Should your business be creating short-form videos
UK adults aged 18 to 34 spend almost an hour a day on TikTok alone, according to Ofcom’s Online Nations Report 2025. That’s an audience already in the habit of watching, already primed to discover something new. The question is whether they discover you! So, should your business be creating short-form videos as part of its marketing strategy? For most businesses, we’d argue it’s worth serious consideration. If you’re thinking about it, drop us a message and see how short-form video could work for your business. Why short-form video should be part of your content strategy Short-form video works because it fits naturally into how people consume content today. They want information quickly, while they’re scrolling during lunch breaks, commuting, waiting for meetings, or relaxing at home. Your content has just a few seconds to hook them. As more and more people turn to social media for their scroll-break, website content alone leaves a large chunk of your audience on the table. Content that takes time to watch or read isn’t always what people are looking for, and it isn’t always what they need. That’s not to say that blogs and long-form videos aren’t useful in your marketing strategy. If anything, they support it. Think about it like this:Someone scrolls on Instagram > They see your Reel > Then they go to your website to learn more. Short-form video makes that first touchpoint easy. Someone can discover your business and get a feel for the people behind it in seconds, without committing to a 20-minute video or scrolling through a 10-minute blog. Benefits of short-form videos Are long-form or short-form videos better? Long-form and short-form videos serve different platforms and different needs. Take a look at the table below to see how we compare both types of video content. Short-Form Video Long-Form Video When to use it Brand reach, discovery, top-of-funnel traffic Deep trust, authority, lead conversion, storytelling Content style Quick tips, FAQs, testimonials, product clips, behind-the-scenes, professional education Documentaries, case studies, interviews, detailed explainers Where it works TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn YouTube, websites, landing pages, presentations Length Under 60 seconds 5 to 25+ minutes Production effort Quick, spontaneous Strategic, structured, detailed 5 types of commercial short-form content businesses can use We’re not saying you need to dance in front of the camera or jump on every new trend to make short-form video work for your business. It’s quite the opposite. Take your time during the content planning stage and start with what your customers actually want to know. Here are five ways you can use short-form video content in your business. 1) Customer FAQs You’re probably already answering the same common questions every week. Why not film them? By capturing your top FAQs on camera, you’ll have a library of short videos to share when those questions come in. That gives customers an immediate answer and saves your team from repeating the same response again and again. You can also share them across multiple platforms, and over time, these videos can also help potential customers find the information they need while they’re researching their options, keeping your business front of mind when they’re ready to take the next step. 2) Product demonstrations Sometimes showing is much easier than explaining. A short product demonstration can show how something works, highlight one key feature, or demonstrate results your customer can expect. Keep each video focused. Rather than cramming an entire product tutorial into one edit, create content around individual features or use cases. You’ll have more videos to share, and each one will have its own clear purpose. 3) Customer testimonials You can tell people you’re good at what you do or you can let your customers speak for you. And when your audience hears it from a customer, it carries far more weight. Short customer testimonials work particularly well when they’re specific. What problem did the customer have? What changed? What was it like working with you? You can capture a natural 30-second answer that can provide valuable social proof without feeling like another generic paid ad. 4) Quick tips and how-to videos Your team probably knows things your customers would genuinely find useful. So share them. Quick tips and how-to videos let you show off your expertise without immediately asking for a sale. By solving small problems, you give potential customers a reason to trust your advice and come back when they need more help. For professional services in particular, this content idea can turn something you do every day into useful, repeatable video content. 5) Behind the scenes Humans are curious, nosy even. Your customers or clients always see the finished product, but they rarely see what goes into creating it. Behind-the-scenes content can introduce your team, show your process, or take viewers somewhere they wouldn’t normally have access to. It feels exclusive and helps your target audience connect with your brand on a deeper level. This type of content doesn’t need endless planning, it just needs to show your brand off in an authentic way. Where have we seen short-form content results for our clients? We’ve produced enough videos for social media platforms to know there isn’t one formula that works everywhere. What performs well on LinkedIn won’t necessarily work on TikTok. Platform-specific optimisation matters, from the opening seconds and editing pace to aspect ratio, captions, and content style. Here are some real examples. Instagram Reels For Vikkstar, a founding member of the Sidemen, we created a Reel that became his best-performing Reel at the time, generating more than 8 million views. After impressive results, we then went on to film the Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley, where we created fast-paced, social-first event content designed to make viewers feel part of the action. A collaborative Instagram post reached around 780,000 views, while content from the day generated more than 1 million Instagram views overall. Those numbers weren’t achieved by simply cutting a longer video shorter. The footage was captured and edited with specific platforms