Short video platforms: The workhorse of content creation
Gibson Yuen, Head of Likee Operations in Bangladesh
Founded in 2012 by Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov, and Colin Kroll, Vine was a six-second looping video app that took the world by storm since its inception. In just about two months, Vine became the most popular and most utilized video-sharing app in the market.
The short video form has become the center of attention in a very brief time frame. It is low-cost, easy to forward, and shares features that meet people's current fast-paced lives and their demand for social interaction.
Similar to Vine, in the current times, short video platforms have been gaining momentum and are bringing forward valuable opportunities in favor of both the creators and audiences in today's digital world. In brief, these contemporary short video platforms are transforming the content-making industry like never seen before, from redefining traditional teaching methods, advertising, storytelling, and marketing to creating internet celebrities.
It is true that human beings are known to be 'social creatures.' The internet has evolved from a tool that offers data to a platform where people interact socially, communicate, and get in touch with each other's lives. Now, all that is required is an internet connection, a smartphone, some innovative ideas, and we are all set to make social relations at our fingertips. Undoubtedly, video content has made social interaction more manageable and has become one of the greatest persuasive instruments in the digital space.
Today, video content is everywhere. Companies and businesses are generating short-form videos as wider audiences turn to them. The main reason behind this massive growth is simple: video content is getting shorter by the day. Creators realize that in today's competitive digital space, we are more likely to receive attention with a recording of thirty seconds or less than we would with lengthy and in-depth videos. With so many convenient features, these platforms are becoming an influential medium in making content known to users.
Likewise, short, mobile-only videos allow us to connect with the audience more casually and on the go. Therefore, this industry is perfect for young and tech-savvy people who take their phones everywhere and are willing to spend plenty for entertaining and personalized retail experiences. Previously, young adults such as Gen Z and millennials were among the earliest social media embracers and continue to use various social media platforms frequently. However, nowadays, usage by older adults has also increased in great numbers. On top of that, quick adoption by the older generation driven by the pandemic-induced mobility restrictions is opening up new expansion opportunities for retailers.
In today's video content market, less is, without a doubt, more. Hence, there is no shortage in the fast-paced digital space for content creators and businesses to grow their services through short-form video content. But how to grow an audience if we are in it for the long term? Which short-form video platforms are more likely to succeed?
Imagine gaining millions of media impressions in the space of a month by doing absolutely nothing: no advertising campaigns and no marketing, just receiving a surge of online activity out of the blue. Add to this a rise in sales, and we have a fantastic deal. By far, video marketing has been proven one of the most effective ways to generate business leads because people are more likely to share videos than text-based content or images. Marketing through video allows businesses the opportunity to quickly showcase essential features of their business while integrating fun graphics, engaging music, or stylistic pictures. When short, informative, and valuable, short videos are the best marketing tool that immediately grabs the viewer's attention. They have become a blessing in disguise for businesses, owing to their unique business models.
Across the world, numerous short video platforms have started holding several digital competitions to further add fuel to this growing opportunity. In Bangladesh, Likee, the short video creation and sharing app, has held numerous digital competitions over the years. They have curated campaigns and initiatives to build an environment where people can enjoy the benefits of exchanging content while maintaining safety. In addition to that, the platform has arranged myriad other events to keep people engaged in the platform and cater to both the creators and viewers.
Without a doubt, short video platforms, such as Likee, are changing the way we perceive entertainment, learning, and marketing. They are breaking the traditional media boundaries and offering the audience an innovative way to consume information while providing the creators with endless opportunities to generate content.
Video content is the now, but short-form video content is the future. With the continuous advancement of technology, short video platforms are providing online communities where knowledge can be shared between users. It offers collaborative learning to its users to enhance and improve their learning experience while allowing creators and businesses to thrive in the newly emerging digital world.
