Influencer marketing continues to be an essential part of most social media strategies. When done right, influencer campaigns can help raise brand awareness, improve engagement, and drive conversions.

In this video, Senior Production Managers Courtney D’Aiuto and Susan Flower discuss the power of short-form video and show successful influencer campaigns we’ve worked on.

If you’d rather read along, we’ve also summarized the discussion in the article below.

One of the most effective forms of influencer content is short-form, eye-catching video. From stop-motion to animated illustrations, short videos grab attention in an increasingly noisy social media landscape. But before we get to some examples, let’s discuss why they work so well.

The Rise of Short-Form Video

Short-form video has exploded in popularity in recent years, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Since 2016, time spent watching short videos has shot up by over 445% according to Adweek.

People love short videos because they are:

• Digestible – Easy to watch and absorb even with a short attention span
• Visually compelling – Animation, text, music, and more can be used to capture interest
• Entertaining – Often humorous, dramatic, or surprising in nature
• Shareable – Short length makes them easy to send to others

For influencer marketing, short videos are the perfect format to showcase products and campaigns. In our analysis of influencer campaigns, we see that influencer video content garners significantly more engagement than image posts.

Short-Form Video for Brand Awareness

Increasingly short attention spans can make it difficult for brands to connect with audiences on social media. This is where influencers and short-form videos can make a real impact.

For example, Hallmark created a stop-motion holiday video with Instagram influencer @motionistaz to promote their products available at Walgreens. This type of video works well for a few reasons:

• Stands out in the feed – Stop-motion animation grabs attention
• Shows product benefits – Highlights gift wrap, cards, and décor items
• Fits brand image – Reinforces warm, family-centric Hallmark identity
• Encourages engagement – Interesting content drives shares and reactions

The same principles apply to other verticals as well. A food brand could work with a food influencer to create a recipe tutorial using stop-motion. The step-by-step nature appeals to visual learners.

Short-Form for Tutorials and How-Tos

Speaking of tutorials, short-form video is perfect for “how to” content. Brands that sell products requiring usage instructions can condense key steps into short snippets.

The value of tutorials includes:

• High perceived value – Helps customers use products correctly
• Visual demonstrations – Shows not just tells users what to do
• Easy referencing – Customers can rewatch if they forget a step
• Cross-language utility – Transcends language barriers

Product reviews and unboxings also lend themselves well to short video tutorials. Influencers can quickly showcase key features and provide visual examples of real-life use cases.

Animated and Illustrated Short-Form Video

Beyond just live-action footage, brands should consider more playful illustrations and animations for short-form influencer content.

For example, in the same Hallmark at Walgreens campaign mentioned earlier, Hallmark worked with illustrator @jenmanship to create a holiday card addressing tutorial. The video features beautiful hand-lettering and watercolor drawings that reinforce the Hallmark brand identity.

Illustrations and animations can help in other ways too:

• Expand creative possibilities – Not limited to live footage
• Spotlight influencer skills – Showcase artistic talents
• Soften salesy feel – Avoid overly promotional vibe
• Add color and whimsy – Increase enjoyment and shares

The Versatility of Short-Form Influencer Video

As you can see, short-form influencer videos offer brands limitless creative options. Almost any product can be showcased through quick videos tailored to platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

It’s important not to take a one-size-fits-all approach, however. Work with different influencers and video styles depending on campaign goals. For example, Entenmann’s worked with a chalk art creator @calliechalks to promote one of their baked goods products. Chalk art isn’t a common way to promote baked goods, but the uniqueness worked for awareness, creativity, and a genuine tie to the brand’s goal of creating moments that matter.

The Power of Stop-Motion

Stop-motion is one particularly hot short-form video trend right now. Though time-intensive to produce, stop-motion delivers big benefits:

• Memorable – Unique format sticks in the viewer’s head
• Expressive – Conveys emotion and personality
• Shareable – People love to share novel video formats
• Cross-cultural – Appeals to global audiences

Look for influencers experienced in specialty techniques like stop-motion when you want truly eye-catching content. Avoid repetitiveness by mixing up formats and creators.

Key Takeaways

Short-form influencer video stops the scroll and connects with audiences in a bold yet digestible way. Consider these tips to maximize impact:

• Test different short-form video styles – Stop-motion, animation, tutorials, etc.
• Align video content to campaign goals – Show how products are used, etc.
• Leverage diverse influencer talents – Photography, illustration, chalk art
• Track engagement metrics – Measure reactions, shares, comments, etc.
• Optimize for mobile – Vertical video, no sound required

With smart influencer partnerships and creative formats, short-form video gives your brand the edge. Pay attention to trends on leading social platforms and focus on what makes short videos so shareable. With strategic distribution and promotion, you can expand your reach far beyond just the influencer’s followers.