Today, the rise of short-form video marketing has revolutionised how brands engage with their audiences. Local businesses can use this medium as a passing trend and a golden opportunity to connect with their communities and expand their reach.
These short videos are a powerful tool for brand storytelling, allowing brands to showcase their personality, behind-the-scenes moments, and special offers in an engaging format that perfectly resonates with the audience of today. Embracing such a trend helps local businesses to foster authentic relationships and tap into new growth avenues.
In this blog, we have discussed how short-form videos for brands can transform your local brand’s marketing strategy. Read on to know more.
- Bite-sized content: perfect for short attention spans
People today have a very short attention span. This makes it more important to utilise the power of shorter than ever. These short-form videos can range anything from 15 to 60 seconds, making them a perfect fit.
Such video strategies deliver messages quickly and effectively, making them ideal for grabbing the attention of the viewers in the first few seconds.
- Why it works: Remember, all customers often seek quick, digestible bits of information about products, services, or promotions.
- Pro tip: You can use compelling hooks in the first three seconds to keep viewers watching. For example, “Did you know our café serves award-winning coffee?”
Example: Zomato
How they do it: Zomato’s reels focus on relatable, food-centric humour and bite-sized content that aligns with everyday scenarios. Their videos often showcase quirky themes like “Weekend binge cravings” or “Late-night hunger pangs.” Zomato also uses fast-paced transitions and catchy music to highlight their quick delivery service, blending entertainment with practicality.
Impact: They are tapping into the universal love for food and humour, Zomato creates content that resonates across diverse audiences. Their approach not only entertains but subtly reinforces their promise of fast, reliable delivery.
- Authenticity resonates with local audiences
Short-form videos thrive on authenticity, which resonates deeply with local communities. They allow businesses to showcase the real people behind their brand, share behind-the-scenes moments, and highlight community involvement.
This creates an emotional bond, allowing customers to feel more connected to a brand that actively participates in their community.
But, remember, it is not just about selling their products or services but rather contributing to the well-being and growth of the local community.
Engaging ideas that you can try:
- Showcase your team preparing for a local event organised by the brand.
- Highlight the testimonial of a loyal customer.
- Also, you could share a day in the life of the operation of your business.
Example: Mamaearth
How they do it: Mamaearth’s reels focus on authentic connections with local audiences, featuring relatable scenarios like skincare routines suited for the Indian climate or festive-ready beauty tips.
They also spotlight their sustainability efforts, showcasing initiatives like planting a tree for every order. Collaborating with the SankalpTaru Foundation, Mamaearth highlights their shared mission of fostering environmental well-being and biodiversity through sustainable tree-planting projects.
Impact: By blending relatable content with a strong commitment to sustainability, Mamaearth resonates deeply with its audience. Their approach not only builds trust and authenticity but also inspires customers to join their mission of creating a greener and healthier future.
- Cost-effective and high ROI
Creating short-form videos is not only easier but also more budget-friendly than traditional advertising methods. The power of smartphones and basic editing tools is all local brands need to create impactful content that generates significant returns.
Understanding what to include:
- Eye-catching visuals of your store or product.
- A clear call-to-action, such as “Visit us today for 20% off!”
Example: Chai Sutta Bar
How they do it: Chai Sutta Bar’s Instagram Reels capture the essence of their brand with enticing visuals of steaming kulhad chai, vibrant café atmospheres, and wallet-friendly prices.
Their videos often highlight the lively camaraderie at their outlets, accompanied by upbeat music that appeals to the younger audience.
Impact: Chai Sutta Bar connects deeply with their youthful target demographic by leveraging cost-effective short-form content.
- Platforms: where to share
Short-form video platforms like Instagram Reels, Moj, and YouTube Shorts are tailored for discoverability. These platforms prioritise video content, making it easier for local businesses to reach new audiences.
Best practices:
- Use trending sounds or music to increase visibility.
- Optimise captions with local keywords like “best vada pav in Mumbai”
Example: Amul
- How they do it: Amul uses Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, to share quirky, relatable short-form videos that highlight their products.
For instance, they create reels around trending recipes like “Quick Amul Cheese Sandwich” or “Beat the Heat with Amul Ice Cream.”
They frequently incorporate regional festivals and cultural themes into their content to connect with local audiences.
- Impact: Moreover, by distributing content across multiple short-form platforms and aligning it with local interests, Amul amplifies its reach and reinforces its presence as a household brand in India.
- Storytelling that builds emotional connections
People always remember stories, and never the statistics. Therefore, short-form videos allow local brands to tell mini-stories that strike an emotional chord with viewers.
When a brand focuses on stories rather than data, they are able to evoke emotions, build stronger connections, and leave a lasting impact on their audience.
Examples:
- Share a video about how your business started in your community.
- Create a series of customer success stories in under 30 seconds.
Example: Paper Boat
- How they do it: Paper Boat focuses on nostalgic storytelling, often evoking childhood memories with heartwarming stories.
Their Instagram reels capture snippets of relatable Indian experiences, like the joy of summer vacations or the sound of a street hawker, connecting deeply with viewers.
- Impact: Their content resonates emotionally, leaving an impression of authenticity and fostering brand loyalty.
- Instant interaction with your audience
Short-form videos encourage immediate engagement. Local businesses can use features like polls, questions, and comments to interact with viewers directly.
Interactive strategies:
- Ask viewers to choose the next product flavour or design.
- Respond to comments or questions in follow-up videos to foster a sense of connection.
Example: Sleepy Owl Coffee
- How they do it: Sleepy Owl runs engaging polls on Instagram Stories and creates reels based on audience preferences, such as “Hot vs. Cold Coffee” or “Which brew are you craving today?” They also respond to popular comments with quick videos.
- Impact: This strategy builds a two-way connection with their audience, making them feel valued and fostering community engagement.
- Highlight local community
Short-form videos can spotlight your community, making your brand synonymous with local culture and pride.
Ideas for community connection:
- Feature local landmarks or events in your videos.
- Collaborate with other local businesses to create joint content.
Example: Tata Tea Premium
- How they do it: Tata Tea Premium’s reels celebrate India’s regional diversity, showcasing state-specific campaigns like “Punjab Da Swag” or “Assam Ki Mithas.” Their reels often feature regional festivities, traditional music, and cultural themes.
- Impact: They are successfully tapping into local pride, and creating content that resonates with diverse audiences while highlighting their products.
- Keep up with trends for maximum impact
Social media trends change rapidly, but staying on top can amplify your reach. It does not matter whether it is a viral challenge or a trending hashtag; incorporating these into your short-form videos can help you stay relevant.
- Pro tip: Tailor trends to your niche. A local bakery could join a trending challenge by decorating cupcakes in a certain unique way.
Example: The Souled Store
- How they do it: This apparel brand uses trending hashtags, memes, and viral challenges to promote its merchandise. For instance, they have participated in popular Instagram reel trends, adapting them to highlight their quirky T-shirt designs and accessories.
- Impact: Their content feels fresh and current, which attracts younger audiences and ensures high visibility.
- Results you can measure
The analytics provided by platforms like Instagram and Moj offer detailed insights into how your videos perform. Metrics such as views, shares, and audience demographics help local brands refine their content strategy for even better results.
Key metrics to watch:
- Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares).
- Completion rate (how many viewers watched the entire video).
Example: Boat (Audio Accessories)
- How they do it: Boat creates reels showcasing their stylish designs, sound quality, and affordability of the products. They track key metrics like engagement rates, completion rates, and shares for each reel. Based on these analytics, they refine their future content to focus on trending features, or collaborations with influencers.
- Impact: Measuring results and adjusting their content strategy, ensures their reels are always relevant and impactful, thus driving sales and increasing brand awareness among their tech-savvy audience.
- Treading the path from awareness to action
Short-form videos are excellent tools for moving viewers down the sales funnel, from awareness to consideration to action.
Examples:
- Awareness: A video introducing your business to the local community.
- Consideration: A quick tutorial showcasing your product’s benefits.
- Action: A time-limited offer with a clear CTA.
Example: Lenskart
- How they do it: Lenskart uses reels to create awareness with catchy videos showcasing new collections. For your consideration, they demonstrate how their “3D Try-On” feature works. Finally, action-oriented videos often highlight limited-time offers like “50% off this weekend.”
- Impact: Their clear funnel approach moves viewers from casual interest to making purchases.
Embrace the short-form revolution
Short-form video content is a game-changer for local brands, combining authenticity, affordability, and high engagement. Leveraging the power of different platforms shall allow local businesses to tell their stories, connect with their communities, and drive meaningful results.
So, now grab your phone, hit record, and let everyone see what makes your brand truly special.
