Short-Form, the King of Content.

You just got off work, you want to relax a little bit and unwind through some Tiktok. Next thing you know, two hours have gone by and you are jolted out of the apps grasp by someone trying to get your attention. This is a tale we all know well, one that has burst into our lives in the form of short-form content. “Short-form content” is generally anything under a minute you usually find in the depths of Tiktok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts. It's addictive, we all know it, but the question is, why? And how can I get in on the wave?

How it Grabs You.

Short-form content is addicting for many reasons, but the main points are its bite-sized content, rewards system, dopamine hits and escapism. The content comes in small chunks, so your attention is grabbed and piques your interest, then the story is resolved and your reward comes in a sliver of 30 seconds. This increases the release of dopamine into your brain, giving it the satisfaction it looks for. This loop is repeated over a time range, sometimes hours which feeds into the escapism of the usage. It is also exacerbated by the mystery of what video is next, causing you to keep on scrolling endlessly.

The Algorithm. What Even Is It?

By definition, an algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem solving tasks. For short-form content, the algorithm comes in the form of pushing content unique to you, or to the masses. Basically, every time you hit like on a post, watch it for long periods of time or search it, you train the platform's unique algorithm specific to you. This causes it to push content to your “For You” page it thinks you may enjoy. Another portion of the algorithm comes for the masses. The platforms will analyze your video and based on the content, if it thinks a large demographic will enjoy it, pushes it to the masses. This is how you go “Viral”

So how can I ride this wave?

Well for starters, each short-form video has to follow a set of rules.

1. Hook
2. Content
3. Resolution
4. Marketing

The Hook: hooks are important. Whenever you swipe and a new video shows up, the video has an average of 3-5 seconds to pique your interest so you don’t scroll again. If it’s boring, you swipe and so do others. The platforms recognize this and pushes it to the dark depths of the app where no one sees it, kind of like a bad video prison. A good hook will instantly level up your video and increase watch time. A good hook can be anything from “Why you should do this:” to an eye-catching edit or image. Think of ways you can get someone’s attention quickly, that still relates to your content.

The Content: This is the meat and potatoes of short-form. Your content needs to be engaging and interesting for the viewer, and also a topic people will enjoy. This doesn’t mean you have to make it for the masses, but find your niche and stick with it. For example, cooking videos and comedy will always do well, but if you want to make videos about books, or rare art etc. you certainly can as long as it’s engaging. The content has to look good, audio crisp, video stable and good editing quality. With today’s technology, this can be done all with a phone! The key is to get your information out quickly and concise, preferable within 30 seconds. On the contrary, try not to flood the video with information, as a view might get overwhelmed and annoyed. There is a happy medium, and the only way to find it is through practice.

The Resolution: People use these apps to get satisfaction from entertainment. If your video leads to 4 parts, it’s quickly going to lose interest in the viewer. Try and have your resolution/finale all within the time of one video. (Get to the point)! This way people will be satisfied and start to search for more. If someone sees you make an effort to make it worth their time to watch your videos, they will more than likely watch more or drop a follow.

Lastly, The Marketing: No I don't mean you need a degree to make these videos, you just have to be aware! For example the algorithm feeds into many things. Proper captions, titles, hashtags and thumbnails will go a long way in Short-form content. The algorithm catches this in something called SEO or “Search engine optimization“. Basically, the words you use in captions, titles and hashtags should be important words that relate to your content and that people will most likely search for. This will help boost the visibility of your content and allow the algorithm to push it to the right people. It's also important to keep consistency and with a schedule. If you put out a video once a month vs 3 times a week, you are much more likely to get that engagement and follows you’re looking for.

The Bottom Line

In the end, anyone can be successful through short form content. It's currently being mastered by middle schoolers and adults alike. Now is the time to get in, as it's only going to go up from here. You just have to be aware of the key points, and use the tools to your advantage. Take the time and extra step to level up your content and you’ll be on the For You page in no time. Also, don’t be afraid to shake up the standard. Be creative and put out content unique to you! People like ingenuity and it will make you happier too!

Gabriel Rosanio