Short-Form Video is Eating the Internet. Here’s How Brands Can Take Advantage.
It’s truly wild to consider just how much social media has changed our lives in such a short amount of time. In just a few decades, it’s completely shifted the way we communicate: with other people, with our institutions, and even with ourselves.
But even as we’ve watched it disrupt our society forever, the actual content on social media has remained pretty much the same. Simple text posts, pictures, and the occasional traditional video have made up the vast majority of what we share with each other. That is, until TikTok exploded onto the scene.
The absurdly rapid rise of the platform (especially among the youngest generations) has now cemented short, vertical video as one of the most popular and potent forms of content. So much so, that other social media giants like Meta and Google have rushed to roll out their own short form video offerings (Instagram Reels and Youtube Shorts respectively).
If brands want to succeed at effectively delivering their messages to consumers in 2025, they’ll need to learn that wordy text posts and high-brow magazine features are no longer enough. The most valuable commodity in this space is consumers’ attention, and right now there is no form of content more effective than short form video at capturing and capitalizing on that attention.
This shift towards short form has been so visible and dramatic, that it’s unlikely we’re breaking any news here. The potential of this medium has been increasingly understood and capitalized on by marketers. But what’s often left unsaid is why short form video works so well, how brands can use it effectively, and what role it should play compared to more traditional long form content.
So What Actually is Short-Form Video?
Quite simply, short form video means any video content under about 60 seconds. TikTok popularized the 15–30 second sweet spot, while Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts extend the limit to 90 seconds or even a few minutes. The point isn’t the runtime, it’s the design philosophy: mobile-first, vertical, quick-hitting, and engineered to capture attention before the user swipes away.
Why is Short-Form Video so Popular?
So then the obvious question emerges: Why? What about this form of content has become so irresistible and effective? There are a few clear reasons short form has become the internet’s default language:
Attention fit. People’s attention spans aren’t necessarily shrinking, but they are more selective. A video has two seconds to prove it’s worth watching.
Discovery-first algorithms. TikTok flipped the script by serving videos based on interests, not just who you follow. Now YouTube Shorts does the same, driving an astonishing 70 billion daily views according to Google/Alphabet¹.
Mass adoption. Instagram revealed that Reels now account for over 20% of all time spent on the app². That’s a huge shift on one of the world’s biggest social platforms.
Engagement. Independent analysis from Metricool found engagement rates around 5–6% across Shorts, Reels, and TikTok³, which crushes the averages of other types of content.
In other words: short form is sticky, discoverable, and participatory. If your brand isn’t producing it, you’re effectively invisible in the fastest-moving parts of the internet.
When to Use Short-Form vs Long-Form Video
Short form is excellent at sparking awareness. Long form is excellent at deepening trust. So rather than seeing the two as an “either-or” decision, brands should instead look at them like a one-two punch.
A 20-second Reel might stop the scroll, but it’s the two-minute case study or explainer that convinces a buyer to act. Smart brands use short form as the hook, then long form as the pitch. One without the other leaves money on the table.
Does Short-Form Video Actually Convert?
Marketers overwhelmingly say yes. According to HubSpot’s 2025 Marketing Strategy report, short form video generates the highest ROI of any social content format⁴. Meanwhile, Wyzowl’s annual video marketing survey found that 93% of marketers report positive ROI from video content overall⁵, and most plan to spend the same or more on it in 2025.
So while no one is buying a six-figure product straight from a 30-second TikTok, short form plays a crucial role in moving users from awareness to action. It’s the top-of-funnel spark that lights the path to your longer-form, higher-value storytelling.
Short-Form Video for Businesses and Brands
It’s easy to assume short form is just for consumer products or influencers, but businesses of all kinds — including B2B and nonprofits — are finding traction. On LinkedIn, for example, snackable clips that show expertise or peel back the curtain on company culture often outperform traditional updates.
A logistics company might post a 15-second warehouse timelapse. A financial advisor can break down a market shift in 30 seconds. A nonprofit could show a donor impact story in under a minute. These micro-narratives humanize a brand and keep it top of mind in an endless river of content.
But how do brands effectively deploy short form video when the space is already so saturated? If they follow a few basic rules, they’ll already be ahead of the curve from those just trying to crank out anything at all to hop on the trend.
How to Use Short-Form Effectively
Lead with the hook. You’ve got about two seconds to win attention. Open with movement, a strong headline, or a surprising fact.
Design for silence. Captions and on-screen graphics are essential since most people watch with the sound off.
One message per video. Don’t cram. Pick a single idea and land it clearly.
Iterate like crazy. Shoot five versions of one idea. Test them. Scale the winner.
Play to the platform. TikTok favors personality and rawness. Reels loves sleek visuals. Shorts thrives on snackable education.
Is There a Way to Avoid Short-Form?
Essentially, no. Short form video is now where people’s time and attention is unstoppably flowing. The better question is how to adapt to it in a way that feels authentic to your brand. It’s no longer a question of whether to do it, but how to do it well.
A short-form content strategy that seeks to cynically cash in on a trend or fails to effectively communicate a message can come across as inauthentic and can end up doing more harm than good.
And That’s Where We Come In
At Rigid Motion Films, we help brands build short form strategies that aren’t just trendy, but cinematic and purposeful. That means content that looks stunning, communicates quickly, and integrates seamlessly into your broader marketing funnel.
From scripting and production to editing and iteration, we’ve built our process to deliver attention-grabbing short form at the same level of polish we bring to commercials and long form storytelling. You can see some of our recent work in Our Work, or learn more about how we approach projects in Our Process.
If you’re ready to stop whispering in the scroll and start commanding attention, work with us.
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