Welcome back, long form content!
Guess who’s back?
If the title doesn’t say enough, we are thrilled to be one of the first to announce the resurgence of long form content! Where quick scrolling habits tend to dominate, we are now seeing a refreshing shift in appreciation for depth and substance, with the return of longer, more immersive content.
The way users consume and engage with information and content has long been characterized by how quickly digestible it is. Our attention spans have dwindled, meaning creators have been pushed to carve out their most engaging tidbits, whether it be flashy hooks and headlines or quick, bullet pointed takeaways. However, we’re now seeing the digital landscape circle back once more to heartier, deeper topics and methods, meaning the pendulum has yet again swung back to the OG of longform content.
Let’s look at some statistics.
We’ve seen that longer blog posts and articles actually tend to do better than their shorter alternatives, with about 77.2% more clicks on average. Instagram has increased their Reels time limits to 90 seconds, soon gearing up to make a move towards a 10 minute increase. TikTok has led this push, increasing their video length allowance to 10 minutes, and eyeing 15 minutes as their next jump.
In the podcast realm, video style podcasts have had a huge jump in popularity, many of them streaming on Youtube, running around 30 minutes. Not only does this content dominate the podcast arena, but this also means that Youtube is flooded with longform content, which is starting to change the demographic of Youtube users.
Why is this happening?
Users are craving more substance and more relatability. While short-form content can be entertaining and timely, it lacks information and depth, which viewers seemingly want more of. We’ve seen a rise in the story telling era of content across platforms, and longer length videos is the obvious next step for creators to capitalize on the shift as well as build more trust and engagement within their community. Giving a more personal side to a story, or adding more of a personal flair to a video, has performed better than the quick paced nature of a 1-2 minute clip.
Viewers are way more likely to feel attached to long form creators, think vlogs and “day in my life” style videos. It feels almost like a ritual, especially when you think back to the creators you watch while you clean the house, the podcast you listen to on walks, the videos you watch on the treadmill. These videos become part of your routine, making you more likely to stay engaged and come back for more. We recently saw a creator say when you leave from scrolling on TikTok you may feel worn out, or overwhelmed from information overload. When you leave a long form video on Youtube, you feel more inspired!
Another major lead in to this shift is the abundance of advertisements plaguing the short form world. On TikTok especially, we’ve all seen the rise of TikTok shop extend well beyond ad placement. The promotional aspect of these short form videos has made the entire video feel like an ad, and therefore less about entertainment. With a short video, there is far less time to make up for the “salesy approach.” Think of it this way, with a Youtube or podcast ad placement, they typically only take around3 to 7 minutes. In the grander scheme of a 15 to 40 minute long video, which is way more tolerable for viewers.
Is one really better than the other?
That’s yet to be seen as the two can still work hand in hand. Short form content is still a great way to direct people to your long form content as a lead in, think Youtube shorts. We’ve seen this with creators like comedians, who post crowd work and short skits on their TikToks in order to push viewers to buy tickets to their (longer) shows, or watch their (longer) specials.
Not everything will need to be long form content, there is still a space for shorter 1-2 minute long videos like quick tips, one liner jokes and FAQs. You can also hit two birds with one stone, repurposing your long form content into short form. For example, starting with your 15 minute long Youtube vlog and editing it down into segments for TikTok where it can act as a hook or call to action.
Until next time,
Xo, TJ
