Video-based social media platforms are continuing to rise in popularity and capability. With attention spans shortening, it’s no surprise that bite-sized videos are dominating on social media.
Short-form video platforms allow users to access thousands of short videos at their fingertips. With such an abundance of video content, standing out and cutting through in the endless scrolling feeds of TikTok and Instagram Reels has never been more challenging.
Choosing the right platforms for your video content is critical if you want to improve your social media reach, engagement, and performance. By making an informed choice, you can put more of your time into making videos work for your brand, based on your unique content style and marketing goals.
So where should you begin? YouTube Shorts? TikTok? Instagram Reels? Here’s what these three platforms can offer you and how to choose the right places to drive rapid growth.
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Understanding YouTube Shorts
Best for: Brands looking to grow their YouTube presence and reach an older demographic with bite-sized short form videos.
YouTube Shorts are part of the overarching YouTube platform, which is traditionally known for its ability to handle long-form videos. Linked to your YouTube channel, YouTube Shorts provide a space for short-form videos to thrive.
You can share clips of up to 60 seconds with your existing subscribers and non-subscribing YouTube users alike. Your short-form video content can help you look beyond your current YouTube community to explore growth opportunities.
If you’re still new to creating video content, YouTube Shorts can provide an excellent starting point. Many social media managers use the YouTube Shorts offering to spark interest in brand events and special offers. On YouTube, you’ll have access to great analytics tools and the capacity to reach users who fall outside the standard demographics found on other, more mainstream short-form platforms.
The limitations? YouTube Shorts are still growing, which could limit your reach when you’re starting out. The uploading experience can also involve more challenges, particularly as the platform’s functionality is still in its infancy.
Unique features:
• YouTube Shorts are linked to YouTube! This means that short-form videos can help drive traffic to your channel and promote ongoing growth.
• The YouTube Shorts offering is still relatively new, which means there’s still time for you to be an early adopter.
• Unlike other short-form video platforms, YouTub Shorts isn’t dominated by a youth audience. In fact, 17.8% of users are over the age of 55, meaning you can start to reach an older demographic.
Understanding TikTok
Best for: Brands who aren’t afraid to crack a joke or showcase the unfiltered side of their business with hilarious, trend-driven videos.
TikTok is incredibly popular, with TikTok videos often sparking viral trends that go on to make an impact across other social media platforms. With TikTok, you can create fun, fast-paced content that aligns with what users are interested in right now.
TikTok supports videos from 15 seconds to three minutes in length. The platform’s laidback design means that you can often rely on a less curated social media strategy. With each TikTok video, you’ll have a chance to reach and engage new TikTok users in a raw, candid and unfiltered way.
If you want to be at the heart of the action on the internet’s favorite short-form video platform, TikTok is the place to be. The platform’s algorithms are designed to support rapid growth and promote viral content creation. This means that you can make an incredible impact for your business while targeting and young audience base.
So what about limitations? There are over 1 billion TikTok users, which can make it difficult to stand out. The reality is your video will be one of many. While there are great opportunities to grow, you’ll need to be patient. In most cases, TikTok success and account growth doesn’t happen overnight.
Unique features:
• With TikTok, you’ll have access to real-time analytics offering key insights to help you better understand your content’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
• TikTok is where viral content thrives! On TikTok, you can participate in trends early on and even try establishing a few trends of your own.
• The TikTok platform is always evolving. From smart filters to geolocation services, live video streaming, and great engagement tools, there’s always more to discover on the app.
Understanding Instagram Reels
Best for: Brands with a strong visual identity and cuarted aesthetic who are looking to boost their reach with polished, polished bite-sized videos.
Instagram Reels are another popular choice for short-form video sharing! The platform displays fast-paced videos alongside other offerings, including stories, carousels, and static posts. This means you can enjoy access to a wide range of marketing features all in one convenient location.
With Instagram Reels, you can share videos ranging from 15 to 90 seconds in duration. The platform allows you to make the most of great discoverability features specifically for Instagram Reels, all while ensuring you can easily reach the people who follow your brand already.
If you’re searching for a platform that supports a multi-faceted social strategy, Instagram Reels could be the right answer for you. The algorithm is clear and effective, and you can target a mostly youthful audience with some older users as well. This offers great scope for ongoing growth, including content creation far beyond Instagram Reels.
Are there any limitations? A few. Many Instagram Reels trends start on TikTok, which means you could be a little late to the party. It can also be challenging to grow your audience in a market with such a lot of competition. Billions of people use Instagram Reels every month!
Unique features:
• Instagram Reels are designed to support growth. Your Reels will display in the feed for your followers, as well as appearing in other discovery channels for other app users.
• With Instagram, you can combine your Reels strategy with your other content tools! This can help you stay consistent with posting even when you don’t have a video to share.
• The Instagram platform is part of the Meta Suite. This means that you can automatically link your Reels to also share with a Facebook audience, maximizing reach.
Repurpose Across a Range of Platforms With Plann
Ultimately, the right video platform for you will depend on your specific needs, skills, and social strategy.
The good news is that you don’t really have to choose just one short-form content channel! Thanks to Plann’s cross-posting tools, you can easily share the same video across all three platforms, making the most of the time you spend producing content.
Ready to learn more and get started with short-form content? Sign up for a FREE 7-day trial of Plann today.
