Top 10 Short-Form Video Marketing Tips to Stand Out in 2025

With short-form video marketing, you can take your social media marketing to the next level. No surprise there – short-form video marketing is the top-performing content in 2025. Thinking about why it is considered a king? This answer is short: a 30-second video can only break down a complex topic.

Short-form videos are everywhere. Through this, customers scroll through content at lightning speed. That’s why 29.18% of marketers use short-form videos like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels for a 2x higher engagement rate.

But think about whether your content is grabbing attention or not. If your content doesn’t catch your customer’s eye within 30 to 60 seconds, customers will swipe away.

If you’re facing this issue, no worries while we’re here. In this blog, we’ll discuss the top 10 short-form video marketing tips that you can use in your video marketing in 2025.

What is Short-Form Video?

Short-form video is a type of video that displays your content in a 60-second duration. However, some creators create 90-second to 3-minute short-form videos approximately. These bite-sized video formats deliver complex information in a quick, engaging, and easily digestible way.

More importantly, it is often filmed vertically which applies to various platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat Spotlight. To get engagement with prospects or customers, we advise you to stick with the 30-second rule.

Top 10 Short-Form Video Marketing Tips in 2025

Short-form video content is revolutionizing, where business owners and creators use just a few seconds to deliver their point and draw customers in. But you need a few strategies or basic ideas to create your short-form video. That’s why, let’s understand the short-form video marketing tips you can use in 2025.

• Use Hook-Hold-Deliver model
• Keep your video content to 30 seconds
• Use vertical content
• Showcase products or services
• Pay attention to current trends
• Repurpose long-form videos
• Partner with your niche-related influencers
• Tap into user-generated content (UGC)
• Optimize for mobile view
• Use subtitles or text for silent watchers

1. Use Hook-Hold-Deliver model

The Hook-Hold-Deliver model is a storytelling framework that helps to capture and retain customer attention in short-form video content.

Millions of videos are uploaded every day, but grabbing customers’ attention is challenging. Customers decide in a few seconds whether the content is worth it or not. So, don’t rely on aesthetics alone; your content needs flow, clarity, and purpose. That’s why you understand the Hook-Hold-Deliver model to keep customers engaged and deliver information at the end.

Here’s how to create a Hook-Hold-Deliver model for your video content:

• Hook (0 – 3 sec): Start with a question, bold statement, visual, or statistics.
• Hold (4 – 10 sec): Use music, motion, or on-screen elements such as captions or transitions.
• Deliver (11 – 30 sec): Provide the value and include CTA.

When applied effectively, this model increases your engagement rate and the likelihood of customers watching till the end and taking the specific action.

2. Keep your video content to 30 seconds

Today, customers prefer content that can be consumed effortlessly. Make sure your short-form videos are brief, sharp, and straight to the point. To create a short-form video for various platforms, video length is essential.

Here’s a breakdown of video length on all short-form video platforms based on Hootsuite.

• Instagram Reels: 15 – 60 seconds
• YouTube Shorts: 15 – 60 seconds
• TikTok: 7 – 15 seconds
• Snapchat Spotlight: 7 – 10 seconds

3. Use vertical content

Short-form video is mostly viewed on mobile devices. Start with the most fundamental rule – go with vertical content. Nearly every popular short-form platform is designed for mobile-first viewing, which implies that customers expect content that naturally fits the full width of a mobile screen.

When your video dominates the display, you automatically reduce distractions and increase the likelihood that customers will stay engaged from start to finish. On the flip side, horizontal videos tend to appear smaller and often require customers to rotate their device, which leads to instant drop-offs.

Look out for the best short-form video formats for every social media platform.

• Instagram Reels: 1080 x 1920 px
• YouTube Shorts: 1080 x 1920 px
• Snapshot Spotlight: 1080 x 1920 px
• TikTok: 1080 x 1920 px

4. Showcase products or services

One of the best ways to use short-form video content is by showcasing your product or service. A quick demo, a real scenario, or a before-and-after video can help customers visualize how the product fits for their solution. When done correctly, these micro-explainer videos build curiosity, trust, and credibility in seconds.

You can easily showcase your product features, benefits, and customer testimonials. If you sell a technical product, consider creating installation, setup, or quick-start videos.

By showcasing your offerings through short-form content, you can educate, inspire, and convert them within seconds.

5. Pay attention to current trends

Today, trending posts are the one way to stay ahead in the competitive industry. Anything can go viral overnight, and it can change quickly too. But creating content with current viral elements helps you to stay ahead. It can be a song, music, image, or meme – anything else.

Wondering why you need to stay current with the viral content? Because the audience gets drawn to these current trends, even if they can be informative or funny.

So, observe the posts in your feed – and observe the sound bites that appear repeatedly, songs that are gaining traction, or filters and visual styles that dominate your “For You” or “Explore” pages. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram promote trending content because it meets user behavior.

6. Repurpose long-form videos

You can break down your long-form videos into bite-sized videos in the correct optimal length. Through this method, you can extend the lifespan of your existing videos and reach customers who prefer snackable content.

Moreover, you don’t want to start from scratch if you have long videos. From long videos, extract key insights, product demonstrations, FAQs, important tips, or solutions for problems. This is a great marketing tip to guide your customer towards long-form content.

7. Partner with your niche-related influencers

Collaborating with an influencer is one of the fastest ways to expand your reach in short-form video. Focus on partnering with social media creators whose followers match your target market.

Don’t choose influencers outside your niche; even if they are viral creators, they won’t be effective for your niche. Choose niche-related influencers, even micro-creators, who create strong engagement for your brand.

8. Tap into user-generated content (UGC)

User-generated content is a powerful way for businesses to increase brand awareness. It is a great way to show customers the human side behind your product or service. It can make your short-form video marketing content more approachable and more sellable.

Through this, you can build trust with potential customers as they can see the real-life experience of past customers who have used your brand’s product or service. UGC oriented product reviews see 3x longer watch times than traditional ads. You can share UGC content on all your channels for great exposure.

For user-generated content ideas, you can use customers’ social media posts, reviews, and testimonials while using the product.

9. Optimize for mobile view

Since the majority of short-form video consumption happens on mobile devices, optimizing your content for mobile viewing is essential. Make sure every visual element you use is clear, readable, and engaging in a vertical format.

Use vertical or square formats for mobile viewers to make the content readable on a screen. Don’t forget to test your videos across mobile devices.

10. Use subtitles or text for silent watchers

Over 92% of customers watch videos without sound. Soundless videos are primarily watched during a quiet morning meeting, in a crowded office, or while scrolling in bed. So, try to get your customers’ attention within 3 seconds.

• Use bold and eye-catching visuals.
• Start with your niche-related most compelling data point or key insight.
• Create a hook moment that makes customers want to see till the end.
• Use bright colors on your subtitles to stop the scroll.
• Use large and readable fonts.

Avoid tiny text or cluttered visuals; instead, use on-screen captions, subtitles, emojis, and graphics to read without straining.

Start Using Short-Form Video Marketing Strategy Now!

Short-form video marketing is a powerful asset in digital marketing. It offers you to capture customers’ attention quickly and engage with prospects effectively.

With these formats, you deliver information within a few seconds only by following the strategies mentioned above. Want help from the best digital marketing agency to create content, apply strategies, and meet your business objectives? Reach NB Marketing Solutions or schedule a free call with our consultant to explore how short-form video can accelerate your business growth.