Short-form video is the attention currency for 2024–25: platforms continue to prioritize reels/shorts and users increasingly prefer quick, scannable video to learn about products. Marketers who treat short video as a distribution and conversion channel win
Tactics that actually work
• The 3-second hook: open with a bold visual or promise. If you don’t hook in 3 seconds, you lose 60–80% of the audience.
• Content buckets: education (how-to/demo), social proof (reviews/UGC), product-in-use, and behind-the-scenes. Rotate these in a content calendar.
• Vertical-first production: shoot vertical, add captions, show the product/benefit early, and end with a clear CTA (shop, link, save). Repurpose 30–60s edits into 15s teasers for stories or ads.
Buffer
• Paid + organic loop: test top-performing organic clips as boosted posts; scale winners into paid sequences (awareness → consideration → purchase). Use short playlists/ad sets that retarget viewers by watch time.
• Influencer & UGC mix: scale authenticity by seeding concepts with micro-influencers and layering brand-produced variants that reinforce the same creative hook.
Measurement & quick wins
Track watch-through rate, saves/shares, click-through to product pages, and CPM by placement. A simple uplift test: run a product page with short-form “how to” video vs. static image creative and measure conversion lift within 7–14 days. Short-form paid ads frequently lower CPAs when creative and targeting are aligned.
Buffer