Technology giants will only be betting bigger on short-form content in 2024. With the rise and rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat amongst other platforms, short form videos are sticking around as consumers continue to demand engaging, visually rich content. Advertisers now have the ideal means of creating impactful and memorable experiences that connect with viewers in just seconds, while also reaching younger audiences through highly engaging content. With more than half of annual online website traffic coming from mobile devices and tablets Millennials and Gen Z consumers will continue to grow their mobile-optimized digital experiences.
Bite-sized broadcasting is paving the way for a more structured short-form media landscape, by unlocking a new playground of creativity and new engagement models for brands. Scrollable, easy to digest and commitment-free, short-form content will only get more innovative and influential, both for the attention span challenged and those inundated with content options. Not only does it take less bandwidth to create a short-form video, but this type of format aligns well with the fast-paced attention spans of online audiences in a variety of demographics. This will become more vital for business owners who market to fast-paced, highly connected consumers.
Brands of all sizes from established names, to SMEs, to innovative startups will only further tap into this new formula for gaining momentum with viewer engagement. Big Tech firms like Google, Amazon, and Facebook are continuing to fuel the content creator economy by incentivizing short-form video monetization and innovations across markets. In India, Amazon miniTV offers free content as an in app streaming option. Netflix’s new Fast Laughs tab, which includes a TikTok-esque feed of comedy clips from Netflix shows and movies, caught traction with the platform’s mobile app users who can interact with reaction buttons, and post clips on WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter using shareable links. Advertisers behind the curve would therefore need to update their strategies, and view the business model of television, as different than that of movies; of YouTube, as different than that of television; and short-form content, as different than that of long form video and podcasts.
