How to Create Short-Form Video Content That Actually Works for Your Business
Short-form video is the most powerful content format in digital marketing right now—and if your business isn't creating it, you're leaving a big opportunity on the table.
At Burt's Media, we've helped dozens of businesses in Raleigh, North Carolina, and beyond develop short-form video strategies that drive real results. We've seen firsthand what works, what doesn't, and what makes the difference between videos that flop and content that actually moves the needle.
This is a practical, no-nonsense guide to creating short-form video content that serves your business goals—whether you're a solopreneur filming on your iPhone or a brand working with a video production company.
Let's roll up our sleeves and get into it.
Why Short-Form Video Matters for Your Business
Before we dive into the how, let's quickly cover the why—because understanding why short-form video is effective helps you create better content.
The Algorithm Loves Short-Form
Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts prioritize short-form video in their algorithms. They'll push your short-form content to people who don't follow you. Traditional posts? You're lucky if your own followers see them. TikTok's algorithm is specifically designed to surface content based on engagement, not just follower count.
This organic reach potential means you can grow an audience without paying for ads. That's rare in today's social media landscape. According to Hootsuite's social media trends report, short-form video generates 2.5x more engagement than long-form content. YouTube's own data shows that Shorts receive 50 billion daily views, demonstrating the massive opportunity for businesses.
Short-Form Matches How People Actually Consume Content
Nobody's sitting down for 10-minute videos while scrolling during their commute. But 15-60 seconds? That fits perfectly into those micro-moments throughout the day. Your audience is already watching short-form video—the question is whether they're watching yours or your competitor's.
It's the Most Shareable Format
People share short, entertaining videos way more than long-form content. One good piece of short-form content can reach thousands or millions through shares alone. That viral potential simply doesn't exist with traditional content formats.
It Drives Actual Business Results
This isn't just about likes and follows. We've seen short-form video drive website traffic, generate leads, increase brand awareness, educate customers, and directly drive sales. When done right, it's not vanity metrics—it's business growth.
For more on why short-form video matters, check out our deep dive on why short-form vertical video is the most powerful content right now.
Understanding the Short-Form Video Landscape
Not all short-form video platforms are the same. Understanding each platform's unique characteristics helps you create content that works.
TikTok: The Entertainment Platform
Audience: Skews younger (though rapidly aging up)
Content Style: Highly entertaining, trendy, authentic
Optimal Length: 15-60 seconds
Key Success Factor: Hooks viewers in the first 2 seconds
TikTok rewards authenticity over polish. The most successful content often looks like it was made by a regular person, not a brand. Trending sounds, challenges, and formats perform well. Educational content works if it's entertaining.
Instagram Reels: The Lifestyle Platform
Audience: Broader age range, lifestyle-focused
Content Style: Polished but authentic, aspirational
Optimal Length: 15-90 seconds
Key Success Factor: Visual appeal and storytelling
Reels benefit from existing Instagram followings but also reach new audiences through the Explore page. Content can be slightly more polished than TikTok. Behind-the-scenes, tutorials, and lifestyle content perform well.
YouTube Shorts: The Long-Form Video Platform's Short-Form Play
Audience: Diverse, search-intent driven
Content Style: Educational, how-to, entertaining
Optimal Length: 15-60 seconds
Key Success Factor: Searchable titles and clear value
Shorts benefit from YouTube's massive existing user base and search functionality. Educational and how-to content performs particularly well. Shorts can drive viewers to your long-form content.
LinkedIn: The Professional Platform's Short-Form Adoption
Audience: Professionals, B2B decision-makers
Content Style: Professional but conversational, educational
Optimal Length: 30-90 seconds
Key Success Factor: Industry insights and thought leadership
LinkedIn's algorithm increasingly favors video content. Short-form video works for thought leadership, company culture, industry commentary, and professional education.
The Short-Form Video Content Framework
Creating effective short-form content isn't random. Follow this framework to develop videos that actually perform.
Start With Strategy, Not Production
The biggest mistake businesses make is jumping straight to filming without thinking strategically. Before you create anything, answer:
What's the goal? Brand awareness? Traffic? Leads? Education? Different goals require different content approaches.
Who's the audience? Understanding your audience's interests, pain points, and content preferences shapes what you create.
What value are you providing? Every video should entertain, educate, inspire, or inform. Ideally, it does multiple. Content that just promotes your product rarely performs.
How does this fit your broader strategy? One-off viral videos are great, but consistent content aligned with your business goals drives sustainable results.
At Burt's, we always start with strategy. Our content marketing approach ensures video content supports broader business objectives, not just chases views.
Master the Hook
You have 1-2 seconds to grab attention before people scroll past. Your hook makes or breaks your video.
Strong hooks start mid-action or mid-sentence, lead with the payoff or result, use pattern interrupts like unexpected visuals or sounds, ask provocative questions, make bold statements, or immediately show the problem your video solves. Weak hooks, on the other hand, include slow intros with logos or titles, generic openings like "Hey guys, in today's video...", long setup before getting to the point, or anything that requires patience from viewers who are already scrolling.
Watch the first 2 seconds of performing videos in your niche. Notice how they hook attention. Model those patterns.
Structure for Retention
Keeping viewers watching matters. Structure your short-form content with a hook in the first 0-3 seconds that stops the scroll, followed by a clear promise in seconds 3-5 about what they'll learn or see. The main content (5-50 seconds) should deliver on that promise, and you'll close with a call-to-action in the last 3-5 seconds telling viewers what to do next.
Keep pacing fast. Cut out pauses, ums, and anything that doesn't serve the story. Every second should provide value or entertainment.
Optimize for Sound-Off Viewing
60-85% of social video is watched with sound off, according to Digiday's research. Your video needs to work without audio. Add captions to everything, use on-screen text to emphasize key points, rely on visual storytelling, and always test your videos on mute before posting.
Even if your video works with sound, it should be understandable without it.
Create for Mobile-First Consumption
People watch short-form video on phones. Design for that reality by shooting vertical (9:16 aspect ratio), keeping important content in the center of frame to avoid notches and UI elements, using large and readable text, and assuming small screens and brief attention spans. Always test how your video looks on a phone before posting.
Content Types That Actually Work for Businesses
You can't (and shouldn't) replicate viral dance videos. But these content types work for businesses across industries:
Educational/How-To Content
Teaching your audience something valuable establishes expertise and provides clear value. This includes quick tips and tricks, common mistake breakdowns, tool or product tutorials, industry insights, and problem-solution content. This content ages well and can drive long-term value through search and shares.
Behind-the-Scenes
People connect with people, not logos. Behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand through day-in-the-life glimpses at your company, showing your product or service delivery process, introducing your team, giving office or facility tours, or demonstrating how products are made. This content builds trust and makes your brand relatable.
Trend Participation (When Relevant)
Jumping on trends can boost reach, but only when authentic to your brand. Don't force it if the trend doesn't fit your business or audience. When you do participate, use trending sounds in relevant ways, join relevant challenges, add your unique spin to trending formats, and make it about your audience rather than just the trend itself.
Customer Stories and Results
Social proof drives business. Show, don't just tell through customer testimonials, before-and-after transformations, case study highlights, user-generated content (with permission), and success stories. Keep it authentic. Overly produced testimonials feel fake.
Value-Driven Entertainment
Content that entertains while reinforcing your brand positioning includes industry humor that your audience relates to, relatable situations your customers face, creative storytelling around your service or product, and personality-driven content from founders or team members. This content doesn't directly sell but builds brand affinity that leads to sales.
For more on types of content that work for local businesses, check out our guide to the 4 types of content every local business should create.
The Production Process for Short-Form Video
You don't need a huge budget or fancy equipment to create effective short-form video. But you do need a process.
Content Planning and Batch Production
Creating content one-off is inefficient and leads to inconsistency. Instead, work in batches. Plan by developing 10-20 content ideas at once, film by shooting multiple videos in single sessions, edit by processing multiple videos at once, and schedule by queuing content for consistent posting. This approach saves time and ensures consistent output. At Burt's, we use batch production strategies to create high-volume content efficiently.
Equipment You Actually Need
Start simple. The essentials include a modern smartphone with good camera (iPhone 11+ or equivalent Android), natural light or an affordable ring light, a quiet recording environment, and a phone tripod or stable surface. Nice-to-have additions include an external microphone for better audio, a simple backdrop or clean wall, a basic lighting setup, and a gimbal for smooth movement.
You can create effective content with just your phone. Don't let equipment become an excuse for not starting.
Editing for Short-Form
Short-form editing is different from long-form. Keep it tight by cutting out every unnecessary second. Use text overlays to emphasize key points and add captions. Add music using platform-specific trending sounds when appropriate. Include transitions with quick cuts to maintain pacing. Always optimize for mobile by testing on your phone before publishing.
Free tools like CapCut, InShot, or built-in platform editors work well. Professional editing software adds capabilities but isn't required for effective content.
If production feels overwhelming, consider working with a video marketing agency that handles the technical aspects while you focus on strategy and content.
Optimizing Your Short-Form Content
Creating the video is only half the battle. Strategic posting and optimization drive results.
Craft Platform-Specific Captions
Each platform has caption best practices. TikTok favors short, engaging captions with 1-2 relevant hashtags. Instagram allows longer captions and more hashtags (5-10 relevant ones). YouTube Shorts benefit from descriptive titles and descriptions for search. LinkedIn requires a professional tone with context for why the video matters.
Always include a call-to-action (CTA) in your caption—what should viewers do next?
Hashtag Strategy
Hashtags are discovery tools, but strategy matters. Use a mix of broad and niche hashtags, include industry-specific tags, add location tags for local businesses, and create a branded hashtag for your content. Limit to 3-5 highly relevant tags on TikTok, but use more (5-10) on Instagram. Don't spam irrelevant popular hashtags. It won't help and can hurt credibility.
Posting Timing and Frequency
Consistency beats perfection. Regular posting (3-5x per week minimum) outperforms perfect posts once a month. Test posting times by starting with general best practices like lunch time and evenings, then optimize based on your audience's engagement. Remember that platform differences matter. What works on TikTok might not work on LinkedIn.
Engage With Your Audience
Algorithms reward engagement. Respond to comments, answer questions, and engage with other content in your niche. The platforms notice when you're an active community member, not just a broadcaster.
Measuring What Matters
Views are nice, but they're vanity metrics if they don't drive business results. Track metrics that align with your goals.
For brand awareness, focus on reach and impressions, new followers, profile visits, and shares and saves. For traffic goals, track link clicks in bio, website visits from social, and traffic to specific landing pages. For lead generation, measure DM inquiries, email signups, lead form completions, and quote requests. For sales objectives, track product purchases from social traffic, promo code usage, and direct attribution from social.
Use platform analytics and tools like Google Analytics to connect social activity to business outcomes. If your content isn't driving your target metric, adjust your strategy.
Common Short-Form Video Mistakes to Avoid
Learn from others' mistakes. The most common error is creating content without strategy. Always start with clear goals and audience understanding. Another frequent mistake is overly promotional content. Follow the 80/20 rule—80% value-driven, 20% promotional. Many businesses also ignore platform differences. Adapt content for each platform's unique culture and best practices.
Inconsistent posting hurts performance. Batch create content and maintain a consistent publishing schedule. Poor audio quality is another common issue. Invest in a decent microphone or film in quiet environments. Not analyzing performance means you're flying blind. Review analytics regularly and double down on what works. Finally, copying others without adding unique value won't build your brand. Model successful content but add your unique perspective.
Scaling Your Short-Form Video Production
Once you've found what works, scale it:
Build a Content System
Document your process including your content ideation workflow, production checklist, editing templates, publishing schedule, and performance review process. Systems allow you to maintain quality while increasing volume.
Repurpose Strategically
One piece of content can become many. Turn long-form content into multiple short clips, adapt successful content for different platforms, update and repost top performers, and create series around successful topics.
Consider Professional Support
As you scale, professional support can multiply results. Hire a video production company for higher-volume needs, work with a content marketing agency for strategy and execution, bring in specialists for specific platforms, or use contractors for editing and posting.
At Burt's, we've helped businesses scale from creating one video per week to publishing daily across multiple platforms—all while maintaining quality and strategic focus.
Making Short-Form Video Work for Your Business
Short-form video isn't going away. Platforms will continue prioritizing it, audiences will keep watching it, and businesses using it effectively will have significant competitive advantages.
The question isn't whether you should create short-form content—it's how quickly you can build a system that works for your business.
Start simple. Choose one platform based on where your audience spends time, create 5-10 pieces of content using the framework in this guide, post consistently for 2-3 weeks, analyze what performs best, double down on working content types, and expand to additional platforms when ready.
Don't wait until you have perfect equipment, skills, or strategy. Start creating, learn from the data, and improve as you go. The businesses winning with short-form video aren't the ones with the biggest budgets—they're the ones who started, stayed consistent, and refined based on results.
Need Help Creating Short-Form Video Content?
At Burt's Media, we help businesses in Raleigh, North Carolina, and nationwide develop and execute short-form video strategies that drive real business results. Whether you need strategy and planning, full-service production, editing and optimization, or ongoing content management, we bring the expertise, equipment, and follow-through to make short-form video work for your business. No fluff, no excuses—just dang good content that moves the needle.
Get in touch and let's talk about how short-form video can support your business goals. We promise to show up on time, do what we say, create content you're proud of, and not quit until it's done right.
That's the Burt's way.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Aim for 15-60 seconds on most platforms. TikTok and Instagram Reels perform best under 60 seconds. YouTube Shorts can go up to 60 seconds. LinkedIn can be slightly longer (60-90 seconds). Start shorter and expand if needed—retention matters more than length.
-
No. Modern smartphones (iPhone 11+ or equivalent Android) have cameras that produce quality short-form video. Add a phone tripod, decent lighting, and a quiet space, and you're set. Professional equipment helps but isn't required for effective content.
-
Consistency matters more than frequency. Start with 3-5 posts per week and maintain that schedule. Posting daily is ideal on TikTok and Reels if you can maintain quality. Less frequent (2-3x/week) works for LinkedIn. Find a sustainable pace for your business.
-
Adapt content for each platform rather than posting identical videos. Each platform has different audience expectations, culture, and best practices. At minimum, adjust captions and hashtags for each platform. Ideally, adapt the content itself for platform-specific optimization.
-
You don't have to be on camera. Product demos, screen recordings, text-based content, animations, and user-generated content all work without showing your face. However, authentic face-to-camera content often performs best because audiences connect with people.
-
Use these strategies: Monitor competitors and industry leaders, pay attention to questions your customers ask, repurpose existing blog or long-form content, follow trending topics in your industry, document your day-to-day business activities, and create content around common pain points your audience faces.
-
Some videos go viral immediately, but sustainable growth typically takes 2-3 months of consistent posting. Focus on improving content quality and understanding what resonates with your audience. Most businesses see meaningful results within 3-6 months of consistent, strategic posting.
