Quick question. What do you prefer - reading or watching? 

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For me, I think it’s the latter. And after some Googling, I’ve found that I’m not alone! According to research, people are watching on average 17 hours of video a week. That’s a staggering 36 days a year watching video content. Over a month solid of staring at screens. 

In 2024 brands need to focus on their short-form vertical video strategy to reap the rewards of fast-growing organic and paid channels. Think about the likes of TikTok, IG Reels, YouTube Shorts. All platforms seeing or that have seen consistent rapid growth. 

Before we get into that, let’s look at the rise of short from vertical video. 

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The rise of short-form video

Short-form video isn't exactly a groundbreaking concept, is it? And it’s not difficult to understand why it’s so popular. Over half the world's population has a smartphone. 

But let’s take a short-form ride through the rise of short-form vertical video content on social media…

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The year is 2013. (10 years ago, ouch)

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You’ve just got back from school, dinner is in the oven, and you’ve not got a care in the world. What do you do to relax? You open Vine and watch a truck load of 6-second videos. Bite-sized entertainment using memes, trends, and creators that you become fond of. 

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They enjoyed a few years being the dominant force in short-form video.

But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Vine. The flew too close to the sun. Slowly, competing platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, TikTok were crowding the short-form online video market and providing arguably better alternative versions of Vine’s offering. 

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The year is 2017. 

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Vine streams its last video. 

Hot on the tail of Vine’s short but bright existence comes TikTok’s rapid expansion in 2018. But I’m sure you know all about that so I won’t waste too much time here. 

YouTube, not one to be left behind, joined the short-form frenzy with YouTube Shorts in 2020, offering a dedicated space for brief, captivating videos (under 60 seconds). 

Instagram followed suit with IG Reels, providing yet another avenue for creators to showcase their talent.

The history of short-form video is a tale of evolution and adaptation, from the pioneering days of Vine to the dynamic platforms of TikTok, Instagram, and beyond. As brands set their sights on 2024, embracing the rich legacy of short-form video becomes not just a choice but a strategic imperative in a world where brevity and creativity reign supreme.

So this begs the question…

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Why use short-form vertical video format strategy? 

As an e-commerce brand, why should you put all of your eggs in the short-form vertical video basket instead of scattering your efforts across individual channels? Let's break it down.

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Easy to understand and consume

It is infinitely easier to communicate the value of something through video rather than images, this feels obvious but it’s something that a lot of people need to hear and understand. 

Think of all the information you can cram into a 30-second video compared to a 1:1 static in-feed post. Yes, you can add feature callouts to an image. And yes, you can highlight the offer you’re running (this might sound like I’m slagging statics off - I’m not, they have their place in campaigns). 

But typically, it’s emotion that drives purchases when it comes to ads and it is 10x easier to add emotion, inspire connections, and add stories to video content which will engage and drive action effectively. 

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Attention-grabbing

We're living in an era where attention spans are shorter than ever. Users scroll past content at break neck speeds, and capturing their interest in the blink of an eye is non-negotiable. If you aren’t grabbing attention from the get go then the rest of your video doesn’t matter. 

Short-form vertical videos are the superheroes of attention-grabbing content—they're quick, snappy, and tailor-made for an age of rapid scrollers. 

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How to instantly grab attention:

• Stimulate immediate interest
• Make a bold statement
• Ask a question that relates to your audience
• Create curiosity
• Use humour
• Surprise your audience
• Relate to your audience
• Use striking visuals
• Use music and sound
• Keep it speedy
• Use a cliffhanger
• Provide education

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Repurpose-ability

Picture this: a potential customer navigates through TikTok, jumps over to Instagram for some of Reels, and then swings by YouTube Shorts - all in one sitting. If your brand is strategically planted on all of these platforms, you're effortlessly reaching this user across multiple platforms, hitting them from all angles. 

This not only means you’re covered everywhere but it saves you time and money. If you’re smart about what you’re doing you can create 1 video in a way that you can repurpose it for all platforms. As long as you keep all of the important elements within the bounds of the safe zones of all the platforms that you want to post across, then you’re golden. 

For instance, a single video that you create could be used across:

TikTok (paid and organic)
Instagram (Reels, in-feed organic post, in-feed paid post, story placement)
Facebook (Story, in-feed organic post, in-feed paid post)
YouTube shorts (paid and organic)

That’s different 11 different post placements from a single video. Instead of creating content for each of these individual platforms, if you focus on your short-form video strategy you can create one video which you can chop and change slightly to fit a wide range of different platforms and placements. 

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Consistency

Consistency is key, and short-form vertical video means your brand message remains cohesive across a range of platforms. This will amplify brand recall and foster a seamless experience for your audience. 

Rather than diluting your efforts tailoring content for each platform's specific nuances, a unified short-form strategy allows you to maintain a strong and recognisable brand identity.

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Versatility

Let's not forget the versatility that short-form vertical videos bring to the table. Whether you're telling a captivating story, showcasing a product, highlighting your brand's personality, the format adapts effortlessly to varied content. It's the Swiss Army knife of digital storytelling, offering the flexibility to engage audiences with a range of narratives.

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The algorithm loves them

Short-form vertical videos are the darlings of algorithmic love. Platforms like TikTok thrive on pushing content to wider audiences based on engagement, meaning your brand has the potential to go viral pretty easily. Embracing this strategy is like having the algorithmic winds at your back, propelling your content into the feeds and minds of countless users.

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People love it

Over half of people who use social media prefer videos over other types of content. Plus, 58% of viewers will watch the whole of a brands video if it’s less than 60 seconds. AND 66% of people state short-form video to be the most engaging type of content.

If you want to make content that one, people are going to love. And two, are going pay attention to - your best bet is going with short form video.  

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Shoppable video

A recent addition to the field is social commerce and shoppable video - which TikTok is pioneering. 

But what’s so good about shoppable video? 

Well, it completely streamlines the customer journey and allows people to discover a product, learn about it, work out that they want or need it, and then buy it. All within a video, without having to leave the app. 

You’re able to make a video that walks the customer all the way through the the AIDA marketing model. Setting you up for success from the start. 

Check out how you can use shoppable videos to max out revenue with TikTok shop

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Having a video-first format strategy will benefit your multichannel marketing strategy

The benefits of having your short-form video format strategy locked down from the start will only feed into the benefits of your operating a multichannel strategy. 

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To round up

In a nutshell, the short-form vertical video format strategy isn't just a trend - it's a strategic masterstroke for brands aiming to navigate the dynamic landscape of digital content. It's the fast lane to capturing attention, ensuring consistency, unlocking versatility, and riding the algorithmic wave. So, as 2024 unfolds, the question isn't why adopt this strategy; it's more a matter of why wouldn't you?

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If you run an established brand and are looking to push the limits of your overall marketing strategy - book a call today and let's talk about how we can use email marketing to push revenue past 100k a month and beyond.

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Written by Andrew Boardman - Marketing Content Manager