Online video has exploded in the past few years. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported that viewers are now watching more than 1 billion hours of video per day on YouTube alone. As video continues to grow in popularity, businesses are finding success by using the medium to connect with audiences, grow brand recognition and drive conversions.
In the first part of this series, we shared a few facts about video trends and why brands can't afford to ignore video advertising when connecting with their audiences. Now, we'll delve deeper into video consumption habits and what they mean for you.
Long-form or Short-form?
In conversations about how to spend a video budget, one of the most common questions is about the ideal length. When it comes to captivating an audience through video and creating meaningful interactions, do short-form videos or long-form videos drive better results?
There's no one answer to this question — to decide which format to use, you'll need to ask yourself the following:
- What is your goal? If your goal is to introduce your brand or solution to a new audience, short-form will likely drive better results. However, if you're using storytelling to dive deeper into an issue, a long-form video may be the better option.
- What is your budget? While the cost of a video can depend largely on production value and creative, the length can also affect the price tag.
- Where will the video be published? Some platforms have restrictions on the length of videos. Instagram video taps out at 15 seconds while a YouTube video can run up to 12 hours.
Video Consumption on Social Media
Social media platforms are one of the best ways to share your video content, both organically and through paid ads or sponsored posts. Brands publish videos on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat — and that's just the beginning.
As Social Media Today reports, Facebook research showed that 60 percent of Instagram users believe their consumption of video on the platform has increased significantly in the past two years, and 45 percent expect to consume even more video on their smartphones in the future. That is to say, if you're not already investing in video for social, you're missing a massive opportunity to connect directly with your audience.
To decide which social platforms are best for your brand, you'll need to determine where your audience is more likely to spend their time. For example, B2B businesses may find the most success on LinkedIn while consumer products and services are more popular on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Whether it's short-form or long-form, distributed through paid ads or organic means, video can help your brand meet its most challenging marketing goals.
Stay tuned for part three of this series, in which we'll examine over-the-top (OTT) video consumption and how to drive success through OTT advertising.
