How many videos have you watched today? Did you click on one while scrolling through Instagram or Snapchat? Maybe something caught your eye while you were reading the news online? There’s no disputing that videos draw attention. Read on for plenty more reasons to include micro videos as part of your marketing plan.
How Short is Micro?
The definition of a micro-video is hard to pin down. Some say it’s any video under one minute, while others contend the range is six to fifteen seconds. Also known as short-form online video, let’s agree that this format is a quick hit by any definition; and one that packs a big punch.
Micro Video History
Remember Vine? That was the Twitter video companion app that let you create six-second looping videos. Kind of like a GIF with sound. It was hugely successful for a few years but disappeared late in 2016. Vine was the granddaddy of the micro video and it didn’t become obsolete because people grew tired of it. It failed because people loved it and rushed to copy the short format while adding enhancements and improvements. Better versions of the original crowded the market and Twitter ending up dropping Vine.
Modern-day examples of micro videos are the GIFs, cinemagraphs, video clips, and animation that you can find all over the internet. Many micro videos were originally made for entertainment purposes, but inspired marketers. When Vine first came out, people organically started experimenting with the format and got pretty creative. A former Twitter video producer was so good at creating innovative Vines, he managed to make it his career.
Benefits of Micro Videos
Video in all formats performs well online. And short videos are the best performers of all. For one thing, the shorter the video, the more likely it is to be watched to completion. In fact, I’ll bet you’ve been hung up on a video loop more than once. They’re so short and hypnotic and repetitive and have I watched that Ben & Jerry’s Instagram video five times now???
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf9SiI7jgcQ/?hl=en&taken-by=benandjerrys
Thinking small means you’re getting rid of all the fat. Having only a short amount of time for your message forces you to focus. There’s no delay in getting to what’s important and you’re in and out in no time.
Micro video allows you to target the micro-segments of your audience. If you have a product you want to market differently to different customers, cater to each with a unique micro-video. Let’s say you’re selling a new granola bar. Tell the athlete it’s high in protein, tell the teacher it’s nut-free and tells the parent it’s cheaper than the competitor. Now you have three short videos speaking to three target markets.
Short videos allow you to easily promote timely material like launches and upcoming events. They’re quick and simple to make, which means you can speak to your audience without delay. Instead of running the same video for a year, try using a series of short videos that change every month to promote a new facet of your campaign.
What to Include
You can still follow the principles of a longer video when you create a micro video. Identify and speak to your target market, have a clear message and include a CTA. Does this sound like too much to cram into ten or twenty seconds? It’s not. This Home Depot video delivers plenty of information in just eighteen seconds.
One great thing about short videos is that you can cover all your footage in one session. With a little planning, you can walk away with all the material needed to create a whole bunch of little videos.
Post It!
If you take the time to make a micro video, make sure you go the distance and post it online so you can reap the benefits. Put it up on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, your website—wherever people will be looking for your product or wherever they’re watching videos. Ready to make some micro videos? Call Key West Video today for a free quote.
