Short-Form Video Emerges as Key Marketing Tool for Brands

The rise of short-form video (SFV) content, propelled by TikTok and later adopted by platforms like YouTube Shortsand Instagram Reels, has revolutionized digital content consumption. Following TikTok's exit from India in 2020, homegrown platforms like Moj and Josh have filled the void, leading to explosive growth in India’s SFV market.

Currently, India’s SFV market engages nearly 250 million monthly users, a figure projected to reach 650 million by 2025, according to reports by Redseer and GroupM. This unprecedented growth signals a critical need for marketers to recalibrate their digital strategies, with SFV taking center stage.

Why SFV Matters for Brands

SFV’s reach extends deep into tier-2 cities and beyond, which account for over 63% of total engagement, offering brands a unique opportunity to connect with new audiences. Mukesh Kumar, associate partner at Redseer, notes that users in these regions engage with SFV for discovering products, fashion, music, and movies, highlighting their discretionary spending potential.

Brands like Shalimar Paints have already embraced SFV as a cornerstone of their digital strategy, achieving lower cost-per-lead and higher view rates. Varun Malik, marketing head at Shalimar Paints, describes SFV as cost-effective, quick to create, and ideal for cross-platform promotion.

Key Use Cases for SFV Marketing

1. Quick Product Demonstrations: Showcase features and benefits in seconds, especially for technical products.
2. ASMR-Style Content: Engaging, short videos like washability tests.
3. User-Generated Content (UGC): High-impact customer testimonials with impressive view-through rates of 15-20%.

Amyn Ghadiali, country head at Gozoop Creative Digital, emphasizes that UGC is a game changer, transforming followers into brand advocates. AI tools further enable brands to scale SFV campaigns quickly.

Challenges and Solutions

The content saturation challenge, with over 100 million videos uploaded daily, requires brands to stand out. Measurement and attribution also remain hurdles, as SFVs are often focused on awareness rather than direct conversions. However, platforms like Instagram are working to improve insights, and emerging technologies like AI and blockchain could provide deeper analytics in the future.

Influencers and SFV Dynamics

Influencers have shifted heavily towards SFV, leveraging its algorithmic advantages for growth and brand collaborations. According to Kalyan Kumar, co-founder of KlugKlug, brands are now using influencer-led paid content as ad units, further amplifying reach through paid media. This trend benefits micro-influencers, enabling niche audience engagement and community building.

Outlook for 2025

As SFV matures, brands will focus on innovative storytelling within seconds, making it a core element of digital and influencer marketing strategies. With its unparalleled reach and engagement, short-form video is poised to dominate the digital landscape in the coming years.