Why Short-Form Video Is a Vital Tool for Reaching Your Audience

Short-form video keeps proving itself as one of the most effective ways to reach (and earn) your audience’s attention.

In HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing research, short-form video was the #1 format marketers said delivered the biggest ROI, outperforming long-form video, live streaming, user-generated content, and even blog posts.

If you're not using them for your business, it may be time to rethink your video marketing strategy.

It’s not just “a TikTok thing” anymore. Short-form video is everywhere. Of course, it’s on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, but it’s also on LinkedIn with a dedicated video tab.

In short, wherever your audience hangs out online, they’re consuming short-form video. Which makes it an essential part of any modern marketing strategy.

IMPACT helps businesses build video and content strategies through the Endless Customers System™. So this is a big part of what our team helps businesses with every day.

But whether a business ever works with us or not, the goal of this article is the same: give a clear, practical explanation of why short-form video matters (and how to use it well) so teams can start seeing results.

FREE BOOK PREVIEW

Endless Customers Special Preview Edition

Get a taste of the book that brings you a proven system to build trust, drive sales, and become the market leader. This special preview edition has select chapters and The Four Pillars of a Known and Trusted Brand, resources to accelerate your success, and more.

Download the Free Preview Edition

Short-form video: What is it?

Short-form video is a mobile-first, vertically oriented video format designed to deliver one clear idea quickly, with the goal of earning attention through strong retention.

Back in the day, a lot of platforms capped you at 60 seconds. That’s changed.

Today, “short-form” is less about one strict time limit and more about how the content is consumed: fast, vertical, mobile-first, and designed for retention.

Short-form videos can still be 10–30 seconds, but they can also stretch longer (up to 10+ minutes) when the topic earns it.

Following in the popular footsteps of TikTok, platforms are prioritizing these kinds of videos, which boosts their reach. Instagram leaned into Reels, while YouTube did the same with Shorts.

And it makes sense. The format suits the medium: people consume these videos in quick bursts, often while multitasking. This is why clarity, pacing, and a strong hook matter so much.

Short-form content lives on discovery platforms

Here’s a familiar scenario: someone is scrolling on social media, comes across a product or service they never knew existed (or didn’t know they needed), and ends up buying it on the spot.

Social platforms know a ton about you, from brands you follow to posts you’ve liked, and they serve up content that fits your profile.

When you’re on social media, you’re in a very different mindset than when you’re using a search engine. If you’re typing a question into Google, you have some idea of what you’re looking for. You have some need that’s brought you there.

When you’re on social media, you’re in a different headspace. You’re there to scroll through and see what you find. Pictures of your sister’s vacation, weird political posts from that friend you haven’t talked to since high school, you know, that kind of thing.

Some marketers call social media sites discovery platforms.

Because short-form video lives on discovery platforms, you have a chance of reaching people who are not even in the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey yet.

But in reality, discovery and search are blending.

More and more, people are using social platforms as search engines. Especially for initial research, “how-to” answers, and local recommendations. And traditional search engines are increasingly surfacing social content in results, too.

In fact, Google is now surfacing short-form videos directly in the search experience, including videos pulled from social platforms. In many searches, there’s even a dedicated Short videos tab/filter, making it easier for buyers to get quick answers without ever leaving Google.

How to make short-form video

Short-form video is now a real way buyers search for answers, so the goal isn’t just views. It’s being the clearest, fastest answer to a real question.

Here’s are some tips that work across TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and LinkedIn:

• Start with a question buyers actually ask. Use the exact phrasing customers use (pricing, problems, timelines, comparisons, reviews, “best,” “worth it,” “what to expect”).

• Say the keyword early. In the first 1–2 seconds, name the topic out loud and on-screen. This helps both people and platforms understand the video.

• Answer first, then explain. Lead with the direct answer, then add the context, caveats, and examples.

• One video, one intent. If the video answers two questions, it usually ranks for neither. Keep it focused.

• Use on-screen text and captions. Make it easy to follow with sound off and easy to skim.

• Add “searchable” packaging. Use a clear title/description when available, include the question in the caption, and pin a comment that repeats the question + the short answer.

• Repurpose strategically. Pull multiple question-based clips from long-form content. Use AI tools (like Descript and Opus Clip) to speed up trimming, captions, and formatting.

As you experiment with short-form content, don’t lose sight of why you’re making video content in the first place: to give value to your audience. While you can be playful and funny, you should always strive to be authentic.

Make videos that build trust with your brand.

Not sure how to do that? Show your people. Show your process. Show what makes you unique. If you’re a manufacturer, a 30-second video of your facility might seem commonplace to you, but it could be fascinating to your audience. If you’re an electrician, make a quick video of you upgrading an electrical panel.

If you want to learn more about how to format your short-form video, check out our resource, How to Get More Views on Your Short-Form Videos (+ Examples). You’ll learn simple ways to lift retention and watch time, with real examples to model.

A quick example of this working in the real world

In an episode of the Endless Customers Podcast, Hoel Roofing shared how short-form video became a practical part of their sales process. For them it wasn't just limited to a marketing tactic.

Their team empowered sales reps to record quick, selfie-style videos on job sites to answer common homeowner questions and show real work in real time.

That meant the content didn’t just drive discovery. It became sales enablement, too. It gave reps a simple way to educate prospects, handle objections, and build trust faster before (and during) appointments.

They found that after using these videos, they actually cut their sales appointment time in half due to the fact that prospects were showing up with their questions answered!

Short-form video FAQ

1) How long should a short-form video be?

Many strong short-form videos land in the 15–45 second range, but some topics earn 60–180 seconds when the pacing stays tight. The real metric is retention: if the audience is still watching, the length is working.

There’s no perfect length. The best rule is to make it as long as it needs to be to answer one question clearly, and no longer.

2) How do you make short-form videos searchable on Shorts, Reels, TikTok and LinkedIn?

Treat each video like an answer to a specific buyer search.

• Open with the exact question (“How much does X cost?”)
• Say the keyword/topic out loud in the first seconds
• Put the question on screen (text + captions)
• Lead with the answer, then add context
• Use the question in the caption/title when available
• Pin a comment that repeats the question + short answer

That combination helps people and platforms understand what the video is about.

3) Can short-form video help sales teams close deals faster?

Yes. When short-form video answers common questions upfront (pricing, timelines, problems, what to expect), it reduces uncertainty and speeds up trust.

The result is often faster, more efficient sales conversations because prospects show up more informed.

Turn short-form video into endless customers

Short-form video is one of the fastest ways to earn attention, answer real buyer questions, and build trust at scale.

But the brands that win build a repeatable system that turns video into:

• clearer buyer education

• stronger sales conversations

• higher-quality leads

• more trust before the first call

That’s exactly what the Endless Customers System™ is designed to do.

Through the Endless Customers Coaching Program, IMPACT helps you build an in-house team, identify the questions buyers are already searching for, create the right videos to answer them, and build a simple publishing rhythm the whole revenue team can support.

Learn How to Make It Happen

The Endless Customers Coaching Program

If your marketing isn’t delivering and you’re ready for a proven, future-ready system built for the age of AI (one your team can run in-house) check out our coaching program.

Learn More