Video content plays a stellar role in increasing the reach of local businesses in digital marketing. The debate no longer circles around whether to use video for digital marketing purposes or not, but on the format of video that is most effective in capturing the attention of the audience. Today, most local businesses are divided when it comes to choosing between short-form and long-form video for video marketing campaigns. In this article, we will discuss in detail both short-form and long-form videos and which works best for local businesses.
Short-Form Video
Short-form videos are typically under 60 seconds and are primarily used on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Now, let us delve into the pros and cons of short-form videos for local businesses.
Pros of Short-Form Video
- Increases Engagement and Reach: One of the best things about short-form videos is that they are very effective at capturing viewers’ attention on social media platforms. In fact, the algorithms in social media platforms are designed in such a way that they promote these short video contents, which cater to the short attention spans of users. In fact, these short videos are also promoted for people who don’t actively follow you, and this helps tremendously in increasing your reach among people who are interested in the kind of products and services you provide. For local businesses, this kind of short-form video can quickly transform into increased foot traffic in their shops.
- Cost-Effective Solution: Most people aren’t aware of the fact that short-form videos don’t require any sophisticated equipment and editing, which makes it easy for local businesses to produce this video content without having to invest a heavy amount in their video production. Now, if you are a small business owner with a very limited budget for video marketing, short-form video can be your savior, as most of these videos can be shot on a smartphone and posted online. The focus of these short videos is on originality and quick information, which is definitely useful for local businesses.
- Trend Involvement and Impulse Transformation: The short-form videos always take into account the latest trends, making it easy for viewers in the local area to notice them. In addition, short videos are designed to deliver precise, impactful content with a direct call to action. Furthermore, viewers are often triggered by impulse, and short-form videos are the best source for prompting them to take action, as the message is delivered very straightforwardly and clearly.
Cons of Short-Form Video
- Presents a Limited Opportunity: The short-form video format won’t help you deliver in-depth content that contains all the information about your brand, products, or services. In fact, the few seconds allotted to a short video are just enough for small messages, and it will always lack the detailed, in-depth sharing of information.
- Lacks Authority Building: The short-form videos won’t help you build authority because their short duration has a very short shelf life. Besides that, the trends keep shifting, and the algorithm always prioritizes new content, which means your video will have limited popularity and lack authority-building.
- Lower Conversion Rates: Short-form videos are effective at triggering impulsive action among viewers, which may translate into small purchases. However, for big products and services that require substantial information, short videos won’t drive conversions.
Long-Form Videos
The long-form videos are 2-3 minutes long and allow content creators to provide valuable information and proper explanations. Let us have a look at the pros and cons of long-form videos.
Pros of Long-Form Videos
- In-Depth Engagement: The length of long-form videos allows local businesses to provide in-depth information that their viewers need, which goes a long way toward establishing trust with potential clients by demonstrating your expertise. In fact, the long-form videos are best at delivering your business’s core message, values, and details about your products and services.
- Strengthens SEO Value: One of the best things about long-form videos is that they help build strong SEO values, which will fetch better rankings for local businesses. As long-form videos can be optimized with keywords, descriptions, and tags, they can improve their ranking for specific search queries. In simple terms, for local businesses, long-form videos will continue to deliver better rankings and organic traffic over weeks, months, and even years because they seldom lose their relevance.
- Establishes Authority and Expertise: Long-form videos are highly effective at establishing authority and expertise, particularly for local businesses. In fact, long-form videos help local businesses delve deeper into their niche areas and provide detailed information to their viewers, which establishes them as authoritative figures and experts in their fields. Now, local businesses that are experts in specific services and products stand to gain from long-form videos, as they can provide high-value information about their offerings.
Cons of Long-Form Videos
- Cost and Time Inclusive: Most of the time, producing long-form videos takes a lot of time and cost because it is difficult to create a highly engaging video without proper video production equipment. Besides that, long-form videos also require significant editing and professional skills to shoot.
- Platform Restrictions: There are certain social media platforms that prioritize short-form videos, and posting long-form videos on those platforms won’t fetch you the intended results. Short-form videos go viral pretty fast, as they are shared more rapidly than long-form videos.
- Consistency Challenges: One of the biggest challenges with long-form videos is maintaining the same high level of quality and engagement throughout. Now, if you have been lacking in producing high-quality content for a long time, then long-form videos won’t help you.
In Conclusion
Going through the discussion, one thing becomes clear: both short-form and long-form videos have immense potential to boost local businesses’ rankings and customer engagement. The key lies in combining both of these video formats in your digital marketing campaigns. If you need support with short- and long-form videos, contact our team at Outreach Digital Marketing for expert advice and guidance!
