Today’s media continues to bombard its viewers and listeners with constant ads, promotions, and new information. Understanding that all this information tends to get a tad overwhelming, there has been a shift towards providing brief quality content.
Vine only allows its users six seconds to provide something entertaining or tell a story. This may seem impossible but you’d be surprised what people can fit into this small window.
Another social media site, Instagram, followed quickly in their shoes by adding video option allowing you to be your own media outlet in 15 seconds or less. Companies have utilized this option in order to provide fresh information and keep viewers enticed for the full advertisement. “With Instagram video we’re going see a boom in short, artsy video clips,” said Jen Stocksmith, creative director for Tribal Worldwide. “Brands will use it to show a more human side and give fans a glimpse of behind-the-scenes action.” A perfect example is Lululemon who’s already using the option to put out creative videos like this one in order to build brand awareness.
Facebook is also following the trend in a slightly different way. They will be providing 15 second ads in your newsfeed this coming fall. So why is 15 seconds or less so popular? According to this recent poll, 54% of Americans believe 15 seconds is the appropriate length for an ad. When the poll asked viewers what they though of 45 second ads, the acceptability dropped to 4%. 
When it comes to providing information to a large audience, more isn’t always better. This trend of short video production has really taken off providing advertisers a chance to get creative and attract new customers. “The short form is extremely valuable, because we want to consume quickly … Brand Vines are shared four times more than other online videos, and five Vines are shared every second on Twitter,” says Heather Taylor, a vice-president at Ogilvy. At the end of the day we’ve figured out that shorter doesn’t mean a lesser quality. Keep this in mind when you use these social media sites to be your own media outlet. As this trend continues to be adopted by these sites and integrated into new marketing strategies, we have to ask ourselves, is shorter always better? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
