also entails consistency with engagement metrics, as audiences are more likely to watch short videos in their entirety. Furthermore, short video content is highly sharable with friends and family. The viral nature of short-form video content also creates a snowball effect throughout your community.

Short-form video: Broad exposure

Short-form videos appeal to a wider audience. One of the most obvious reasons behind this is the environment of social media itself. Social media platforms are currently optimized for short-form videos, training audiences to expect this format in their feeds. Pursuing this format is an easy way to reveal yourself to broad audiences, thanks to the algorithms themselves.

Casting a wide net, without investing substantial resources, also allows brands to try out different ideas and approaches. Innovation can thrive, without having to worry about time and cumbersome processes while experimenting with various styles.

Of course, short-form videos are not immune to drawbacks. From a lack of complexity and depth to a shorter lifespan, there’s a time and place for short form, similar to long form. Finally, let’s get into how and when to use both.

Short-form video: Investment in the future

Short-form, vertical video is deeply embedded and heavily prevalent in the digital infrastructure of Gen Z. We can confidently say that this format is not going away any time soon. The youngest age cohort of Gen Z is just starting middle school. Yikes, says the “old,” grumpy millennial. That’s right, this trend will take a while to fade or shift.

Younger generations value seeing influencers or individuals they can relate to. They are pulled to video content that feels raw, authentic, and in the moment. Sometimes, polished videos can feel manufactured to younger audiences. In response, our team has leaned on our student co-creators to create peer-to-peer content. This current environment has allowed us to step away and provide a bigger platform for young voices.

Broad vs. niche audiences

Considering short-form video’s broad exposure and appeal, short-form video is a great way to introduce your brand personality to general audiences. With low-budget and time-saving advantages with short videos, consider what is feasible to crank out on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to establish consistency. Consistency here means both voice and personality, as well as frequency of posting.

Now, with long-form videos, the time and resource-intensive nature of these projects entails being strategic and selective about what topic areas to pursue. Since long-form videos are powerful precursors to conversions, consider creating a small batch of longer videos for general audiences. However, beyond that batch, longer-form videos should be pursued based on two considerations. First, consider if there’s a story with a strong narrative and a clear beginning, middle, and end, along with vibrant, visual opportunities. Second, think about if the video can appeal to one of your prioritized niche audiences.

Humor vs. heavy lifting

Especially now, social media is a space of escapism and entertainment. A memorable personality is something people latch on to. Lean into humor and entertainment with short-form, vertical video. If you hop on a viral trend, make sure to adapt it in a way that makes it relatable and humorous to your community.

Escapism entails a mind at ease, so avoid content that feels like it’s getting into the weeds. Keep it light, especially nowadays where attention spans are minimal. Deliver instant gratification where you can. Take a look at our previous blog on how to start social videos to grab attention in seconds.

Regardless, sometimes it’s important to get into the thick of things. Long-form videos are hardly limited to narratives. Educational videos and vlogs can unpack complex topics or provide in-depth tutorials. They can also provide more background and context to your short content. Let your long-form videos do the heavy lifting and deep dives into topics introduced from your short-form content.

A moment, a trend, a takeaway

Again, short videos cannot establish a narrative. Short videos should reveal a moment, piggyback on a trend, or highlight a key takeaway. They are fleeting and meant to make an impression after a barrage of posts. Alternatively, longer videos, on their own, can forge deeper connections through compelling storylines or characters.

Overall, if you have limited resources and time, vertical, short-form video should demand a majority of your visual strategy. Boost your traffic first, then lock them in with longer content down the road. It’s always good to keep a special project brewing in the background. As a filmmaker, I understand the importance of keeping those creative juices flowing.

As Inside Radio put it, there’s an “intentional” and “discovery” aspect to video strategy. Intentional viewing is long-form, where you’re building meaningful connections. Discovery viewing is short-form, where you’re making a good impression on new audiences. The former is sought out by niche, informed audiences. The latter falls into the laps of those who are wandering, looking for the next laugh or moment of awe.