It’s been almost a year since TikTok hit a billion users, and the site’s growth shows no signs of slowing. More recently, HootSuite’s Social Trends 2022 Report finds that TikTok will become the most important social network for marketing. This is partly because TikTok has experienced a 1,157% global user base increase from 2018 to 2020.

In response to TikTok’s growing popularity, other prominent social media sites have released their own short-form video platforms. Facebook introduced “Reels” in September 2021, Instagram came out with “Stories,” and YouTube debuted “Shorts.” While results across these sites have been mixed, YouTube saw a boom of 5 trillion views in January 2022.

How has the popularity of short-term videos affected marketing? According to HubSpot’s 2022 Video Marketing Report, 85% of marketers say that short-form videos are the most effective social media format. The report also found that short-form videos have the highest ROI of any other social media marketing.

All of this makes short-term videos a powerful way to connect with your audience. Here are a few tips to make the most of your short-form video marketing:

• Authenticity – Creating authentic content can lead to deeper connections with followers. Consumers value genuine and authentic brands and want to support the ones they trust. There have been cases where a company or organization wasn’t fully upfront about their content and faced colossal internet backlash as a result. In late 2021, Kum & Go and influencer Kyle Scheele went viral for a TikTok campaign that was not initially disclosed as an ad. Short-term videos should prize authenticity above all else. Consumers can and will hold brands accountable.
• Branded Hashtag Challenges – While challenge hashtags are nothing new, they remain an essential tool to promote visibility. TikTok has found that Branded Hashtag Challenges (BHC) garner a 5% median engagement rate compared to <1% with other platforms. For example, Chipotle has had a few successful BHCs on TikTok with the #LidFlipChallenge and #GuacDance. The company currently has over 1.3 million followers on the platform.
• Be Active – Short-form video trends have rapid lifecycles, so staying current is vital. While viral trends can last for months, most only last a few weeks. If you share videos based on out-of-style trends, viewers will see you as disconnected, and the videos lose their marketing value. Staying current with trends helps content reach a larger audience.

To have a successful short-form video marketing strategy, you don’t need to go viral or have hundreds of thousands of followers. You just need the right followers. The methods above can help your organization gain a foothold in short-term video marketing and grow an audience.

For more information on marketing and social media trends, check out these blog posts:

• Using PR to Appeal to Gen Z
• McDonald’s, Wendy’s and How Social Media Factors into Brand Perception
• How Gen-Z Uses Social Media – and What It Means for Your Organization’s Marketing Strategies
• The Intersection of Earned and Social Media – Where the Magic Happens