is short-form content and how can it be used? This guide will help you know when and how to use it.

Long-form content has been deemed the gold standard for content marketing. However, you shouldn’t ignore or overlook short form content.

Both types can be found in the right place at the right time.

Short-form content works best when you are trying to express an opinion, share important news, or offer a small amount of value.

There are a few things you should know about creating short-form content.

It can be published correctly and used to complement longer content pieces.

Particularly, platforms such as Instagram and Facebook focus on serving short form videos users. These types of posts receive more views and share.

Short-form content can be a great way of introducing your brand to new audiences and leads. Your long-form content does double duty to nurture and convert these people.

What are the options for short-form content creation? What should you be focusing on when creating it

Let’s get into the details of this short-form content guide.

What is short-form content exactly?

Any type of short-form content that your audience can quickly and easily consume, regardless if they are reading, watching or listening.

Why make short-form content?

A brand may use short-form content to serve one of these purposes in its content marketing strategy.

Search intent for nail and SEO using written short-form content

Written SEO short-form content may be more appropriate for certain situations than long-form written content.

Not all blog topics need 2,000 words to give satisfactory information. A post of 1000 words or less can often provide the answer that your audience needs.

Trust-building is also possible when you give your audience the right information.

Therefore, the context and the intent for your reader will determine whether you create SEO short-form text.

Short-form is best for the intent searcher searching for your topic on Google.

Short-form video can help you build brand awareness

Videos are short-form content. You should make them. It’s a great way to engage your audience, build brand awareness and build brand awareness through visual storytelling.

People are two times more likely share video content than any type of content.

Marketers report that short videos have the best ROI when it comes to lead generation and engagement, as compared with other video formats.

Short-form content can be used in conjunction with other content formats such as blogs and long-form videos.

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These are the top 3 types of short-form content.

What are the most popular types of short-form content you can find? You can look at short blogs, videos and social media posts.

Short-form blog posts

A blog post of less than 1,000 words is short, as you may recall.

Although short-form blogs can be quick to read, they shouldn’t sacrifice on quality. Effective short-form blogs are full of useful information, but they should also be concise and clear.

It is important to quickly get to the point and then give the value in the right proportion.

The post by Enchanting Marketing does an excellent job at all that. It uses just 1,000 words.

However, it doesn’t feel rushed or short. Although it’s short, it’s not lacking in substance. It’s filled with excellent examples and writing advice.

Posts on social media

Although social media posts are often short due to the constraints of platforms, that doesn’t mean they have to be boring.

A great social post should include compelling copy, striking images, and a link.

Sometimes all that is needed to get people talking is a little bit of text and a great photograph.

Short videos (TikToks, Reels, YouTube Shorts)

Are short videos the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about short-form content. It’s not uncommon.

Short-form video has seen a rise with TikTok. This short video platform has gained almost one billion active viewers in six years.

TikTok’s success prompted other platforms to join the video bandwagon including Reels From Meta, which is the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and Shorts From YouTube (which is owned and operated by Google).

Videos can be as short as just a few seconds and, if they are longer, they will usually not exceed three minutes.

These are just a few examples of each platform.


TikTok

San Diego Zoo’s TikTok account is used to showcase the incredible denizens it cares for. A cute and funny video about a baby rhino took just eight seconds to make, but it received 78.6K views and 474 comments.


Facebook Reels & Instagram

Airbnb’s Instagram reels showcase the amazing views it has accumulated from its wide range of rentals to great effect. The beauty of short videos is the impact they can make with only a few seconds.


YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are used by Food52 to showcase quick recipes, and other cooking tips. Shorts are also posted that show previews of longer videos.

Brands that focus on how-to content will find short videos a great format.

Here are some best practices for creating short-form content

A short-form blog post or Instagram Reel could be the first introduction to your brand for a customer. How can you make sure they are engaged?

These are the best practices, with tips and tricks for making short videos.

1. Make sure you get to the point.

You need to get right to the point no matter how short-form content that you create.

Your audience should care. Why should they pay attention to you? You can tell them right away, in a written introduction on a blog or in a video with a text overlay.

It is important to get to the point of your content. This is because it is your hook, the element that grabs and holds onto your audience.

In the YouTube video “How to Make Cheesy Potato bread”, you will notice that the first few seconds show the finished product in motion. The host cuts the bread, and the cheese is oozing.

This is why you should watch it! Viewers instantly think “Yum!” You’ll be able to figure out how it is done.

Give viewers/readers your “why” immediately so they understand the content’s value upfront.

You can reach more people by hopping on trending topics through short video platforms.

People love to add their creative spin on songs and soundbytes, for example.

The TikTok clip of the San Diego Zoo baby rhino is set to a soundbyte. It has been shared many times on the platform by different users.

One user overlayed the sound byte with footage from his cat. Other users did the same with their pets.

San Diego Zoo joined the trend by creating a unique, yet relevant entry that attracted a lot of attention.

Similar to the trend, be aware of them and find creative ways to incorporate them into your content.

3. Keep your brand/audience relevant

No matter if you’re creating a blog post or a video, you must ensure that you remain brand- and audience-relevant.

Some trends, such as short video, will work well with your brand identity while others may be completely out of place. Do not buy into trendy trends because they are popular. Instead, assess whether they match your brand’s identity and audience preferences.

Keyword and audience research are great tools for short blogs. They will let you know if a topic is of interest to you and if a blog post that addresses it is the best move.

4. Videos: Worry less about quality

Quality is less important than authenticity, relevance and value in short-form videos.

Do not worry about creating crisp videos with perfect shots. Most people want transparency from brands they love and expects it on social media.

Transparency can be defined as showing less gloss or more imperfections in many cases.

This means that you have to shoot with a weak smartphone, feature real people who aren’t perfect, or go behind the scenes to see how a business works, especially if it’s messy or imperfect.

5. Value: Engage, educate, or inform.

No matter what type of content you create, your goal should be to provide value for your audience.

By the way, value can have many meanings. Your content can be entertaining if it is thought-provoking or funny. It can teach people a new concept or skill, and it is educational. Informational value can also be gained from sharing news and information.

Do not publish a short-form article just to get it out. You need to evaluate carefully whether your sharing something of value or just adding to the noise.

Short-form content is a valuable addition to your content strategy

Long-form content is the best for nurturing and converting leads. However, short-form content can also be useful.

Short-form, high-quality content can reach more people and introduce your brand to them. It will also encourage them to interact with you. It is especially valuable to increase brand awareness via social media.

The key is in the mix. To get the best results, you need to have both short-form as well as long-form leveraged at different locations. Each type plays a different role in your marketing strategy and sales cycle.

Do not place too much emphasis on one over the other. For the best results, you should use both types strategically.

The post What is short-form text? Search Engine Land’s guide to short-form content: When and how to use it appeared initially on Search Engine Land.

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