Recently, most social media platforms have adopted the vertical sharing feature, sparking a new debate about the success of Short vs Long Form videos. Consequently, creators are asking themselves, ‘Should I continue making longer videos or adapt to shorter content?’ Indeed, it can be a very tough decision sometimes.
Moreover, from the perspective of a marketer, the question arises: which type of content should my next YouTube campaign prioritize?
Fortunately, we may have found the answer to this debate, and we are eager to share the results!
A Vertical Revolution
We have seen some platforms make a natural change by embracing vertical content more than others.
And despite what you may believe, YouTube shorts are doing quite well for themselves. In fact, they recorded over 2 billion logged-in monthly users by 2023, up from 1 billion in 2021. But what does that translate to?
Are shorts even profitable?
To put things into perspective, a creator needs around 500,000 views to earn $1,000 from advertisements. Basically, there is a $2 cost per thousand (CPM) for every 1,000 impressions.
Moreover, YouTube pays creators around 55% of the ad income generated by sponsored content.
Short vs Long Form Videos: Let's Test Them
To find out what adding YouTube shorts does to a channel with long-form content, we asked 250 creators with large followings (100000 subscribers or more) to post at least 8 short and 8 long-form videos. We compared the performances afterwards.
Simply put, YouTube shorts do have an impact on creators. However, the direction it took may be different from what you think. Let’s take a look at what we found.
Short vs Long Form Videos: The Results
- Long-form videos have seen a significant drop in views after the rise of YouTube shorts.
- Creators produced more shorts than long-form videos.
- Short-form content consistently outperforms long-form content in terms of viewer engagement across several metrics.
- Creators who traditionally focused on long-form content reported a notable decrease in views post-shorts.
- The number of views for long-form videos decreased less for creators who primarily focused on short-form videos.
Short vs Long Form Videos: What Can We Learn From This
Understanding the value between Short vs Long Form videos is the key for a successfull online presence. But both parties can learn from this result, whether they are a creator or the influencer manager onboarding them
The creator's side
- Adapt and diversify: The trend towards short-form content is evident. Creators should consider including both short and long-form videos into their content initiatives in order to reach and keep a varied audience.
- Recognize that short-form content attracts more views and likes rapidly, whereas long-form material fosters deeper interaction through comments.
Some creator have been taking the shorts game in an inovative way. By making a short about a long “dead” longer video, they can revitilize it on the alogrythm a gain a significant amount of interactions!
From the marketer's prespective
Audience Alignment: Choose the right content format based on your target audience’s preferences. Use short-form content for quick engagement and broad reach, and long-form content for detailed storytelling and product features. With Upfluence’s extensive influencer library, matching the ideal creator to your campaign goals is straightforward.
Campaign Flexibility: Build marketing campaigns that integrate both short and long-form videos. This approach enhances brand narratives and maximizes both awareness and engagement.
Cost-Effective Strategies: Upfluence allows you to breathe new life into older campaigns with concise, impactful content snippets. Consider rejuvenating older campaigns with short, sharp bursts of content to attract new fans who trust the creator. This can be a cost-effective way to increase engagement without starting from scratch.
Analytics-Driven Decisions: Continuously refine your influencer campaigns by analyzing viewer engagement metrics. Understanding the impact of video length on engagement helps develop more effective marketing strategies. By understanding the influence of video length on engagement, you can craft more effective marketing strategies with Upfluence
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Eager to learn more? No worries
You can find a complete copy of our short vs long form videos study. Donwload “Shorts on the Rise: Assessing the Effects of Youtube Shorts on Long-Form Video Contents” today!
