Short-Form Videos: Generative AI, Creator Funds, Content-Format Fit

Uncategorized 5 Minutes

“The play button is the most compelling call to action on the web.” – Michael Litt

Get Full Access to Trends Pro


❓ What You’ll Learn

  • How will short-form video platforms improve the shopping experience?
  • How to monetize with exclusive videos?
  • How are short-form video platforms attracting creators?
  • How to make short-form videos fast?
  • Why should podcasts use short-form videos?
  • Why should you start a faceless YouTube channel?
  • How to monetize your traffic?
  • How to find the content-format fit?
  • How to boost retention?
  • How to tell great stories in shorter formats?


💎 Why It Matters

Short-form videos are easier to consume and share.


🔍 Problem

We have short attention spans.


💡 Solution

Short-form videos let you explore many independent interests in the time it takes to watch one long video.


🏁 Players

Short-Form Video Examples


🔮 Predictions

  • Short-form video platforms will embed storefronts into videos to improve the shopping experience.


☁️ Opportunities


🏔️ Risks

  • Content-Format Fit • Short-form videos have limited context. This makes it hard to convey complex concepts. Can you teach backend development in 1 minute?
  • Platform Risk • You’re subject to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat policies.
  • Creative Burnout • Short-form videos can quickly become outdated. You may need to produce timely content fast. This can lead to creative burnout.


🔑 Key Lessons

  • Short-form videos can drive growth for your long-form videos. Using a combination of both formats can boost your reach. Joshua Weissman shares quick cooking tips and food recipes.
  • Short-form videos are mobile–centric. If you take them from your long-form videos, ensure that the content is optimized for mobile screens.
  • Short-form videos are great for sharing quick, focused solutions. Learn how to use chopsticks fast.


🔥 Hot Takes

  • Short-form videos are best for casual content. Longer-form videos are best for serious subjects.
  • Using clickbait captions will boost retention. “Wait until the end” or “That’s what happens if…” are popular ways to lower the chances of skipping your video.
  • Captivating short-form videos are hard to make. You need to adapt to new trends and formats to keep your content engaging. People get used to the same narrative fast.


😠 Haters

“It’s harder to tell compelling stories in shorter formats.”
Focus on a single idea, use catchy visuals and add smooth transitions. If this doesn’t work, it can be wise to use long-form videos to tell your stories.

“Saturation makes it harder to stand out.”
Use your personality to stand out. Your character and experiences are unique.

“Attention span is a myth. People may spend more time watching short-form videos than long-form videos.”
You’re talking about watching videos as a process. We’re talking about watching individual videos.

“Short-form videos lack depth. They focus on entertainment instead of meaningful content.”
What is meaningful content? Here’s how to safely walk dogs. Here’s how to help a choking baby. Here’s how to strengthen your wrists.


🔗 Links

  1. ​How Charli D’Amelio Got Hundreds of Thousands of Followers Per Day • The thread for this report.
  2. Keyword Insights on TikTok • Trending script keywords from voice-overs, captions and ads.
  3. The Best TikTok SEO Strategy • How to optimize TikTok videos for search.
  4. Building a Report on How Create and Monetize Short-Form Videos • The Tweet behind this report.


📁 Related Reports


🙏 Thanks

Thanks to Maciej Cupial, Stewart Townsend, Errol Tiozon, Uwe Dreissigacker and Hamed Mohammadpour. We had a great time jamming on this report.

✏️ Emin researched and wrote this report. Dru researched and edited this report.


📈 What else?

Trends PRO #0128 — Short-Form Videos has more insights.

What you’ll get:

  • 21 Short-Form Video Examples (163% More)
  • 9 Predictions (200% More)
  • 16 Opportunities (300% More)
  • 5 Risks (67% More)
  • 10 Key Lessons (233% More)
  • 12 Hot Takes (300% More)
  • 9 Links (200% More)

With Trends Pro you’ll learn:

  • (📈 Pro) How to get brand deals?
  • (📈 Pro) How can teachers use short-form videos?
  • (📈 Pro) How to use prompt engineering to make short-form videos?
  • (📈 Pro) How to turn long videos into short clips at scale?
  • (📈 Pro) How to get user-generated content?
  • (📈 Pro) How to boost brand awareness?
  • (📈 Pro) What are hashtag communities?
  • (📈 Pro) How to lower platform risk?
  • (📈 Pro) How to build trust?
  • (📈 Pro) Why should you use cliffhangers?
  • (📈 Pro) How to go viral fast?
  • (📈 Pro) Why does SEO matter?
  • (📈 Pro) How to optimize visuals for tutorials?
  • (📈 Pro) Why does watch time matter?
  • (📈 Pro) Who offers productized short-form video services?
  • (📈 Pro) What is content-platform fit?
  • (📈 Pro) How to turn short-form videos into online courses?
  • (📈 Pro) What are 9 short-form video ideas?
  • And much more…

Get Weekly Reports

Join 65,000+ founders and investors


    📈 Unlock Pro Reports, 1:1 Intros and Masterminds

    Become a Trends Pro Member and join 1,200+ founders enjoying…

    🧠 Founder Mastermind Groups • To share goals, progress and solve problems together, each group is made up of 6 members who meet for 1 hour each Monday.

    📈 100+ Trends Pro Reports • To make sense of new markets, ideas and business models, check out our research reports.

    💬 1:1 Founder Intros • Make new friends, share lessons and find ways to help each other. Keep life interesting by meeting new founders each week.

    🧍 Daily Standups • Stay productive and accountable with daily, async standups. Unlock access to 1:1 chats, masterminds and more by building standup streaks.

    💲 100k+ Startup Discounts • Get access to $100k+ in startup discounts on AWS, Twilio, Webflow, ClickUp and more.

    Published by Illes

    Published