How Short-Form Content is Changing Media As We Know It (And How Brands Can Join In)

Content marketing has evolved and shifted with changing expectations and technologies since the concept of marketing was first developed. Within the past few decades, however, content marketing has begun radically changing as more and more innovative technologies have drastically altered the world of marketing, consumer culture, media and popular consumption as a whole. Content, marketing and otherwise, likewise adapts to these new technologies and social expectations. One of the most notable types of content to fully emerge as a major player within the past decade or so is short-form content. But what is short form content? And how has it changed media and marketing consumption? Let's take a closer look at short-form content in order to better understand its impact on marketing, media and more.

What Is Short-Form Content

Short-form content is not strictly defined, as there are many different types of short-form content that are widespread today and what is considered short-form can vary greatly depending on the industry and target demographic. In general, short-form content is best understood as content which is short and relatively easy to take in, relatively speaking.

This can mean different things depending on the industry and type of content. For example,
Short-form content for an adult professional academic demographic will mean something different than short-form content for a teenage consumer demographic.

 Whereas an 800 word academic article would be considered short-form to the first demographic, it would not be viewed as short-form by the second demographic. This type of contextual awareness applies for all kinds of short-form content, including written content, visual content, as well as videos and other types of mixed media.

Why Short-Form Content Has Become So Popular

Short-form content is not exactly new but within the last few years it has seen a massive surge in popularity in just about every industry, all thanks to the rise of mobile devices and smartphones. It is estimated that around 71% of the average consumer's media time comes directly from smartphones, which means that most of the media they consume will be viewed on a device which is geared towards absorbing short-form content.

Consumers who are viewing something on their mobile device naturally want content that they can take in as quickly as possible, whether it’s because they are hoping to quickly move on to something new or they want something they can easily digest while on their workplace commute, lunch break, and so on.

Because content which can be digested quickly is inherently more successful on mobile formats, more and more brands are turning towards short-form content as a way to draw in and engage with consumers on a completely different level than the type of content marketing that was commonplace as recently as 10 years ago.

Tips for Creating Short-Form Content

The importance of understanding short-form content cannot be overstated. Short-form content is essential for almost any type of industry and any type of brand. Short-form content does require planning and knowledge, but thankfully there are many expert tips that can get any brand interested in creating effective short-form content started.

Know which platforms to use

Short-form content is only as good as its delivery method; in this case, this means choosing the right kind of platforms for the content itself. Short-form content should always be posted on some type of social media platform, as most content that is limited to websites, online stores or other brand-exclusive areas will not be viewed by consumers as a whole.

The platform you choose will vary depending on the type of short-form content as well as the industry being marketed in. For instance, Instagram is effective for short-form photographs, illustrations, as well as videos content; whereas text-based short-term content is better on a blog-style platform such as Blogger, Facebook or Tumblr.

Know how to offer value or interest

Short-form content's success rests on its ability to be either valuable or interesting to consumers who may be viewing it and dismissing it within a spilt-second. There needs to be either one of these elements (value or interest) offered to those consumers in order to get them to stop, watch a video, view an image, like a page or even share the content with others.

Value is best understood as some sort of benefit to the viewer--benefits include knowledge (such as "Health benefits of coffee" which could be tied to a coffee brand); skills (such as a cooking tip video from a brand that offers kitchen products); recommendations (such as children’s book reviews from a bookstore brand) and so on.

Interest is best understood as something that is stimulating, exciting or curiosity-sparking without necessarily providing value. Interesting short-form content can include engaging photographs or illustrations, funny videos or image content, sharing quotable, and so on.

Both of these elements have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the brand, target demographic, primary sharing platform and the general intention of the short-form content. As a general rule of thumb, brands should not limit their short-form content to either valuable or interesting; a combination of both will keep many consumers engaged and interested in returning to that brand for more short-form content in the future.

Keep track of your content’s effectiveness

One of the most important steps that brands need to take when creating short-form content is keep track of its effectiveness based on factors such as the style and tone of the content, what day and time it was posted, and the number of engagements from consumers (such as views, likes, comments, and  reshares/retweets/reblogs). Doing so will help brands find out which types of short-form content consumers find most appealing in relation to their brand; they can also find out which platforms and days/times are the most effective for reaching as many potential consumers as possible. They will then be able to adjust their short-form content as well as their posting times, if necessary, in order to increase the success of their content as a whole.

Final Thoughts

There is no doubt that short-form content is here to stay. The popularity of mobile phones and devices will only rise in the coming years, and with it, the ability for brands to create and promote short-form content that is valuable, interesting and above all appealing to consumers will become more important than ever.

Brands should begin taking advantage of short-form content as soon as possible in order to reach as many modern consumers as they can. Knowing how to reach out to modern consumers through effective short-term content is essential for modern brands who hope to stay on top of those new and developing marketing strategies and technologies that will help them—and their brands—become financially successful.