How to increase awareness through long-form content

Video content is all over the Internet, and no wonder why.

In fact, recent studies have shown that over 720,000 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube each day.

Same for Tik Tok — exactly 1 billion videos are viewed daily on the hottest short-form video content platform. But why is this important?

More recently, expert research has found out that long-form content is a great way to guarantee more online visibility, thus getting you closer to establishing yourself and your brand as an authority for your niche market.

That’s why long-form video content is still the way to go if you’re looking forward to amplifying your brand development strategy. And it’s not changing anytime soon.

But what’s long-form video content exactly? How can you create this type of content? Why is it any better than short-form video content? And most importantly, how can you benefit from long-form video content and monetize it?

What is long-form video content?

According to a widely accepted whitepaper released by IAB’s Digital Video Committee in 2009 (which you can check out here for some cool insights), long-form video content is:

“Whether professionally produced or user-generated, long-form video content always has a content arc with a beginning, middle, and end, which in its entirety typically lasts longer than 10 minutes. It may include professionally produced content from television and cinema migrated online, and personal videos shared online.”

Any video content created for brand development that exceeds the 10-minute mark could be considered long-form video content, according to most sources

However…

We believe that’s outdated. And here’s why:

Our CEO, Tiffany Kelly, says:

“Given the current attention span of most users, we can’t consider long-form content any video that exceeds the 10-minute mark. Most people watch TikTok and Reels, and are used to receiving instant gratification from these sources. So, in a nutshell, it’s unreal to say that.

I’m part of those who believe anything that goes above 1-minute is now considered long-form.”

That entails most of YouTube’s videos.

Tutorials…

Explainers…

Case studies…

Vlogs…

There are several ways to create long-form video content.

However, it’s essential to understand that there’s a suggested structure to increase engagement in these videos. For example, having a content arc that separates the story into comprehensive bits.

What is short-form video content?

Also defined as “snackable” content, short-form video content is any type of recorded content that has a temporary structure — or, on a high-level approach, any time of video content strategy resulting in less than 1 minute of recording.

This type of content is fast-paced and delivers immediate answers to a particular question or situation.

Think of Tik Tok in this case. Most Tik Tok video brand development strategies fall into this category.

In fact, according to Tik Tok sources compiled by Wired, the suggested duration of a video uploaded to this platform is anywhere from 21 to 34 seconds.

And there’s a psychological explanation for this phenomenon.

It’s called instant gratification.

As a content creator, you know exactly what type of content your audience engages most with. So does Tik Tok based on inside data. And their users are used to watching high quantities of short-form content within this timeframe.

This results in the average TikTok user consuming more content but retaining less information. Binge-watching video content to get instant gratification.

Food for thought.

Differences between long and short-form video content (and its benefits)

We know what you might be thinking. “Length, Captain Obvious.”

And, you’re probably right. This is the main difference between long and short-form video content. But, there’s more.

For example, the benefits of using one vs. the other for your growth strategy. Let’s start with short-form video content.

The essence of short-form is being concise to solve a specific problem. Imagine you’re in your office wondering how long it takes for a video to go viral on average. What do you do?

You ‘ask’ Google, for sure. Then, some links pop up, and you start poking around some of them. You end up watching a YouTube video explaining viral videos and how to create one.

But suddenly… You realize you are in a hurry and don’t have 10 minutes to spare. You need an immediate response. Then, another YouTube suggested video appears. It’s only 1-minute long and has tons of engagement.

You click on it. You watch it. You move on with your life.

That’s the essence, again, of short-form video content. Solving an immediate problem in no time with great content as a strategy for boosting your engagement.

Now, long-form video content.

This is your chance to over-deliver valuable content for your audience.

It could be a complete tutorial on making the most of Facebook Ads. It could be a 15-minute vlog on your last trip to Hawaii and which places to visit. Or, it could be just a Q&A session with your audience.

What’s important here is that long-form video content is meant to provide value without losing your audience’s attention, and that’s only possible by really creating something worth spending time looking at.

How to create long-form video content in a nutshell

This one is for the books.

At Curastory, we encourage our Curators to create amazing content without worrying about all the hassle involved. It’s about focusing on what you do best, and allowing you to have fun doing what you love.

And that includes creating long-form video content, for sure.But, how? Where should you start? Let’s go step by step.

First, let’s go with the How.

To create long-form content, always remember to keep your video content packed with value from start to finish. Spending several hours creating a 20-minute video is useless if people will get tired of it after just 2 minutes.

So, the key to creating long-form video content is staying relevant with a topic your ideal audience can relate to, which answers a deep-rooted question they’re actively trying to solve.

A great example is this ILoveBasketballTV 12-minute video about three-point shots, where they talk all about technique while driving their audience crazy with a subject they love.

Now, where should you start? “From the beginning”, a joker would say. But it’s true.

You first need to do a ton of research about the topic, even if you’re an expert. There are many ways to find answers. That’s why you need to research what kind of topics your audience is going over and start crafting your content in an appealing way that matches your strategy and audience.

So, research, research, and research before even turning your camera on.

This will guarantee that you go over the topic confidently and extend your content from short-form to long-form.

Now, some examples of long-form video content vs. short-form video content for creators

433: World’s Largest Sports Community Online.

With over 3.2 million views, this is the perfect example of long-form video content. It has a very targeted niche, a fun topic, and drives engagement almost without effort.

ESPN: The Moment Julianna Peña Shocked The World.

In under a minute, ESPN highlighted one memorable moment for UFC fans, creating a snackable piece of content that is undeniably a great example of short-form content for a targeted audience. However, they could have used a full-fight highlight too.

Regardless of the duration, your strategy should primarily focus on providing value. Our take is that long-form content is the perfect way to achieve this to increase your engagement and build brand awareness.

The Long and Short of it

At Curastory, we believe you should focus on what you do best: content. And, by taking away the burden of chasing monetization, you’ll be able to skyrocket your chances of it with long-form content that matters.

Any questions on how it works? Just reach out.

The Curastory Team