social-media
Why do brands struggle with short form content
Published: 18/03/25 - Updated: 19/03/25
Driven by the rise of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts, short form content has been dominating digital marketing in recent years. Individuals have mastered this type of content effectively, but brands still struggle to see authentic results that build engagement and grow audiences.
There are a few challenges that brands face when it comes to getting results from short form content effectively and the first is speed. The internet moves quickly and short form content thrives on trends, and a lot of times brands are too slow to react. Individual creators can jump on viral moments quickly as they have no sign offs, but brands often face rounds of approval. By the time the idea gets the go ahead the timeliness that is crucial to capitalise on a trend has already passed.
The next challenge brands face is making short form content feel authentic. On TikTok it’s important to show a less polished version of your brand. This is where people go to have fun. Highly polished brand content doesn’t resonate here. It’s vital to adapt your tone and style to match the type of content you are creating. In order to look relevant and reactive, brands often make the mistake of jumping on trends that don’t align with their brand identity or their audience which is why their content falls flat. Not every trend will work for every brand and that’s okay. Do the ones that align to your brand and do them well.
Repurposing content across multiple channels is an effective way to use your resource and make content go further, but you have got to adjust it to each channel. Each platform has its unique culture, trends, content styles and tone of voice and it’s important to adapt your content accordingly so you don’t risk poor engagement. Relying too much on traditional marketing techniques can be a major challenge. Short form content requires you to tap into a different mindset than traditional marketing. Though the outcomes you want are the same, how you get there differs. Traditional marketing channels tend to focus on direct selling, as shortform focuses on storytelling, entertainment and value driven content.
Lastly, a huge challenge brands face is measuring success. This is because short form metrics differ from traditional performance indicators. Engagement metrics such as watch time, view through rate, shares and saves are often more valuable than impressions or clicks. Brands who are accustomed to ROI-driven campaigns may struggle to see the immediate value in these softer metrics.
The solutions
To stay relevant in the ever changing digital landscape you need to move quickly, trusting your team to develop content that will perform best is key in order to drive things forward. Trusting your social media managers or your social agency is the key to your success.
Shifting from selling to engaging is another way to overcome these challenges. The nature of short form is creating content focused on value through entertainment and community building. Showcasing longterm brand affinity and audience loyalty is just as important as short term ROIs.
Short form content presents a significant opportunity for brands to willingly adapt to the fast paced environment. By embracing agility, platform specific content and showcasing the value of engagement, brands can overcome their struggles and build meaningful connections with their audiences and future proof their marketing efforts for years to come.
If you want to give your short form strategy a boost, speak to our social team today.
Amanda Easter
With over 6 years of experiences in Social Media Management both at agencies and in house, Amanda brings her knowledge from brands in the UK, US and Europe. Since joining the team in 2021, Amanda has scaled up our influencer offering and co-founded our Social Media department, diving into building unique strategies for our clients and leading the team in implementing these across all social channels.