Short-form video content has emerged as one of the most popular content formats in recent years. According to one study, 91% of Instagram viewers watch at least one video every day. Additionally, TikTok is the most commonly downloaded social media app after Instagram. That means if you want to reach your target audience, you should have an outstanding short-video domination strategy, whether on Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.

When creating a Short video strategy, there are some do’s and don’ts you need to bear in mind. In this article, we dig deeper into these dos and don’ts.

Top Do’s When Creating Short Form Videos

Here are the top dos you should have in mind:

Understand What Makes a Top Short Video

There are certain elements that make short-form videos, and these are what viewers expect to see when they click on your short-form video. Some of the key features of short-form video include:

• A vertical format. This enables you to match your video to the natural format of the viewing devices, as the majority of Short viewers do so on mobile devices. This format ensures that the video fills up the entire width of the phone screen, resulting in an engaging and immersive experience for the viewer.
• Closed captioning. Many viewers of Short view them with the sound off. Therefore, you need to make the video accessible to this group and the hearing-impaired by adding closed captioning.
• Add value to your video. This can be an informative video, such as a review, a how-to video, or an inspirational video, such as a lesson learned or behind-the-scenes content. You can also create entertaining videos, such as fan facts or the use of trending sounds.
• Avoid controversial topics that may hamper the reach of your video. 

There are also certain rules of the short video platform you need to understand. These include:

• Adding on-screen text to improve ranking.
• Creating a video in a style suitable for the platform. For instance, beautiful, filtered videos work on Instagram, while unfiltered videos are the best performing on TikTok.

Start with a Hook

As the name suggests, Shorts are designed to be short, as you only have a few seconds to capture the attention of the viewer. To do that, start your video with a strong hook, such as on-screen text, outstanding visuals, or a captivating story that will capture your audience’s attention and ensure they keep watching.

The top short-form videos are good for capturing your audience’s attention, driving emotions, encouraging engagement, and driving action. Therefore, focus on having an emotional narrative that will remain in the minds of your audience after they have finished watching.

Post Consistently

When doing short-form content marketing, you need to be consistent, as the top platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, prioritize accounts that post between 3 and 5 times a week. Others, such as Snapchat, require posting several times a day. Posting regularly is effective as it ensures that your audience remains engaged and provides the algorithm with enough content to suggest to viewers, enabling you to reach more viewers and grow your loyal following.

Remember that quality is also quite important, just as the quantity. Instead of producing some low-quality content, make sure you are posting content that is both engaging and interesting. Focus some of your time on refining every video so your audience enjoys it.

Create Trending Content

Short-form content trends are fast-moving, and the right creators are the ones who remain ahead of the curve. If you find that there are certain songs and sound bytes getting used over and over again, you might want to consider using them. Depending on the platform, you can consider adding visuals, animations, and a filter. The short video trend is effective for drawing viewers. Therefore, when you add them to your video, you can grow the reach of the video.

Keep it Short

The top short-form content platforms allow the creation of content that is up to 3 minutes long. However, studies suggest that the best-performing content is the one that is less than a minute. On TikTok, the best video length is usually 11 to 17 seconds. Another Hootsuite study shows the optimal length of an Instagram reel is between 7 and 15 seconds. A good length for YouTube Shorts is between 15 and 60 seconds, while Snapchat Spotlight allows shorts that are between 5 and 60 seconds.

Top Short Video Mistakes to Avoid

When making a short-form video, you should avoid three mistakes:

Creating an Overly Promotional Video

Viewers of short video content are usually very averse to promotional content. If you want to drive engagement, you should focus on creating content that educates, entertains, or inspires. Otherwise, if all your posts scream “buy now,” your followers may start to feel like you have a transactional relationship with them rather than making them part of your community. This can cause audience fatigue, shadowbanning of your content by the platform, and a declining brand trust.

Expecting an Instant Result

There is no doubt that short-form video can result in high engagement and can easily go viral, but you need to have realistic expectations and not expect your video to go viral in a day or two. As is the case with any other social media strategy, it takes time, effort, and consistency to grow a fan base for your short. This is especially true if you are getting started with your strategy on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram.

Not Focusing on Brand Consistency

For your short-form video strategy to succeed, you need to be consistent not only in the upload of content but also in ensuring consistent quality and branding. If you post a poor-quality short video, you will struggle to drive engagement. When it comes to consistency, you need to ensure that everything from the logo to the caption font and logos match, as this will impact the memorability of the content.

Adding an Irrelevant Short Video

The type of content you create for your short-term strategy will impact your success level. If you are posting clips that aren't relevant to your goal, you will lose the viewer and the favor from the algorithm. Whether your goal is brand awareness, showcasing your level of expertise and the product you are offering, or converting viewers into customers, you should ensure that every short video you create supports this goal.

For instance, if you are a financial guru, posting dance videos will not add value to your account; it will instead leave your followers confused. That’s why you need to make a video that your audience will find relatable, such as a top 5 money-saving tips.

Cross-Posting Videos with Other Platforms’ Watermark

While a 15-second video might not take a lot of effort, it still takes time and effort to create original content. While this can be a good strategy for saving time, you also need to note that adding content with a watermark from other platforms can impact your ranking.

Instagram has already made it clear that it will prioritize original content, and recycled content will be given less visibility, impacting engagement and reach. While you can go ahead and cross-post, you need to avoid doing so with another platform’s watermark, or else your content will be shadowbanned. Additionally, understand the best practices for reposting short video content.

In Conclusion

While short video content can be a great tool for driving visibility and brand awareness, the competition among creators can also be stiff. You need to go out of your way to create outstanding content. To do that effectively, follow the above dos and don'ts.