The short-form video format has been around for quite some time now, but the content format has gained so much popularity recently (largely thanks to TikTok), that it’s all many creators are doing to develop and monetize their channels. The key players in the short-form video format are Tiktok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. 

Here’s everything you should know about creating and promoting your short videos on all three platforms:

TikTok

TikTok used to only allow short videos (between 15 and 60 seconds). As of this year, the video length limit was extended to 15 minutes. Still, most videos you’ll come across at TikTok are about a minute long.

You can select part of the video to be its cover.

TikTok is also quite generous when it comes to video captions. You can add up to 2,200 characters of text, with no limit to the hashtags.

Hashtags are not as important for TikTok visibility as trends (trending music and trending templates).

One handy TikTok feature is that you can boost any video (just like you can on Facebook) and generate many more views, likes, and subscribers. I use this option for videos that prove to resonate within 24 hours. I first let any video generate organic exposure and it seems to be doing exceptionally well, I’d give it a boost. Even $5 can make a huge difference to an already trending video.

Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels can be up to 90 seconds long. Like TikTok, Instagram allows 2,200 characters in captions, but there’s a limit of up to 30 hashtags.

You can upload an image to act as the video cover image. The image size is the same as the vertical update (1080×1350 pixels). You can preview your cover as it will look within your profile grid.

A handy Instagram feature is creating Reels based on your updates (i.e. Instagram will suggest this option when you add more than one picture to your update.)

YouTube Shorts

Following the short-form video trend, YouTube introduced the Shorts feature in 2020. YouTube allows up to 60 seconds in video length. 

You can only add the video title and the title is limited to 100 characters. These can be words or hashtags. The main thing is that your title remains short.

To Sum up the Fundamentals:

What Do These Platforms Have in Common?

More Views and Engagement

Short-form videos can generate thousands of views within a day on all of these three platforms, even on new channels with less than 100 subscribers. 

For example, you can publish regular YouTube videos for months to see only 20-50 views on each, then upload a Short and wake up to 10,000 views.

Views and engagements do come easier with short-form content, but it doesn’t always translate into a boost in subscribers. 

This is the nature of this content: Short videos are made to be consumed quickly. People may like or even comment but then they move on to the next video.

Still, it is a good way to add some activity to your account and develop your own style (which then translates into a stronger subscription base).

Unpredictability

There’s no telling which video will resonate on which platform. When uploading the same content to all three platforms, it may go viral on one and generate just a few views on the other. I seldom saw a video that would go hot everywhere.

Hashtags

Hashtags are allowed on all three platforms but don’t overuse those. Dozens of hashtags do look spammy, and you may be called out for overusing them.

Stories

All of these platforms love short stories. This can be a story of personal success, loss, life changes, etc. 

Quick very specific tips also help a lot. One of my most successful TikTok videos was a quick tip sharing the best spot on Long Island, NY, to see the sunset. It didn’t even require any editing. Any generic video about how awesome Long Island is would not generate that much organic exposure.

The bottom line here: You don’t have to spend hours creating your short videos. Content velocity is more important than any other form of content for this type of content. It is more about experimenting with topics and formats than editing and graphic design.

Native Music

Do make use of the native music each platform offers. Like hashtags, music makes your content more findable, especially on TikTok. This will also help you avoid copyright claims as each network automatically tags and credits the creator.

Repurposing

If you keep your videos under one minute, you can easily upload them to all three platforms. If you make them longer, consider creating a shorter version for YouTube or uploading it as a regular YouTube video. In either case, I am a big fan of content repurposing: It helps your brand generate those 5-7 impressions required for a recognizable brand. 

Plus, you can compare how your content performs on each platform and make more informed decisions in the future. 

Additionally, there are tools allowing you to pull content from multiple channels into a single page. This is a great way to create a single social-media-driven digital business card that acts as a social media landing page and a conversion driver. These tools also connect to your newsletter, allowing you to turn your followers into subscribers.

Built-in Editors

All three platforms allow you some basic and fun video editing capabilities. You can combine several videos into one, and add text, transitions, and music. TikTok’s editor is the most advanced, and I often use it but there’s no easy way to re-use those videos elsewhere as they will be TikTok-watermarked.

I recommend playing with each editor to see what they can do, but for more success, make sure to use some standalone apps to create something original and unusual.

How to Create Short Videos to Fit Each Platform?

There are some great third-party apps to help you create unique and professional content.

Videoleap

I use Videoleap. It has lots of video editing tools, allowing me to create and repurpose videos quickly. I often make a short version and then combine several videos to create a long video for the main section of YouTube.

My favorite part is its community-driven Templates section, which saves time and inspires. You can browse through other people’s templates, pick one, add your videos or images, and it will auto-generate your own version in seconds. You can use templates as-is or open them up in the full editor to adjust the titles, transitions, effects, and soundtrack however you see fit.

There are also quite a few AI features that allow you to add AI-generated images or transform your videos into surrealistic scenes.

Start Your Videoleap Free Trial

CapCut

For product-based ads that can be used on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, there’s another app called CapCut, which allows you to use their ad templates to create short-form videos featuring your products effortlessly. They put together seasonal and timely templates for you to make trendy ads for your products:

Start Your CapCut Free Trial

Short-form videos can diversify your content marketing tactics and help you generate organic views and engagements for your brand-owned channels. The key here is to never stop experimenting with formats and topics. Good luck!

©2023 DK New Media, LLC, All rights reserved.

Originally Published on Martech Zone: Short-Form Video Marketing: TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Short Best Practices