Introduction
In this guide we’re going to cover short form video and how it’ll add rocket fuel to your business.
Are you going to be learning Tiktok dances before the week is up?
Nah I wouldn’t do that to you!
Instead I’m going to show you how to leverage short form video for entrepreneurial purposes, regardless of your niche.
We’ll cover:
- Part 1: Small but deadly. Why short form content works.
- Part 2: Format focus. What will we make videos about?
- Part 3: Content channels. How to get inspired for limitless ideas.
- Part 4: Rapid recording. How to create shorts easily and in volume.
- Part 5: Repurposing for fun and profit. Hitting multiple channels using short form.
Let’s get started:
Small but deadly
Short form video is any video under 2 minutes. Often much shorter.
In fact, in the world of short form video: the shorter the better.
Short form video is (right now) one of the most powerful tools you can have in your marketing arsenal.
Right now a whole bunch of you are screwing your face and saying eww no thanks – I’m not doing that Tiktok nonsense.
My goal in this Part is to help you get over this! We shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater and dismiss the whole of short form video just because you don’t like platforms like Tiktok.
Because the reality is that short form video kills it on ALL platforms.
So much so that platforms have adapted their whole modus operandi to work with short form:
- Instagram used to be photos only. Now short form Reels and Videos rule the roost.
- YouTube is for long videos right? Nope – Youtube Shorts are massive. There’s even a Shorts tab right in the app.
- Short video video is even tearing up LinkedIn at the moment. Lara Acosta’s work is a brilliant example of this.
And, as of last week, we heard that X/Twitter is introducing a focused video tab:
Twitter – the preeminent text based platform – is looking at video.
So: it’s not just Tiktok!
Why are all these platforms so interested in short form video?
Because it holds attention.
Platforms make money through advertising. Advertisers pay for attention. Attention is generated and held by short form video.
That’s the basic core of the economics at play here.
And because of this the platforms incentivise short form video. They’ll make changes to their algorithm or even their whole interface to make sure people are creating and watching short form video.
If you want to generate attention for your brand and business then we can piggy back here.
The platforms want this format. And will reward us for it by sending views and engagement our way.
Think of it like swimming down a river with the current rather than against it.
Not in my backyard
One objection people will throw up is that short form video doesn’t work in their particular niche.
I can guarantee it does. And if no-one is doing it yet then you’re about to do some serious damage by being first.
Short form video lets you get on camera and authentically deliver solid gold value in a very concise package.
“Yes but my niche is too complex!” I hear you say.
Then you need to do a better job explaining it!
If you can take a complex subject or news item and deliver your POV and expert knowledge bombs in 15 seconds then you are flexing in a major way.
Here’s an example from Tiktok in the AI sphere:
Rachel Woods delivers the latest AI news and updates in short (<1 min) videos.
The subjects aren’t simple – for example some of her recent videos are on:
- an AI ethics litmus test
- a warning about prompt injections
- using AI to alleviate work anxiety
Complex topics but delivered in a short easy to digest package – that’s real expertise.
It’s also a valuable skill that short form video will train us on.
When we have 15-30 seconds to make a point suddenly our language becomes focused, our speech becomes precise. Extraneous fluff has no space here!
Auditing your niche
Before we jump into the rest of the week and start writing and producing short form video let’s get the lay of the land.
We want to see who is already doing short form video and see what is working for them.
We’ll use this to play catch up – we can learn from what they do. If they have certain topics and formats that work well for them then guess what – they will probably work well for us too!
Let’s use this research prompt:
Act as a research assistant
My niche is [business niche]
Collect a list of influencers who talk about my niche using short form video. Find existing lists online.
Focus on experts who report on updates and news. Not industry leaders / company owners.
For each of these platforms collect 5 influencers:
Tiktok
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram (Reels)
Facebook
Youtube (Shorts)
Provide their name, quick summary and a link to their profileThis will give you a basic audit of who is active in your space.
Important here is the line “Find existing lists online.” This will find webpages that have already catalogued content creators in your industry.
The more specific your business niche parameter here the better your results will be. For example if I put just “entrepreneurship” I get wide wide results like Richard Branson and Elon Musk.
Instead we want to find people whose primary work is creating content, informing and educating online. Not CEOs.
Go ahead and note down creators whose content you think is valuable and well delivered. We’ll be using these moving forward as reference points.
