Should brands focus on short-form video, or have they already missed the opportunity? Find the answer below!
Is it still possible to rely on a short video content strategy in 2025, when short content has been plentiful for several years already? The short answer: yes! But why, and above all, how?
Short video, the new standard
On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube… short-form video is everywhere! This format, which resonates particularly with generations Y, Z, and Alpha, has successfully addressed new consumption methods: Internet users want access to content that’s fast, authentic, and designed for a mobile experience.
But be careful, short videos aren’t just about entertainment, and no, TikTok doesn’t just offer videos of people doing choreographies. Take TikTok in France, for example: we now spend nearly 33 hours a month on the social network (source: We Are Social/Meltwater). And the arrival of TikTok Shop, which offers an immersive shopping experience, should allow the social app to attract even more.
One thing is clear: short videos now also inspire, engage, and convert!
Another advantage of the short video format: it’s inexpensive to set up. Indeed, this type of video doesn’t require huge production needs, with dedicated teams. “All you have to do is take a phone, place it on a tripod, add a microphone, and start shooting!”
What strategy should you adopt to get started with short videos?
To get started with short videos, Jonathan Szwarc recommends basing your strategy on a well-known inbound marketing strategy: the 3-step sales funnel (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU). Segmentation is essential, as it’s necessary to produce specific videos based on where the consumer is within the funnel.
1. TOFU, Top Of The Funnel
At the top of the sales funnel, internet users aren’t familiar with your brand. The idea isn’t to promote your product or service but to build brand awareness and likeability. For example, Duolingo leverages this concept perfectly on TikTok, with videos centered around its mascot.
2. MOFU, Middle Of The Funnel
At this stage, internet users are familiar with and considering your brand and products, but are in a comparison phase between different market players. Your goal here is to offer short videos that inform and demonstrate the features and performance of your product. In the following example, Decathlon films a real-life test to demonstrate the quality of their shoes.
3. BOFU, Bottom Of The Funnel
For this final step, the consumer has selected several brands and can now make their choice. The short videos to be produced here must therefore facilitate conversion. For example, the hair care brand Les Secrets de Loly clearly demonstrates the benefits of the product used.
What do these three video examples have in common? They’re always embodied, whether through a mascot, customers, or even brand employees. This strategy allows for a less-than-advertising aspect and creates a more human side to the brand, building a relationship with consumers.
In terms of strategy, the entrepreneur advises dividing one’s efforts as follows:
- Tofu: 20% of short video content production,
- Mofu: 60% of short video content production,
- Bofu: 20% of short video content production,
5 short video formats to favor
Best practices to apply to each video
Jonathan Szwarc reminds us of some codes to respect, valid for all types of short videos:
- Focus on storytelling,
- Offer dynamic subtitling,
- Add a punchy hook,
- Take care of the aesthetics of the video,
- Add hashtags to be found more easily,
- Don’t forget the call to action at the end of the video.
The different types of short formats to implement
There are also recurring formats that have proven their worth and demonstrated their impact. To get started with short video in 2025, here are some ideas for effective formats to leverage:
- Before/After: The goal is to create an immediate visual impact. This format is particularly effective at capturing attention because viewers want to see the result.
- Unboxing and testing: the goal is to improve credibility and reassure future consumers, who will know what to expect when they receive their product. This impactful format allows them to experience the purchase by proxy.
- Behind the scenes: the goal is to strengthen the brand’s appeal and add a human and exclusive touch.
- The product FAQ: a simple and effective format, which helps to reassure about the obstacles to purchasing, and therefore to convert more easily.
- Customer testimonial: again, this format provides additional reassurance and shows that the product works.
Reproduce the social media experience on your own site
Consumers dedicate a significant amount of time to their online presence on social media. So why not replicate the experience on your own website?
To do this, Jonathan Szwarc recommends using Web Stories, a format originally launched by Google, and now at the heart of the JOIN Stories offering. It allows you to integrate videos in story format, like on Instagram for example, but directly on your site, and without it having a limited lifespan! Enough to hold the visitor’s attention, and to offer a more human and natural experience.
