Long-Form vs. Short-Form Content: What’s the Difference & Where Should You Use Them?

As a content creator, one of the most common questions I get from clients is:

“What kind of content should I make?”

The answer is, it depends on your goals, but probably a mixture of short-form and long-form content.

Long-form and short-form content each play a unique role in your brand strategy. When you know how to use them (and where), you’ll start creating content that actually connects, converts, and keeps working long after it's posted.

Let’s break it down: long-form vs. short-form content.

Short-Form Content

(aka your reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts, Instagram videos)

Length: Under 60 seconds — often under 30

Purpose: Grab attention, drive awareness, and boost engagement

Best for:

• Instagram Reels

• TikTok

• YouTube Shorts

• Facebook Stories

  
  

Why It Works:

Short-form content is quick, digestible, and designed to stop the scroll. It's great for:

• Introducing your brand to new audiences

• Highlighting key moments or testimonials

• Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses

• Answering quick questions

• Boosting reach

  
  

Pro Tip: The first 3 seconds matter most. Hook your audience fast — then keep it visually engaging and to the point.

Long-Form Content

(think 2–10+ minutes — the deep dives)

Length: Anything over 1–2 minutes

Purpose: Build trust, tell stories, educate, and sell

Best for:

• Website homepages

• YouTube

• Email campaigns

Why It Works:

Long-form content lets you slow down and connect. It’s your space to:

• Tell your full brand story

• Walk people through a service or product

• Showcase real client transformations

• Answer FAQs in detail

• Create evergreen content that keeps delivering value

  
  

This is where your audience starts saying, “Okay, I trust you.”

Pro Tip: Structure your long-form videos like a story — beginning, middle, end — and always include a clear call to action.

How I Help Clients Use Both

Here’s the magic: one great piece of long-form content can give you weeks of short-form content.

When I shoot for clients, we’re always thinking about repurposing. A single Brand Story video, testimonial, or day-in-the-life shoot can be broken down into:

• Reels

• Behind-the-scenes clips

• Quick tips or insights

• Ads

  
  

It’s all about working smarter with your footage — not harder.

Not Sure What You Need?

If you’re trying to figure out what kind of video content your business needs right now, I’d love to help. Whether we build out a full story-driven video strategy or just create a few pieces to get you started, I’ll guide you through what works best for your goals.

Let’s talk and build something custom to your brand.

With Gratitude,

Jon Lepp

Jon Lepp Media