The premise is flawed

Reel talk on short form video

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:

“Video is it! Short form is here to stay! Marketers must incorporate video into your comms strategy!”

The pressure to create short form video content has been loud and growing… and seemingly has no regard for the industry you’re in or whether it fits the content you’re pushing. As a marketer who was adopted into the field as a recovering media stray, I spent the late 2000s amidst the ranks of publishing execs who couldn’t make heads or tails of new media, all while throwing things at the wall to see what would stick. So you could say this pivot to video seems very familiar.

There’s no denying that when done well, short form videos (let’s assume from here on out this includes either Reels or TikTok) are incredibly catchy and can be highly effective marketing tools. However, as someone who is constantly evaluating communications platforms and content tools for my clients, I want to raise some pink flags to be aware of.

1. Variety, not video, is the spice of life

   In 2019, Facebook Meta paid $40 million to settle a lawsuit involving inflated video metrics. This paltry sum was decided upon to resolve the inaccuracies Meta had touted regarding its video views to advertisers. Meta inflated viewership metrics on videos anywhere from 150-900% so that advertisers would spend exponentially more of their marketing dollars advertising on Meta platforms, specifically Facebook videos. Remember the era of obnoxious autoplay videos interrupting your totally discreet work-day scrolling?

   

   This is why. Ultimately, it was revealed that these metrics were wildly overstated, with Meta frequently using the ~:3 seconds of a video’s autoplay to count toward advertiser “views,” whereas other platforms like YouTube would define a “view” as :30 seconds or more of watching.

   
   As a result? Businesses shifted their spend to Meta video in massive proportions, and got paltry returns for their investments. Many people in advertising and media were laid off and a plentiful number of businesses closed their doors directly due to this misinformation.

   
   So…you can see why I have some reticence diving back into a world where short form video is the king of content, especially while I am still mourning our beloved Vine. While I think it’s a good idea to capitalize on the Next Big Thing if it makes sense, I think that handing over that mantel to Reels and TikTok must be done cautiously for brands. The best way to do that in my opinion? Variety. Try a Reel, throw up a TikTok…but stay true to your brand and push out content in all the ways you know have been effective for your audience so you’re not taken on another Meta ride to nowhere.
   

2. Are Reels…racist?

   This is touchy. I know. But if you’re in the marketing space, creating communications plans for clients or developing your own content to showcase your brand, it’s relevant. The headline that you’re going to take away most frequently when looking for information about creating Reels or TikToks is that content that shows faces performs better. Something about this just doesn’t sit right, and for me personally, the roots of my discomfort is surely based in how social media platforms (namely Instagram) have historically handled BIPOC creators. Anecdotally, I did a scroll through both platforms looking for business-tips accounts, and at least vis a vis my algorithm, it looked a lot like this:

   

   PS - I actually do follow @myanichol in the middle and highly recommend for IG tips

   
   As a cis, conventionally attractive white lady, I regularly feel conflicted with how frequently (or if at all) to show my face on my business ‘gram (cue the tiny violin, I know). On one hand, it’s basically canon at this point to give your followers/visitors a way to place a face with a name and show that you’re a real company. On the other hand, is my “conventionally attractive face” (re: white) how I want to attract clients? Is it how I would recommend my clients (largely B2B SMBs) attract their clients? It’s a slippery slope and one I recommend my clients tread with caution.

   
   As you explore creating short form video content, there’s a huge swath of the internet dedicated to Reels/TikTok ideas that don’t show your face. I even tried my own hand at it here, and well, it’s not easy. So, all that to say, I don’t know.

   

   Short form video is important but so is an ethical business approach. Take it with a grain of salt, but maintain a healthy relationship between your business model and its reliance on your genetic makeup because as illustrated in point 1. of this newsletter, leaning too far into any platform runs you the risk of having the rug pulled out from under you as Meta did with video advertisers in 2019.

Final nuggets to chew on:

• Rag on Meta day continues: The influencers who are quitting Instagram

• My fellow elder millennials may enjoy this Jackass star profile: The Tao of Wee Man

• Someone hire her: Celeb Deep Dive on Pete Davidson’s dating history

Ok that’s it. That’s my opinion.

Thanks for reading and until next time!

Elizabeth