A few months back, I asked a famous director in the Bangladeshi advertising industry for his two cents on long-form video content, and his answer was not only surprising, but I found it a bit frustrating as well. He said, and I quote, “People will always keep on watching long-form OVCs,” and I could not disagree more. Due to the social conventions of interacting with someone deemed more successful in the public view, I decided not to argue with him but came home and me being the keyboard warrior I am, decided to write an article on it which was basically this: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fast-entertainment-era-rise-shorts-fall-long-ovcs-sabbir-islam/. Now a few months later, now that Instagram reels are super popular all over the world and TikTok has moved on from being a taboo to a popular social media for teens and youth alike, its time for Bangladeshi brands and managers to throw out their expensive, gaudy, time-consuming long-form video strategies and shift to a shorter strategy.
As we all know by now, social media has become a crucial avenue for brands to connect with their target audience. To remain relevant, it’s essential for brands to embrace the latest trends and strategies to capture the fleeting attention of their audience. Short-form content and reels have emerged as the most effective methods for brands to engage and connect with their audiences.
Recent studies have shown that the average attention span of an individual has significantly reduced in recent years and now stands at around 8 seconds. In light of this, it’s crucial for brands to capture their audience’s attention within a brief period. Short-form content and reels have become essential tools for brands to achieve this objective. In fact, research indicates that short-form content receives 94% more views than long-form content, further emphasizing the effectiveness of this strategy.
Moreover, video content has become increasingly popular on social media platforms. A recent study found that video content generates 12 times more shares than text and image content combined. This highlights the potential power of video content, and brands can leverage this power by creating reels and short-form videos. Furthermore, videos increase purchase intent by 97%, making video content an essential component of decision-making.
Long-form content can be time-consuming and expensive to create, which can be prohibitive for many brands. In contrast, short-form content and reels offer a more affordable and quicker alternative. These types of content can be produced quickly, allowing brands to keep up with the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape. Additionally, short-form content and reels often require less production time and fewer resources, making them ideal for brands with limited budgets. Millennials nowadays have also become more selective in the content they watch, many millennials will choose to skip a video just because its length is very long. So while one long-form OVC may create a hit in the entire year, you will see hundreds of short-form videos going viral.
The efficacy of short-form content and reels is reinforced by the data on social media engagement rates. According to research, social media posts with videos have a 48% higher engagement rate than those without. Short-form content and reels are more engaging, making them more likely to be shared and interacted with by audiences.
In conclusion, it’s essential for brands to embrace the power of short-form content and reels to stay relevant in the digital marketing landscape. The evidence suggests that short-form content and reels are more effective in capturing and retaining an audience’s attention, leading to higher engagement rates and conversion rates. Additionally, these types of content are affordable, quick to produce, and have a higher engagement rate than long-form content. Therefore, it’s imperative for brands to prioritize short-form content and reels in their digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the curve.