How to Battle Short Attention Spans with Short-Form Video Marketing

Times have certainly changed with how intrusive technology has become on our lives. With so many smartphone notifications and other distractions, Microsoft estimates that the average human attention span has dropped by 25% since 2000 to just eight seconds.

Advance Media New York specializes in video marketing in numerous industries, including aviation, healthcare, travel, education, politics, and recruitment. We recognize the challenges that a shrinking human attention span can have on businesses of all sizes. Here, we discuss battling shorter attention spans with short-form video marketing.

What Is Short-Form Video Marketing?

Simply, short-form videos are up to 90 seconds long and used mainly for advertising and social media marketing efforts. Just a few of the most popular places to find short-form marketing videos include:

  • TikTok: TikTok is synonymous with short-form video marketing, as most posts are quick to watch and follow some sort of trend.
  • Instagram: This platform gives businesses the opportunity to boost any of their video posts for more exposure. Stories are another feature that utilizes short-form videos.
  • Snapchat: When watching stories or content in the “Discover” section, users encounter short video ads at regular intervals.
  • Television ads: Commercials typically range from 15 to 60 seconds long.

What to Consider for Short-Form Video Marketing

The point of short-form video marketing is to give consumers easily digestible information about your products or services. To accomplish this, consider some of Advance Media New York’s top tips:

Ensure Content Is Engaging

Especially given shorter average attention spans, video content must interest and engage viewers. This is so they not only watch the whole ad but also want to learn more about your offerings. Evoking emotion through strong messaging is a great tactic when ensuring content retains the audience’s attention. Compelling visual scenes, accompanied by music and/or narration, are also vital to a video ad’s success. Consider subtitles to reach people with varying hearing abilities.

Use Storytelling Effectively

Traditional video marketing methods heavily relied on linear narratives, where there is one point of view with a predictable outcome. Today, nonlinear storytelling reigns supreme when creating video content, especially for short-form clips. Whereas linear storylines can be harder to follow and take longer to reveal the point, nonlinear approaches provide a more unique and memorable viewing experience.

Know Your Target Audience

Analyzing consumer demographics is a basic staple of any marketing plan. When creating short-form videos, the content should answer questions like:

  • What is our target audience searching for?
  • What is the average dispensable income for our target audience?
  • What have target consumers purchased in the past?

By making these considerations, video marketing can become more personalized and capture more of the target audience’s attention.

Be User-Friendly

If your target customer has a shorter attention span, the last thing they’ll want to do is read large blocks of text or have to scroll far to find a video. When designing your video marketing ads, keep user ease and convenience at the top of your mind.

Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

All marketing materials, from videos to blogs to email newsletters, should have a clearly defined CTA. A CTA directs viewers on what to do next, helping them along the buyer journey and hopefully influencing them to make a purchase. Some sample CTAs include:

  • Try it now.
  • Schedule a demo.
  • Contact us to learn more.
  • Fill out the contact form.

Captivate Your Target Audience with Advance Media New York

Figuring out the plot for your video ad is a tough enough task on its own. When you factor in studio and production tasks, creating your own video marketing campaign can sound like a headache for your internal resources. That’s where Advance Media New York comes in. We specialize in all aspects of marketing and advertising, including short-form video content. To learn more about how we can help you to better promote your business, contact us today.