Talk to almost any marketer over the past year, and they’ll probably tell you how important short-form media is. Whether it’s optimising content for that quick 15 seconds of scroll-stopping attention or placing snappy captions and overlayed Subway Surfers videos to keep kids engaged, it seemed like short-form was all the rage.
But all of a sudden, we’ve noticed an influx of long-form content and the preference for it coating our social media feeds. Why is this? And how did we get here? Read on to find out all you need to know about this changing consumer preference.
Where did it all begin?
Vine’s introduction in 2013 can be pinpointed as the starting point of short-form content. Although it died out in 2017, Musically (now TikTok) was creeping up in popularity alongside it. In 2018, Musically was acquired and rebranded to TikTok. You can see where this story goes.
Short-form content boomed in popularity, with TikTok quickly becoming the most popular app for short-form content globally in 2023. We saw how this preference influenced other platforms- with Instagram and Facebook introducing Reels and YouTube introducing Shorts. Even Snapchat have their own Spotlight section, though we can’t say we’ve used it before…
Why so effective?
It’s no surprise our attention spans are dwindling. Studies show that videos under 60 seconds get more views and up to 15 per cent more engagement than those longer than a minute, songs are becoming shorter, and people are simultaneously scrolling whilst watching TV. How do young people put it? Oh yeah, we’re ‘cooked’.
Short-form content is easy to digest, from quick tips and educational content to comedy; its bite-sized nature makes it far easier to consume and share around, so it’s no surprise it took centre stage.
Long-form is back in the race
For years, platforms like Instagram and TikTok prioritised short-form content, but in recent months, consumer habits have been evolving. Audiences long for greater depth, value and context, realising that short-form content isn’t doing this anymore.
Algorithms are prioritising sustained attention over quick taps now, while conversion rates for well-developed videos are much higher.
Why do people want long-form content back?
You may have noticed (or even felt it yourself) that the quality of content online is diminishing. AI Slop is taking over our feeds, and people are tired of low-quality, quickly churned out content. Short form is blending into the existing ‘noise’ of our social media feeds, and few struggle to stand out.
Long-form content allows for greater context, emotion, and trustworthiness that short-form content evidently lacks. Audiences once craved novelty and quick hits of dopamine, but now they want deeper engagement.
You can see it play out in real time, too. TikTok started with 60-second videos, extended it to two minutes, then ten, and now allows for content up to an hour to be uploaded. On top of this, podcasts have dominated YouTube and Spotify, with Netflix having contemplated entering this creator economy.
What next?
Although both forms of media have trended, we believe preference for long-form content is here to stay. People crave this authenticity and depth that has felt long-gone. And we’re not sure about you, but we love the revival of video essays we’re seeing!
Want to stay on top of current trends, speak to people’s needs before they’ve even asked? Get in touch! We’re Daffodil Marketing, a complete digital marketing agency based in the heart of South Yorkshire, and we want to give you the results you want with a no-nonsense approach.
So let’s chat over a cuppa and see how we can get your brand seen!
