Video content has reached near critical mass with YouTube hitting nearly 3.7 million videos daily and TikTok seeing north of 1 billion views daily. A top priority for digital marketing leaders should focus on creating a hybrid content marketing strategy that pushes users down the funnel.
Video Content Goals: Mapping Short and Long-Form Video to the Funnel
Any hybrid video marketing strategy should start with the goals of the channel – it could be brand awareness, engagement, leads, or ultimately dollar driving activities. Start with the funnel and where your video content will have the most impact moving viewers through the customer journey. Don’t forget to consider videos starting mid-journey by finding videos later in the series by using search functions and social sharing.
When thinking through your strategy, know that short form videos excel at top of funnel brand awareness by sparking curiosity and piquing the interest of the viewer. You can create short, snappy messaging that are quick to consume to help drive users into mid funnel activities like watching long form videos.
Long form video content is better suited for middle and bottom funnel activities because they allow you to educate customers in more detail and tell a deeper story which builds trust. Long form video can help you build customer journeys both off-site and on-site by leading the user towards topics that fit their specific needs and end goals with your brand and products.
Which Video Platforms Drive Hybrid Content Marketing Strategies
Each video format has three dominant players with numerous secondary video platforms where you can potentially beat your competition to the punch. As the only platform who has an established presence in both short and long form, YouTube leads as a hybrid strategy platform. Here’s what to consider for each type:
Short-Form Video Marketing Content Platforms –
- YouTube Shorts – With 2+ billion users, YouTube is the largest video platform. Shorts are integrated with long form video. A great tip for optimizing Shorts on YouTube is to repurpose long-form topics by taking 15-60 second clips from a long form video to encourage users to watch long-form content.
- Instagram Reels – With 2+ billion users, but not entirely video, Instagram is easily in the top three largest short form platforms. Smart marketers are using Reels to join trending audio and video to add value and subtly promote your channel and longer form content.
- TikTok – the 2nd largest video only platform, TikTok gets all the press recently and will continue to do so in the near future. Combine sequenced storytelling by creating four or five videos that lead to an ending where you can send the user to long form video at YouTube or on your website or blog as part of your hybrid strategy.
Long-Form Video Marketing Content Platforms –
- YouTube – As discussed, YouTube is the largest video platform with long form being its core offering. Create a structured content journey for your users by organizing playlists that feature both highlights of long form content and in-depth topics.
- Vimeo – While still small at around 200 million active users, incorporating Vimeo into your strategy will likely give you a chance to be first to market while your competitors ignore it. Integrate interactive elements like clickable CTAs and chapter markers to boost engagement and push users from short to long form video more easily
- Facebook – Still the king of social media, Facebook receives roughly 3 billion monthly active users with video – short form, long form, and live video – throughout feeds and pages. It would be a big miss to not use Facebook Live, combined with short form video, to drive brand awareness and sales. Create a long form Facebook Live to do a How To or Product Demo and use short form video to promote the upcoming live stream.
Tailoring Video Content to Audience Segments & Attention Span
Every marketer knows that segmentation is critical to a successful campaign, but with video, there’s the additional complexity of audience attention span. For example, Gen Z audiences often prefer content that grabs attention within seconds, while older segments, like Gen X, may engage more with detailed, story-driven content that takes time to develop. Tailoring video length and content style to these differing preferences is key to maintaining engagement across audience segments. A GenX user and a GenZ user may like the same product, but they use video in very different ways so knowing how to target each is critical to success in a hybrid video strategy. Here are some things to consider:
Audience Preferences by Segment –
- Younger Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha tend to love short form video while Boomers, Gen X, and older Millennials lean more toward long form video. Use a strategy that ensures CTAs and important points are clearly communicated appropriately to each. Also, build out video journeys where short and long form push each through the funnel in a way that works for each viewing style
- Don’t forget tone and video preferences. Younger viewers tend to want casual and trendy videos while older viewers may want something more buttoned up and professional. Combine styles in a way that makes your videos engaging for both audiences
Attention Span Trends –
- Consider the current trends in attention spans with the average user currently losing interest after just 8 seconds – this is for all ages and segments. All videos need a quick hook whether it’s short or long form video. Breaking long form video into multiple episodes is a great strategy as well
- Use your data to tailor your video strategy to the target audience. For example, create videos solely for one product or service and push a very short video specifically targeted at this group. Use CTAs that move them into longer form video or back to the site for purchase and more information
Creating a hybrid video marketing strategy is a must in today’s crowded marketplace. Set yourself apart with a seamless plan that pushes users through the funnel from short form to long form to a purchase on your website.