The value of short-term video content for marketing 

How quickly is the digital landscape evolving? In a word, fast. And short-form videos have become a dominant player for many reasons.

• 72% of consumers prefer to watch videos when learning about new offerings, and nearly 60% of Gen Z use short videos while researching various products and services. 
• Videos that are 90 seconds (or shorter) retain about 50% of viewers. 
• 66% of viewers will watch an entire video if it’s a minute or shorter.
• More than 50% of social media marketers incorporate short-form videos into their strategy.
• Videos (including short-form) will comprise over 80% of internet traffic in 2025.

Whether you already use short-term video in your marketing content or are just now dipping your toe into this medium, keep reading to learn some tips and best practices for incorporating it effectively into your strategy.

Key benefits of short-form video content

Statistics aside, short-form video content has important benefits that can help maximize ROI.

Improve engagement

Almost 98% of consumers between 18 and 24 consider themselves digital content consumers. Marketers have taken note, leveraging this medium to capture audience attention. The format necessitates concise messaging, which can boost viewer retention and completion rates, ultimately increasing engagement. Given everyone’s busy schedules, viewers often prefer easily digestible content, making short-form videos highly effective for generating more interaction.

Easy to share

The inherent shareability of short-form videos offers significant advantages for marketers. The concise format — central to its appeal — encourages sharing on social media like Instagram and TikTok, expanding reach exponentially. The potential to “go viral” can dramatically increase brand visibility and accelerate follower growth and engagement.

Easy to create — and cost-effective

Compared to long-form content, which can require expansive budgets, equipment, and personnel, producing long-form content doesn’t need nearly as many resources. You can use a smartphone and basic (even free) editing software to keep costs low. You’re able to generate more videos in less time, enabling you to maintain a steady, consistent online video presence. 

The top types of short-form video

We’ve included a list of the most popular short-form video formats below. Let the message you want to convey dictate what type of video you create.

1. Behind-the-scenes
   How fun it is to show your audience what happens behind the scenes! These clips can spark viewers’ curiosity by letting them peek at the “secret sauce” that contributes to creating and delivering your programs.
   
   These videos should showcase your organization’s team. Make sure it feels natural and not staged. Don’t be afraid to let your organization’s personality and passion shine.
   
   
2. Challenges
   Who doesn’t love a challenge? Some of the most viral videos feature trending challenges like TikTok’s “Holding space,” “2025’s ins and outs,” and more. If your organization offers performing arts programs, issue a related challenge to your viewers. Do you provide STEM programming? Challenge your viewers to share something STEM-related.
   
   The key to success is finding a challenge that anyone can do. To encourage entries, consider offering prizes (e.g., a teeshirt or other merchandise, or a discount). Create and share a hashtag highlighting one of your program’s key messages.
   
   
3. Customer testimonials
   While written testimonials still have value, video testimonials add a little spice. Boost your brand’s social proof by asking program participants to share their opinions. Short interviews or compilations of multiple testimonials are great starting points.
   
   Invite program participants who reflect your target audience to voice their opinions — in their own words — Keep testimonials unscripted, quick, and upbeat. Try different formats and themes to see what resonates most with your audience.
   
   
4. Micro-learning
   A growing trend among content creators, micro-learning videos offer bite-sized, succinct lessons on various topics. You could create a “did you know?” fact video about your program, like something about color theory essentials for a visual arts program or lesser-known healthcare fields for a STEM-focused program.
   
   Make sure the topic is relevant to your audience. Keep the video focused and concise, breaking content into quick, simple steps. Use visuals, animations, and clear explanations for engagement. Invite program instructors to explain key concepts.
   
   
5. Program (or product) teasers
   Since more people prefer to watch short videos about new products, channel that preference into videos sharing details about your programs. You can create a montage video showcasing snippets from different programs you offer, introduce new programs, or highlight the most important/valuable offerings from each program, for example.
   
   Create an eye-catching hook to capture and keep your audience’s attention. Build anticipation and evoke interest by revealing snippets — and include a CTA to learn more, request additional information, or sign up. You could also offer early-bird discounts to generate more interest.

Lights, camera, action!

Before you hit Record, let’s review the strategies to maximize your short-form video content.

Define your objective

As you begin planning your video, identify its purpose. Are you:

• Introducing a new program?
• Sharing testimonials from previous program participants?
• Showcasing the program’s facilities?
• Building hype and excitement to encourage enrollment?

Defining your purpose and intention helps keep your videos focused, concise, and straightforward while delivering value for your audience.

Understand your target audience

The second step to success? Know your audience. Analyze its behaviors, demographics, and interests. Send surveys via email, analyze social media data, and leverage your market research tools. Use these insights to ensure your message resonates — and drives the action you want.

Create compelling stories

Once you understand your audience, you can craft the stories that will capture (and keep) their attention and evoke emotional responses. You have 90 seconds (or fewer) to share your message. It should include all the elements of a traditional story — a beginning, middle, and end — with relatable characters and situations. The first few seconds should feature a strong hook to capture interest. 

Incorporate strong calls-to-action (CTAs)

Clear and concise CTAs help drive audience behavior. Visual cues and interactive elements enhance their effectiveness. Depending on your platform, you can even connect CTAs to request more information forms or enrollment pages.

Capture and keep interest 

Captivating prospective program attendees through video requires understanding their preferences and habits. Since Gen Z leans heavily into social media and readily shares content, creating engaging short-form videos showcasing your programs' best parts is important. Remember:

• Grab and keep their attention with compelling visuals and a solid hook.
• Maintain a clear, focused message throughout.
• Use captions and text overlays to ensure accessibility and engagement — even if the video plays on mute.
• Experiment with diverse formats, like behind-the-scenes glimpses or even student-led mini-tours of favorite spots (especially if a college campus hosts your program).
• Optimize for mobile devices since many people will use their smartphones to watch these videos.

How TeenLife can help

While we’re not video producers here at TeenLife, our SEO-optimized platform connects experiential and enrichment programs for teens (summer, gap year, volunteer, and after-school) with actively searching students, parents, and counselors. We maximize your program’s reach through organic search visibility, ensuring your ideal audience discovers your program. Contact us to learn more about how our targeted advertising can increase your program’s visibility and generate high-quality leads.