Edward Raeker
Cut to the Good Part

Don’t make your short-form video work too hard.
In an age of decreasing attention spans and increasing noise, short laser-focused videos are winning the viewer-attention contest.
“Brevity is the soul of wit”
- William Shakespeare
For this conversation, videos that are five to thirty seconds in length are considered ‘short-form’ videos.
Because video can be expensive to produce, you may feel compelled to cram as much messaging as possible into a single video. But we, the viewers, have limitations. We get bored quickly. We get overwhelmed with details even quicker. Cramming too many messages into a single short-form video causes viewer fatigue and frustration.
If you have multiple messages to convey, consider dividing your video budget. You will see greater return-on-investment with several smaller-budget videos, each with its own finely-tuned message, rather than a single longer video that tries to accomplish too much.
Respect your viewer’s attention by making your message simple, clear, and valuable.
Distill your message down to its essence. Only ask your viewers to take one simple action:
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This approach allows your viewer to control their journey and puts fewer demands on them.
Think of short-form videos like niche experts -- they do their very best work when they’re only asked to do one thing at a time.
Viewers that wish to collect additional information should be able to do so on your well-designed website.
Be gentle and respectful of your viewer’s attention: Pick a single goal and focus exclusively on that message. Make absolutely certain that your viewer’s attention is being rewarded with at least one of the following:
Entertainment
Inspiration
Education
Your short-form videos have the potential to increase your organization’s conversion rates by as much as 50%. Reward your viewer for their time and they'll reward you with their consideration when they're ready to take action.
What draws you to certain short videos? What drives you away from others?