TheSoul Publishing’s Victor Potrel explains that there is a significant shift towards blending short-form and long-form content, and the lines between them are blurring. The key question then becomes this: What strategies do media brands need to harness a trend where audiences crave both short-form’s brevity and long-form’s depth? TL;DR: It’s all about versatility.
The rise of short-form content and TikTok specifically, initially captured the zeitgeist with an offering of brief, snappy videos made for audiences’ changing consumption habits and attention spans. In fact, a 2022 survey discovered that 66% of consumers found short-form video to be the most engaging type of social media content.
It is not a coincidence that today in 2024, most social media video platforms like YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram have made short-form video viewing a core experience for their audience. However, at the same time, we’re seeing some continued love for longer content.
YouTube was the #1 streaming platform in the US for 12 months straight, ahead of Netflix. TikTok launched their Creative Program Beta in 2023, encouraging creators to make videos longer than one minute in order to be eligible for monetisation.
What we are witnessing is a significant shift towards blending short-form and long-form content, a broader industry trend where the lines between quick clips and extensive narratives are blurring, prompting a reevaluation of digital storytelling, audience engagement, and monetisation techniques.
As a result, creators are increasingly tasked with crafting content that both captures and sustains audience interest over extended periods of time across a large variety of formats.
As we delve into this shifting digital terrain, we explore the emergent strategies and new rules of engagement that creators are adopting to captivate an audience that seems to crave both short-form content’s brevity and long-form content’s depth.
Thriving in the Age of Content Convergence
With the convergence of short-form and long-form content, there are new opportunities and challenges for creators. However, as both platforms and their viewers still continue to value those who deliver a more extensive content experience, creators must learn to navigate these changes. And fast.
To do this, they must build new ways to drive engagement into their content creation strategy, which covers several key areas.
1. Storytelling
No matter the length of the content, storytelling is a critical element. It goes beyond mere entertainment to convey values, evoke emotions, and build connections. Research supports this, indicating that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts alone and that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before making a purchase.
Brands like Spotify, Nike, and Apple exemplify this story-driven approach. They are known for creating narratives that resonate on their fans’ personal level, fostering a deeper sense of brand loyalty.
For creators, this underscores the importance of weaving compelling stories that not only entertain but also engender loyalty. Balancing short-form and long-form content creation becomes a strategic balance of catering to varied audience preferences while maintaining a consistent, engaging brand narrative.
2. Embracing Multiple Content Formats
The merging worlds of short-form and long-form content demand versatility in content formats. Creators are now tasked with mastering and distributing their videos in a variety of different formats and duration, each suited to different storytelling and engagement objectives.
While this task can be daunting given the number of platforms and formats, it is a proven way to reach a wider audience and cater to their varied preferences while ensuring that the content remains relevant across different platforms. AI tools can help this effort, as well as companies specialised in providing cross-platform distribution at scale.
We’re also seeing the full interaction potential of social media videos being used more and more, with content creators increasing the use of direct audience engagement through live streaming, interactive polls, and Q&A sessions.
This fosters a vibrant community around their content and enables them to connect with their audience on a deeper level, ensuring their work remains relevant and engaging in a crowded digital space.
3. Monetisation in the New Era
Platforms like TikTok Shop are one of the big bets that TikTok is making, enabling the creation of new creator revenue streams by integrating e-commerce transactions directly into the content ecosystem (a model that has been successful for some time in China).
The explosive growth of TikTok, which saw in-app spending exceed $10 billion in 2023 alone, underscores short format effectiveness in converting viewers into active engagement. Additionally, 58.2% of TikTok users use the platform for shopping inspiration and research, and influencer collaborations influence 45% of purchases, making the significance of strategic content integration with e-commerce functionalities clear.
Beyond narrative-driven content and e-commerce integrations, creators are exploring a variety of monetisation models.
Revenue sharing via programmatic advertising, such as with the YouTube partner program now applicable to YouTube Shorts, subscription services, donations, and partnerships for branded content, all offer alternative revenue streams.
Creators are finding innovative ways to integrate these models seamlessly into their content, providing value to their audience while growing revenue opportunities.
4. Using Data for Strategic Content Development
Data analytics play a pivotal role in shaping content strategies. By utilising platform analytics and third-party tools, as well as analysing viewers’ behaviour, content performance, and emerging trends, creators can make informed decisions that enhance audience engagement and content relevance.
This data-driven approach enables creators to optimise their content for maximum engagement and relevance, tailor their strategies to enhance viewer engagement, and craft content that resonates more deeply whilst driving the sustained interest of an audience that keeps coming back.
Finally, short formats can provide a great way to iterate and learn about a format’s audience reception at a record speed. At TheSoul Publishing, we often test new content in short-form formats, where we can minimise production costs and maximise the speed of audience data insights compared to longer-form productions.
5. The Impact of Generative AI on Content Creation
The advent of generative AI has introduced a new dimension to content creation, offering tools that augment the creative process and potentially reshape narrative construction. From AI-assisted scriptwriting to automated video editing, these technologies promise to streamline content production.
For instance, TheSoul Publishing uses its AI-powered system, TheSoul Platform, to support content creation and distribution. A specific use of its AI is to efficiently transform long-form content into multiple relevant short-form pieces, enhancing distribution and engagement with minimal effort.
Yet, this reliance on AI also raises several questions. As creators navigate this landscape, balancing AI’s efficiency with the imperative for originality and creativity becomes crucial. The reception of AI-assisted content by audiences that value authenticity and human connection will ultimately dictate the role of these technologies in the future of content creation.
Conclusion
The convergence of short-form and long-form content challenges creators to redefine engagement, storytelling, and monetisation.
As this landscape continues to evolve, flexibility, innovation, and a keen understanding of audience dynamics will be key to navigating the future of content creation. Creators and platforms must embrace these changes, using new technologies and strategies to captivate audiences with compelling narratives and ever-so-engaging viewing experiences.
Victor Potrel
Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Creator Services, TheSoul Publishing
TheSoul Publishing is a world leading digital studio that produces engaging, positive, and original content for a global audience. With a creative team based in more than 70 countries and six continents, TheSoul Publishing showcases entertainment brands in 21 languages, which are distributed through a social media-driven cross-platform network. Headquartered in Cyprus with production studios and offices in Europe and the U.S., TheSoul Publishing’s portfolio includes the world’s number one DIY brand, 5-Minute Crafts®, Bright Side, 123 GO!, Avocado Couple, La La Life, Teen-Z, Baby Zoo, Slick Slime Sam, and Polar.
