The turn of the social tides

Ohad Hecht at Emplifi explains why long-form video content is trending

The importance of video in social media marketing is undeniable. Whether brands are looking to inform, influence, or inspire modern customers, video content remains a vital component of any social media strategy. However, the way that we consume video content is changing.

Since TikTok’s rise, many platforms have been quick to follow in its footsteps, using short-form video to deliver short and snappy content in a manner that best resonates with the modern consumer.

With the everyday customer now having countless touchpoints from multiple brands throughout the day, shorter video content delivers engaging information at a rate that keeps pace with shortened attention spans.

With nearly 50% of users finding videos over a minute stressful, it’s no surprise that short-form content has solidified itself as marketing teams’ ‘go-to’ format. 

However, despite the proliferation of this content on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook Reels, it seems the tides are changing. Our recent research suggests that longer Instagram Reels are beginning to win more engagement for brands, outperforming all other video content across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

And it’s not just us who have noted this change. TikTok recently announced that they are testing 30-minute videos too.

This change in user behaviour is significant. With more time being spent on videos that run longer than the average 15- or 30-second video ad format, brands must reconsider their creative strategy on social. With audiences now responding positively to longer videos, the key for marketing teams is to produce entertaining and valuable content that keeps them watching. 

So, as we see the pendulum swing back to long-form video, how can marketers incorporate this into their 2024 social media strategies effectively? 

Implementing long-form video

Incorporating long-form video content into your social strategy is a great way to engage with consumers, but what specific content should you consider for optimal results? Customer case studies and testimonials are a reliable way to add authenticity to long-form video content.

Letting a customer share their story in their own words via video is a powerful method of sharing what a static, text-based quote might not fully convey. Long-form video allows for emotion and impact to translate more effectively, so customer stories should be the emotive foundational element of any social media plan. 

Informative explainer videos, alongside emotive customer stories, are a great way for customers to deepen their understanding of a product, service, or concept. Development of this content, particularly with a video production tool, can be quick, efficient, and cost-effective, and the impact is often significant. 

Webinars and video-based podcast content are other great ways to weave longer-form video into your social strategy, providing in-depth information, training and educational material. These can be pre-recorded or live-streamed and are a considerable source for raw video to translate across all social channels. Alternatively, this can be repackaged into recaps, trend pieces, or interesting shorter clips.

A social media video strategy for all attention spans 

Just like all marketing strategies, effective use of video content as part of robust social media strategies requires clear objectives, tactics, and measurement from the outset. However, two key considerations when tackling this kind of content are resource allocation and attention span. 

Resourcing for video content can be tricky, but not every video has to be a sizeable production. The process can scale quickly as you write scripts or record, edit and review, as well as optimise your video for channel-specific considerations like aspect ratio and length. Keep this in mind as you create your plan, ensuring that you have options for both simplified execution and scalable production for longer-form content.

While longer-form video content is gaining in popularity, video is a medium that requires you to capture your audience’s attention quickly. Therefore, brands should diversify their video content to include both long and short formats to increase engagement overall.

Many brands are seeing improved engagement with longer videos running from 26 to 90 seconds, and longer Instagram Reels (over 90 seconds) now generate more than double the number of median video views compared to TikTok videos. 

To account for all attention spans within your social media strategy, trial and error is key. You have to regularly try different approaches, learn from them, and apply key learning back into your plan. Making one video is the start of a conversation, but to keep your audience’s attention long-term, you must keep that conversation going with a diverse mix of video content.

Future-proof your content

Once your plan is in place, creating content that resonates with your audience is vital. As a marketer, you should keep asking yourself if the content you are creating is something truly worth the attention of key audiences. Videos should not only reflect your brand’s personality but also speak to your audience’s interests and needs.

Be authentic, sharing real stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and genuine customer experiences. Focus on quality over quantity, prioritising high-quality visuals and sound to make your content more engaging and professional, even if this means having to scale back the volume of videos produced. 

To maximise ROI on long-form content and ensure each production is impactful, use edits and cuts of quality work versus creating poorly sourced assets. Always include a clear call to action, telling viewers what to do next, and be clear on the motivation behind any video you produce. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to try new things with your content. 

The underlying theme here is that there are untapped opportunities for the brands that are willing to lean further into their video strategy with long form video. With engagement increasing for longer videos, forward-thinking brands must reconsider their creative strategies to align with this evolving trend. 

Social media marketers must be flexible and take an agile approach to their social media strategies for both organic and paid campaigns. It’s imperative that your social media strategy evolves right along with the platforms and that your content choices align with the content formats that are winning the most engagement.

Only by trialling various sources of long-form content, like webinars and customer stories, can marketers cater for all attention spans, whilst keeping ahead of competitors.

Ohad Hecht is CEO of Emplifi

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and tonefotografia