Why You Should Try Super-Short Videos
You can say something meaningful in short videos—and here’s why you should try:
One struggle I hear from business owners and thought leaders—especially if you’ve gotten really comfortable with longer forms of expression: a blog, a podcast, a keynote—is getting your point across in an under-60-second-reel (not to mention one far shorter, which is what I’m talking about).
As always, I’ve been experimenting and studying, and one thing I’m seeing in YouTube shorts parallels a piece of advice given a few years ago on TikTok. You see, if you were watching marketing TikToks in 2020, you would’ve probably come across a “7-second video as the holy grail of TikTok.”
There was a theory that seven seconds was the perfect length video to go viral on the platform at that time.
Why?
Because of watch time and completion rate. Meaning it’s easier to get viewer after viewer to watch a 7-second video in full (and maybe run it back); than it would be for a 30 second video, or especially, a 60-second video; and platforms track how many people complete the video (especially during the initial viewing period).
This came up for me, because I’ve noticed on YouTube—while there are 110% exceptions to this rule when the creator or person featured is famous or established, and production value keeps you watching the whole time—especially for smaller accounts and less dynamic videos; you may find your extra-short shorts performing better.
So, how can you create a < 15 second video short that still packs a punch? Pick one point to cover from one angle. If there’s more to cover, you can make a series (and bonus: tell you followers to follow or subscribe for more).
Catch one more key reminder in the video below:
