Commentary
Why Brands Should Prioritize Long-Form Video Content
- by Amber Burns , April 16, 2025
To do this, they must focus on authority over attention, and community over clicks. That requires understanding and navigating around the limitations of short-form content.
Short-form content makes it very hard to explain more complex, nuanced ideas. For industries like finance, healthcare or government, leaning too heavily on short form can lead to oversimplification and miscommunication. It’s very hard to establish yourself as an industry thought leader if you’re never able to dive deep with your audience.
By contrast, long-form content gives SEO plenty to pull from. Longer pieces establish authority by demonstrating depth of expertise in substantive topics audiences cares about.
For example, Vogue’s "73 Questions" series has kept audiences coming back for decades to watch interviews with fashion celebrities and influencers. Similarly, Architectural Digest’s "Open Door" series brings viewers inside guests’ homes to see the details of their signature living spaces. Authenticity, true expertise, and consistency are truly the keys to long-form content success.
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Both series are extremely consistent and reach the heart of what audiences turn to those brands for. They feed SEO rankings and discoverability, both within platforms and in general search.
Social platforms are creating opportunities for more long-form content. A few months ago, Instagram rolled out three-minute reels, doubling the platform’s previous maximum count of 90 seconds, which facilitates deeper storytelling. We need to take full advantage of these opportunities.
Not to mention, as news cycles continue to keep us all in a constant overload of information, this is the time for brands to lean into more nuanced and detailed storytelling.
When paired together, short- and long-form content work together to diversify a brand’s content strategy by balancing quick, attention-grabbing posts with substantive, value-packed storytelling. By integrating long-form content into their 2025 strategies, brands can truly futureproof their online presence.
