How to Use Short-Form Videos for Brand Storytelling

With attention becoming a new currency, we need to do everything needed for marketing. To capture that attention in a shorter span, we should be more creative, innovative, and cautious. Short-form videos are effective in grabbing that attention while promoting your brand. Here’s a brief guide on how to use your short-form videos for brand storytelling. 

How to Use Short-form Video to Tell Your Brand Story

Since social media platforms prioritize content that resonates with users, crafting compelling content that narrates solutions to their pain points will be effective. Implement this strategy by using different tools that provide versatility to your brand storytelling. 

When people organically like your brand’s content, it sells well. Know your audience. What are their interests and how can you use their interest to create short-form videos that are beneficial? Additionally, add testimonials to your videos. Models, actors, influencers, or consumers who use your products and share their reviews to showcase the authenticity of your products. 

The four ‘S’ words reflecting short, summarized, sweet, and synopsis videos with a crafted compelling narrative are the keys to the best templates. Take into account the information that your audience wants to know. Figure out what’s most important for them and how can you share it in a quicker, conducive way.

In imagery, using the right visuals speak even before the caption. Visual storytelling of short-form videos gives customers insight into what the longer video on your other social media channels will be about and allows them to decide whether they should click on it or not. The context of your short-form videos builds curiosity and anticipation and gives them something to continue watching the full video. 

So here are the basics of using short-form videos for your brand storytelling;

Tailor Relevant Content

After understanding your audience’s interest points, create a video directly relevant to their pain points. There should be no language barrier and the scenarios and solutions should be the ones your audience is looking for. It will drive them to engage with your video.

Make it Shorter

Your short-form video should be less than 60 seconds. The shorter they are the more effective they will be. The optimal length for these videos is around 60 seconds. It is the average length that keeps the audience hooked, clear, and more focused on your video. That’s why, use clear and direct language, avoid unnecessary details, and structure it to be more brief with an impactful conclusion.

Capture Attention With a Hook

Inaugurating your video content with an exciting element to grab viewers’ attention. It could be something surprising, bold, or stunning, making the audience wonder and watch what’s coming next. If the opening scene is compelling, your audience will not scroll through it. 

Demonstrate Your Product in Use

Showing how your product is useful in a real-life situation in the shortest attention-grabbing video helps users understand its benefits. User testimonials, demonstrations, and usage scenarios are all included in these videos. Show people how your product or service works faster and makes their life easier. 

Follow the Trends

Stay current and pay attention to popular trends that are going viral. Following these trends helps your content to stay fresh. Add creativity to this content according to the social media platform. Integrate your brand’s story into a trending meme dance, a crazy dare, or a funny product demonstration. As these are the videos increase the social appeal and shareability. 

Break Down Your Longer Videos to Optimal Length

If your previous content is long-form you can maximize the value of your content by repurposing it into bite-sized pieces of optimal length. This strategy increases engagement and makes content more digestible and easy to share. Grab the key points of your videos and create multiple short videos to save time and help reach your audience quicker.

Post Regularly

Develop a content calendar and deliver fresh content consistently. A consistent posting schedule helps keep your brand in the mind of your audience. This strategy helps you appear as a consistent and active creator, increasing reach and boosting engagement levels.

How to Use the Power of Storytelling

This is part of the reason why short-form video is such a strong way to tell stories. Everyone tells stories, and you can make lasting connections to your target audience through effective storytelling. Short videos or any type of content that uses a snippet of storytelling helps brands create great engagement and memory.

Nike’s short-form version of storytelling is a brilliant illustration of its ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ campaign. This campaign features several short videos that creatively combine images from different sports to convey messages of resilience, unity, and the human spirit. These videos feature Nike’s products but more importantly, they tie the brand with powerful stories appealing to a wide audience. The campaign exploded virally, racking up 20 million views on Twitter alone.

According to Google research, compared to ads without a story, the chance of you getting noticed with story ads is twice as possible. Storytelling would allow for better brand recall and increase the chances of motivating the viewers to take action.

User-generated content (UGC) is consumer-created media (photos, videos, reviews, testimonials) shared by consumers, often capturing their experiences with a product or service. These communities rarely exist to promote a brand, and one of the default features of short-form video platforms is UGC. Sourcing UGC is a great marketing tactic as this not only relieves the audience from creating content & also establishes credibility and authenticity.

Since UGC uses content from your existing customer base, this also makes it inexpensive to implement. With this new trend, users are encouraged to write or share their own experiences, giving brands, in turn, a fresh and constant supply of content to use without the high expense of maintaining it themselves.

Conclusion:

Short-form videos do not always have to be about entertainment as they can work wonders for educating your audience and providing value. Covering insightful and practical content helps to establish your brand as an expert in your niche and build trust from viewers. Short-form video is a great way to provide value, as these videos can engage the audience and generate brand loyalty.