The Rise of Short-Form Content: Why Attention Spans are Shaping Media Consumption

Things have changed! The era of long speeches, lengthy presentations, and 5-minute adverts is long gone. Most of our audience simply can’t afford that much time anymore. As a result, short-form content is the new survival strategy for any serious marketing campaign. The shorter the content, the more effective it tends to be.

The world is moving faster than ever before. Technology is evolving, and so is human behavior. Drive-through restaurants have dislodged indoor sitting, and even in the marketing arena, human patience is wearing thin. That’s why many brands are fine-tuning their marketing strategies to align with the new reality.

Have you exhausted your marketing budget with nothing to show for it? Or have you invested time and energy in creating content that never captures the attention of your target audience? Short-form content is the new trend that can turn your fortunes around.

What Is Short-Form Content?

Short-form content is any content that provides your audience with a brief breakdown of the crucial points of your message. They aim to attract the viewer’s attention while providing them with information they can easily digest. In marketing, keeping the audience glued is crucial, and shorter content delivers that goal.

Another attribute of short-form content is that it focuses on a specific area rather than a more comprehensive explanation. It hits the nail on the head and shifts the emphasis from quantity to quality. Basically, short-form content is fast food. These contents can manifest in a number of formats, such as videos, podcasts, blogs, and images.

In video form, this content is usually between 15 to 180 seconds. In written form, they are mostly less than 1000 words. So, why not try out shorter content and see the difference?

Short-Form Content Examples

Examples of short-form content include;

Short-Form Videos: You can build your brand awareness with only a few seconds of video clips. No matter how lengthy your message is, ensure that you compress it to less than 3 minutes. Also, make sure its audio and video quality are top-notch.

Short-Form Blog Posts: Your blog posts will lose their grip on the reader if they take longer than seven minutes to read. Also, include images and videos whenever possible to drive the message home even better.

Short-Form Podcasts: Keep your message on point, and don’t talk for more than 15 minutes. If your message can’t fit into that timeframe, consider breaking the podcasts into parts or series of, say, 15 minutes each.

Infographics: A powerful infographic is more beneficial to your market than a number of crucial statistics buried in hundreds or thousands of words. Just concentrate on a single point and make it colorful yet simple and easy on the eyes.

When Did Short-Form Content Become Popular?

A study by a group of researchers from Microsoft has revealed that the average attention span of a human has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2015. What this means is that we maintain focus for a shorter time than a goldfish whose attention span is 9 seconds.

Scientific investigation has also uncovered a rise in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a psychiatric disorder that makes people restless, impulsive, and unable to maintain focus for a long time. According to the CDC, 10% of American kids suffer from this challenge.

Social media companies have used this declining attention span to their advantage, tilting towards shorter videos on their platforms. For example, the love for shorter videos was the reason for the explosion in the use of TikTok. By mid-2024, 40% of social media users named the app as their favorite place to enjoy short videos.

However, the rise of short-form content began along with the rise of Vine in 2012. The social media platform had users posting 6-second-long videos that were played on the loop. The app became an instant success until the emergence of Instagram’s more attractive 15-second videos. Soon, marketers began to move their content to Instagram.

The short-form video craze soon began to spread. We began to see more short-form video expressions such as Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Facebook Stories, and YouTube Shorts. Marketers began to reach a wider audience through these avenues as research and results began to show. You will likely achieve the same results if you follow suit.

Short-Form Video Statistics

According to a Forbes report, the use of Facebook Stories increased the interest of users in a brand by 62%. 43% of Instagram users preferred Instagram Stories to other content on the app. Also, Instagram videos that lasted for approximately 26 seconds attracted the most comments from users.

The same report revealed that X (formerly Twitter) videos, which present their most crucial points within 3 seconds, achieve 13% more success in engagement and popularity. Also, brands are more likely to reach 74% of their consumers if they spread their message via YouTube videos.

How to Take Advantage of Short-Form Content

Here are some tips that will help you get the best out of your short-form content.

Precision: Make use of every second to pass across your points in the area of podcasts, blogs, and short-form video content. Start with headlines and captions that draw the attention of your audience in as few words as possible. Every word you use must count.

Combine Short-Form Content Formats: You can merge video and infographics beautifully in content for more fun and engagement. Don’t limit yourself.

Post Regularly: The effectiveness of your short-form content campaign can wane when you are missing in action. Always have content ready to post regularly so your audience can count on you. Monitor content analytics to determine the best time to drop content.

Use Captivating Thumbnails: For YouTube videos, thumbnails are one of the tools to make your videos more attractive to viewers even before they begin to watch. Make use of high-resolution images with bold enough texts that are arranged in an orderly format.

Welcome to Short-Form Era

From all indications, short-form content has come to stay. Decreasing attention span among the newer generation of audiences has made longer content irrelevant. Top organizations have learned this already. It’s not too late to join the train.

Whether it’s videos, blog posts, infographics, and podcasts, short always does its best. Invest in precise, quality messaging and watch your messages and brand attract more attention than you’d have ever imagined.