5 Ways Manufacturers Can Leverage Short Form Video Content

A 2022 HubSpot survey found that short form video content has the highest return on investment compared to any other marketing strategy. 

That sounds like a good marketing tactic for any industry, especially manufacturers. 

And let’s be honest – Many manufacturers haven’t had to market to the public unless you’re talking about specific industries like fashion and lifestyle brands, who, for years, have built corporate marketing strategies that drive sales.

Manufacturers who create goods and services rely heavily on their sales team. Their approach has to be specific with tradeshows, industry advertising, or while cultivating customer relationships. Today’s landscape is competitive, and it’s time for manufacturers to adapt their marketing.

Here are five ways manufacturers can leverage short-form video content.

Firstly, What is Short Form Video Content?

To be blunt, short form videos are, well, short. Typically, this content is considered any video under 2 minutes. “Short-form” refers to a TikTok-style video made to be consumed easily and, most importantly, quickly. 

How To Leverage Short Form Video Content

Manufacturers, let’s get into how you can get the most out of short form video content creation for your marketing strategy. 

Identify your Target Audience

Manufacturers working down a supply chain need to understand the organizations purchasing your product, i.e., your target audience or buyer persona. Identify the industry you’re targeting and the type and size of the companies that need your product. 

Using short form video content, engaging within your niche is essential on platforms like TikTik, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or even Facebook. Find competitors and other manufacturers from another industry and immerse yourself in the type of video content they are producing. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel per se; you just need to be able to adapt and apply what works for your company. 

Tailor Short Form Video Content to Each Platform

When it comes to messaging in today’s digital-focused world, you can’t get away with posting the same content and messaging across multiple channels. A TV-ready commercial will not perform well on social media. Similarly, a low-budget Instagram reel won’t do well on TV.

A great example is YouTuber Matty Benedetto, creator of the channel Unnecessary Inventions. As his channel’s name suggests, Matty is an inventor who invents products that don’t even need to exist. Each time he creates one of these inventions, he typically makes a video that lasts 10-15 minutes.

Pay attention here – what he does next is key. 

He will then turn those videos into short form highlights to be published on YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels. He repurposes that content to get the most mileage out of it. It works for him as he’s considered a successful YouTuber with 1.8m subscribers. Additionally, using short form video content, he has amassed 5.1m followers on TikTok.

Develop Brand Awareness

Let’s say you’re a manufacturer who produces cooking pans. You create a great product that everyone should have. Short form video content is the best way to start developing brand awareness. The goal is to be top of mind to your ideal customer by getting in front of them.

Creating fun, educational content or showing off the benefits of your product(s) while in use will get the attention of those larger retailers. 

In addition, consumers tend to tag larger organizations in the comments of videos. Especially once brand awareness occurs, those consumers will surely start to ask your ideal clients to offer your products.

Engage Quickly with Latest Trends

If you’re not familiar with the short form video platforms previously mentioned, you need to make yourself aware of trends. A trend can be anything from a hashtag, a challenge, or a dance to a specific song. These trends tend to gain traction quickly, making it essential to hop on as promptly as possible.

Most trends are entertaining and light-hearted, which is an excellent opportunity to recreate them with your own spin that makes sense for your brand. However, make sure it fits within your brand. Some trends can and have created controversy for companies. Once you’ve identified a trend, you can easily save the sound from the video to use later on. 

Be in the know and jump on trends promptly – they come and go quickly before you know it! 

Don’t Try to Sell

This last one may be the most important. 

Short form video content needs to engage your audience fast. Studies reveal that marketers have only 10 seconds to grab an audience and call them to action, or you risk losing them to the next post on their feed. 

If your content is too sales-like, consumers won’t hesitate and will keep scrolling. You’re not creating ads; you’re developing your brand. 

Additionally, they don’t want to hear how great you are – they want to know what you can do for them. 

Show your products in a fun and unique ways without even mentioning a price. Growing your brand and connecting with consumers will lead to long-term success. When making a purchase, they will remember you and your distributors.

Leverage Short-Form Video Content with Lake One

Short form video content is a fresh new way for you to connect with your audience. Consumer engagement and brand loyalty will increase as you build those connections and, more importantly, trust. 

Like hopping on the latest trends, you should quickly incorporate short form video content into your marketing strategy. As a lower-cost strategy, you will start to see results in no time!

Reach out to your digital marketing experts at Lake One to get started on your short form video content strategy.