The explosion of e-commerce during the pandemic has made social media more competitive, says Harry Lowes, Director GBG Mid-Market at Meta ANZ. He shares three ways to make your short-form video content more engaging to keep people excited about your brand.

With the large amount of information constantly competing for people’s attention, not only is it harder to keep people engaged, but it’s now also harder to keep their loyalty. The explosion of e-commerce during the pandemic has increased people’s willingness to experiment with new businesses.

With these changes in consumer behaviour, businesses are discovering that short-form video is proving to be an effective tool at both gaining consumers’ attention and differentiating their brand.

The cut-through of short-form video

According to Biteable, 68 per cent of marketers believe that videos are better than Google Ads. And as many as 30 per cent think online videos are a more important part of their strategy than their websites. Further to this, 53 per cent use videos to raise awareness, 52 per cent to build trust with prospective clients, while 49 per cent deploy them as a means of audience engagement.

These trends are being reflected on Meta’s platforms. Compared to this same time last year, consumers are over 13 per cent more likely to use Instagram Reels, a short-form video format, to build relationships or to discover new businesses. Other video-inclusive formats on Meta’s platforms, including Stories and Live are also becoming increasingly important ways for consumers to discover new brands.

Stories is an immersive format that allows users on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger to share and view moments through photos and videos that disappear within 24 hours. While the Live feature on Facebook and Instagram helps people to broadcast a conversation, virtual event or Q&A. This invites their community to join the conversation in real time.

In essence, short-form video is a great way to grow your community, define your business and develop more authentic relationships with customers. Curious about the opportunities short-form can unlock for your business? Here are some best practices on how to create engaging video content to grow your business and create value for your customers.

1. Make it a conversation

Engage your customers in a conversation around your content.

Invite your community to get to know your business by filming behind-the-scenes content. Interact with your audience by asking for their opinion and responding to the conversation in the comments. When brainstorming, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and consider what content you’d love to see or learn about from your favourite business.

One business getting on board is Bubble Tea Club. They shares Reels and short-form video featuring bespoke Bubble Tea recipes, business updates and Bubble Tea hack videos. These videos attract new customers and aid in cultivating a loyal and engaged online community.

2. Use audio to inject some personality

Use audio to excite your customers and inject some personality into your brand.

Select a trending song or try a new sound effect. Or try recording an original narration to draw your customers in and hold their attention. To get inspired, identify and analyse existing content that has resonated the most with your audience. To do this, leverage your business page insights and use the results as a creative reference for your next video.

Sticky Lollies leverage the live stream and video functions on Facebook and Instagram to share their enchanting candy making process with their customers. Through their use of trending songs and original narration, Sticky Lollies has attracted thousands of viewers across the world, helping to scale their operations and reach new audiences.

3. Partner with creators

Partner with creators to establish trust and credibility.

Creators not only spark new trends and entertain audiences, but they are also a trusted source for recommendations.

A recent study by Edelman found that 63 per cent of 18-34 year-olds trust what an influencer says about a business more than what the business says about itself in advertising.

Tap into the storytelling power of creators with branded content and branded content ads. The more you can do to enable creators to advocate for your business in their words, the greater your ability to build an authentic relationship with their audience.

As part of the broader shift in viewing habits, people are increasingly embracing short-form video content from businesses. Now more than ever, people are looking to connect with businesses and creators, all while discovering new things that are relevant to them.

Embracing and creating relevant short-form video can help you achieve your goals. From discovery, consideration or conversion, to creating meaningful connections with customers.

Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Follow Kochie’s Business Builders on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.