Improve short-form videos with creative strategies
Similar to songs, most social media videos follow a standardised structure.
If you are not a subscriber of The Fanbase Builder, join the hundreds of artists, creators, and music industry executives who receive it for free.
Let’s dive into today’s topic:
Improve short-form videos with creative strategies
Similar to songs, most social media videos follow a standardised structure.
Why it matters
Many artists search for algorithm-optimised shortcuts to boost their content’s reach, like posting at the perfect time or using the right hashtags.
However, given how algorithms currently work, putting effort into enhancing the creative content will have a much more significant impact.
Therefore, artists should understand the structure of short-form social media videos, such as TikToks, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
How it works
Like songs (verse, chorus, bridge), most short-form videos have a standard narrative structure:
1. The Hook
The first 1-3 seconds of the video.
The most crucial element: It persuades viewers to stop scrolling.
It should spark attention and interest by evoking suspense, curiosity, or surprise.
Metric: The hook should be improved if the average watch time is less than three seconds.
2. The Body
The middle section of the video.
This part offers value to the viewer, like entertainment or information.
It delivers what’s promised in the hook.
Metric: Average watch time: The higher, the better. Engagement metrics like shares or comments may provide further insights.
3. The Close
The final 2-5 seconds of the video.
Targets actions or replays.
Includes a call-to-action, such as “If you like this track, make sure to add it to Spotify”
Or, it creates a loop by revisiting the hook and ending with phrases such as “And that’s why..”
Metric: The amount of video completions. The average watch time should be higher than the video’s duration.
Yes, but..
The best-performing short-form videos often don't follow a specific structure because the best videos are the most creative.
But most videos do follow the hook-body-close structure. Viewers are used to consuming content this way.
To approach content creation strategically, it's best to analyse and improve each section separately.
Take action now
Artists should immediately focus on nailing the hook of their videos instead of stressing over hashtags and posting times.
Your thoughts
We’re eager to hear your experiences and insights on today’s topic. Join the conversation and engage with hundreds of artists, creators, and industry professionals in the comments.
Further reading
How algorithms work (The Fanbase Builder)
Creative Codes (TikTok for Business)
Brewer, W. F., & Lichtenstein, E. H. (1982). Stories are to entertain: A structural-affect theory of stories. Journal of Pragmatics, 6(5–6), 473–486. (pdf)
Converting TikTok users to Spotify listeners (The Fanbase Builder)
How to Create TikTok Videos the Algorithm Loves (Social Media Examiner)
How To Create A Viral TikTok Video (My EXACT Video Framework Step-By-Step) (/r/Tiktokhelp)
Using templates to get started with TikTok (The Fanbase Builder)
How artists contribute to social media addictions (The Fanbase Builder)
See how other artists run their ads on TikTok (The Fanbase Builder)