Decoding Short Form Content And Its Future

A few years ago, ‘thumbstoppers’ were all the rage. The concept is simple - with the ocean of content at a viewer's disposal, and them scrolling at a rate of 50-100 scrolls a minute, will your content make their thumbs stop and actually consume?

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The idea sparked a question, and a long drawn debate between long and short form content.

What works better? Where does the future lie? As video creators, could duration become the make or break factor?

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Since 2016, short form content and content platforms have seen an almost unstoppable shift, with researchers citing the ‘dwindling attention span of human beings’ as the main reason.

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Here’s a full list of reasons why short format content is set to take centre stage in 2023:

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• Easy to consume on-the-go
• Quicker to share with friends/on personal pages
• Simpler to engage with
• Allows viewers to consume more volume of content
• Concise = precise, authentic, believable

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Seasoned therapist and behaviour expert Steven Zauderer has studied human attention span for over a decade, with his latest research putting the average human attention span at just 8.25 seconds. Between 2000 and 2015, attention span saw a decrease of over 25%, and that number seems to only be increasing.

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With the average adult lifting their phone up close to 1500 times a week, which is 5-6 times a minute, it’s safe to say that short form content has a small window to squeeze into, whilst being effective.

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So what future path does that create for videos, currently the most consumed form of content on the internet?

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1. Vertical is the way to go

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When it comes to video marketing, video hosting platforms seem to be the rule makers. Since 70-80% of content is consumed on smartphones, vertical orientations are more likely to bring in the numbers and visibility that brands are looking for.

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2. Transitions keep it interesting

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Even within the world of short form video content, factors like innovative transitions and animations become the small but significant differentiating factor. If a viewer is intrigued and/or amused, they’re more likely to ‘stop their thumbs’ and keep watching.

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3. Music changes everything

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As humans, we’re wired to understand and react to beats, rhythm, and musical bars. And so, a video that progresses in sync with a beat, or matches the lyrical nuances of a song, could bolster viewership and increase the stickiness of content.

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4. People vs. objects

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Engagement metrics show that people love watching other people, making content feel more relatable and less mechanical. While this isn’t an absolute formula, it surely is a content hack that intrigues a viewer and builds shareability.

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5. The perfect vehicle for suspense

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In 2023, creating curiosity or ‘hype’ for an audience won’t be easy, but short format content could aid in that area. Snippets and shorts are a fun way to give people half a story and keep them hooked on for more, creating greater chances of audience retention.

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In the end, nothing trumps the quality, relevance, and sheer creative innovation of content. However, short format content expects marketers and creators to pack as much punch as they can in as fewer seconds as possible. With changing social media algorithms favouring crisper video content over others, 2023 is sure to see an even huger demand for everything short and sweet.

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At Overture, our eclectic team of video experts have also seen a much better reception to the plethora of short format videos and content we’ve produced. And if this happens to be a part of your larger marketing plans, we’d love to add our creative spin to it.

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