Short-form video

There is no official cut-off. In everyday use it means clips of roughly a minute or less, though some apps allow longer uploads under the same label, and each app's limits change over time. What defines the format more than length is the shape: vertical, full-screen, one clip at a time, with the next one a swipe away.

Short-form video is not the same as ephemeral content. A reel stays on your profile; a story disappears after a set time. Some apps put video in both, which is why they get confused.

Short-video feeds are almost always an algorithmic feed. Because each clip is short, the system gets a fast, clear signal about every one you see:

• Completion: did you watch to the end, or swipe away after two seconds?
• Engagement: likes, comments, saves and shares.
• Recency: newer clips generally get a lift.
• Exploration: many systems deliberately show new clips to a small audience first to see how they do.

That's also why short-video feeds reach beyond people you follow more than older feeds did. The details are in how social media feeds work.

1. 1

   Open with the point

   The first two seconds decide whether anyone stays. Start mid-action, not with a greeting.

2. 2

   One idea per clip

   A recipe step, a travel tip, a joke. If you need two ideas, make two clips.

3. 3

   Put words on screen

   Plenty of people watch with the sound off. Captions or text overlays carry the message either way.

4. 4

   Shoot vertical

   Hold the phone upright so the clip fills the screen without black bars.

Then look at what happens after you post. If people drop off in the first seconds, the opening is the problem. If they watch to the end but don't react, the clip may be fine and simply give them nothing to respond to — a question in the caption helps.