Short-form video has become the heartbeat of digital communication. As we move further into 2025, platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts continue to shape how people discover, connect with, and remember brands.

At Merrion Digital, we work with clients every day to create video content that doesn’t just fill space on a feed but actually holds attention. It’s no small task, especially when you’ve only got a few seconds to make an impact. But with the right approach, short-form video can become one of the most powerful tools in your digital strategy.

Why Short-Form Video Still Works in 2025

Attention spans have shortened, but expectations have gone up. Audiences want content that’s fast, meaningful, and visually engaging. That’s exactly why short-form video has become the go-to format for digital storytelling.

A few reasons it’s still leading the way:

Algorithms favour it: Platforms continue to push short-form video higher in feeds.
It’s built to be shared: These videos are quick to consume, easy to remix, and simple to pass on.
Perfect for mobile: Most people are watching on the move, and short clips are designed for that experience.

What Makes a Short Video Worth Watching?

For a video to succeed, it needs to do two things right from the start: catch someone’s attention and deliver something of value. Here’s how to get that balance right:

1. Grab Attention Fast

The first few seconds make or break your video. Use bold visuals, clever text, or unexpected statements that spark curiosity immediately.

Instead of: “Let us show you how we do our product shoots.”
Try: “We made this product look 10x more expensive with one simple trick.”

2. Use Trends Carefully

Trends can give you reach, but only if they still feel authentic to your brand. Choose the ones that naturally fit your tone and message rather than jumping on every viral moment.

3. Make It Visually Memorable

Even if someone’s watching with the sound off, they should still get the message. Make the visuals do the heavy lifting with strong typography, clean transitions, and well-composed shots.

4. End with a Purpose

Don’t just tack on a call-to-action. Instead, invite people to interact. Ask a question, leave a cliffhanger, or encourage them to create their own version.

Formats That Perform Well Right Now

Different styles work for different brands, but here are a few formats we’re seeing drive the most engagement:

Quick how-to’s or tips: Teach something useful in 15 seconds or less.
Behind-the-scenes content: People love seeing how things are made or who’s behind a brand.
Visual makeovers or transformations: Whether it’s a product, space, or process, these videos are hard to scroll past.
Customer content or responses: Featuring real people builds trust and sparks conversation.

Tools to Help You Get Started

If you’re creating content in-house, these tools can help keep things simple and polished:

CapCut and InShot: Great for quick edits on your phone.
Descript: Helpful for captions and voiceovers without needing heavy editing tools.
Or you can partner with us at Merrion Digital for planning, filming, editing, and designing content that actually moves the needle.

Short-form video is still one of the most effective ways to reach and connect with your audience, but it only works if it’s done with purpose. A few seconds is all you get, so make every one count.

Want help building a short-form video strategy that fits your brand? Let’s talk. We’ll help you create content that’s not just watchable, but unforgettable.

‘Bite-Size’ Video Content

When you are snacking on your favourite grub, you like to savour the taste and look forward to your next cheat day. So, what if you can replicate the same experience to your target audience? What if you can make them salivate in anticipation of when your next video content will drop?

When you divide your videos into multiple chunks, you effectively split your information into “snackable” portions. As a result, the viewers will be able to nibble and gnaw on your message, get their fill for the day, and crave for the next instalment.

More Control Over Digital Campaigns

As you know, the advertising platform has migrated to digital formats, particularly leading social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, among others.

The advantage is that you can calibrate your campaign to hyper-target your audience. For example, Facebook would be the ideal platform for brand awareness, engagement, and community-building. Instagram is a great tool if you want to launch a product, interact with audiences, or link up with influencers.

Meanwhile, YouTube is untouchable in terms of trying to relay your message through video content. You also have unparalleled access to a wide range of viewers. According to YouTube, more than a billion hours of videos are being watched every day. It has 100 different versions in the same number of countries, with at least 80 languages.

However, one advantage of the digital format over traditional media is the total control over your product.

With TV or radio, for example, you need to comply with their respective guidelines and rules before your ad will be broadcast. But video content posted on social media channels or your website is not governed by such restrictions. Instead of the usual 30-minute or 60-minute commercial, you have more elbow room to bend the rules a little.

Well, except for Old Spice, which stretched the rules to near breaking point. In fact, Procter & Gamble landed a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for its Old Spice ad that ran for 14 hours in Brazil on Dec. 8, 2018.

Making Your Bite-Size Video

In a saturated ecosystem, the last thing you want is to contribute to the noise. Here are some tips to make the process easier:

Define your objectives, which in turn will help to clarify the message.
Draft a script. Even the most spontaneous video podcasts follow a general flow to steer the conversation forward.
Invest in good audio. However, you should also factor in the fact that a large majority, or 8 in 10 viewers, watch a video without a sound. You can either add captions or create content that is easily understandable even without audio.
Front-load information to relay your message faster before the viewer gets bored.

How Long Should Your Video Be?

Commercial advertisements on traditional media typically last two minutes or less. A majority of them are between 30 seconds to 60 seconds.

With the rise of YouTube, however, marketers are now cramming decades’ worth of knowledge in 10-second ads. These skippable ads give the audience the power to “skip the ad” and allow them to continue what they were watching.

But they turned out to be very effective. For example, more than 6 in 10 people who happen to watch the first three seconds of the video will continue to watch the full 10-second ad. You would be surprised to know that 45% of them watch the rest of the 30-second advertisement.

The video length will depend on your objective. But here are some statistics that may help you:

➔ In 2018, the average business video content was 4 minutes long.

➔ More than 7 in 10 are only 2 minutes long, while the rest are 10 and as long as 20 minutes.

You can share a 10- to 15-minute video on YouTube and people may finish the entire thing. But you can’t do the same for Instagram, where bite-size clips lasting 30 seconds to a minute are the norm.

Meanwhile, Facebook clips are typically 60 seconds to 90 seconds long, although technically, it can support four-hour videos.

So, the crucial thing is to calibrate for the platform because the wrong decision can end up alienating your audience.