People today have very short attention spans, making short videos and reels dominant across social media platforms. From a brand’s perspective, short videos offer an opportunity to communicate messages in creative and authentic ways that can resonate with the audience. They enable businesses to reach a larger and more diverse audience, building stronger connections with the consumers.

Short videos and reels cater to the increasingly fast-paced lifestyles, delivering entertainment, information and emotions in seconds. They are designed to be easily consumed on the go, making them ideal for viewers with limited time. By understanding the reasons and the behavior patterns, it helps brands curate videos according to the needs of their viewers. As video consumption continues to rise, short videos and reels are here to stay.

In this blog, we will dive into the reasons behind this phenomenon and what it means for brands who invest in corporate video production.

Table of Contents

• Reasons for Rise in Short Videos and Reels
  • 1. Attention Span
  • 2. Instant Gratification
  • 3. Platform Support
  • 4. Consumer Preference
  • 5. High Engagement
  • 6. Viral Potential
• What This Means for Brands & Video-Production Companies?
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to Reels & Short Videos

Reasons for Rise in Short Videos and Reels

1. Attention Span

One of the core reasons short videos are thriving is the simple reality of shrinking attention spans. According to research cited by Microsoft, the average human attention span dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8 seconds in recent years.

When your audience has only a few seconds before their mind wanders or their thumb scrolls, you need content that delivers immediately. That means capturing attention in the first 3-5 seconds by keeping it concise and making every second count. Short videos are fit to fulfil this need perfectly.

What does this mean for brands:

• Open your video with a strong visual hook or question to grab attention.
• Avoid long and rambling intros. Dive into the action immediately.
• Keep total runtime short, ideally under 60 seconds (especially for social media platforms).

2. Instant Gratification

Short-form videos tap into an intrinsic desire: quick and satisfying consumption. Viewers get information or entertainment and feel rewarded almost instantly. In psychology, this is linked to dopamine release, the brain likes short bursts of novelty and reward.

What’s more, studies show that shorter videos maintain a much higher percentage of viewer attention compared to longer ones.

• One study found that videos under 90 seconds retained about 50% of viewers until the end.
• Another found that short videos (around one minute) often kept ~70% of viewers through to the end, whereas long videos (30–60 minutes) might retain just ~25-30%.

When a video ends quickly and positively, it leaves the viewer satisfied and more willing to engage further (like, share, comment, follow). That builds brand momentum.

3. Platform Support

Platform features and social algorithms have super-charged the rise of short-form video. Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts focus on short and snackable clips that users can easily discover and share. These platforms make it easier for creators to reach wider audiences.

These platforms reward:

• high view-through rates
• quick engagement (likes/comments)
• shareability

Short-form content is expected to account for 90% of all internet traffic by 2025, with video dominating overall.

When you’re producing a corporate video and thinking about where it will live, consider how it can be repurposed into short segments and not just one long video for your website. A compelling 15- to 30-second clip can become a reel or a short video, that drives traffic back to your main video or website.

4. Consumer Preference

Data shows clearly that consumers prefer short-form video when learning about products and services.

• Around 73% of consumers say they prefer short-form videos to learn about a product or service.
• Among younger viewers (Gen Z), 57% prefer short videos over other formats when discovering products or services.
• In India specifically, a recent report found that nearly 47% of Indian consumers said short-form videos influenced their purchase decisions.

That’s eye-opening and expected since short videos and reels allow for quick & efficient information consumption. It means when your corporate video is concise, it directly aligns with what the audience already wants.

Tip: When producing a brand or corporate video, keep calls-to-action (CTAs) clear and deliver key information in the first few seconds. You’re meeting the viewer where they are.

5. High Engagement

Short-form videos don’t just get viewed; they make the viewers engage. Multiple studies show they outperform longer-form content in terms of engagement rates (shares, likes, comments, view completeness).

• Short-form videos reportedly receive about 2.5× more engagement than long-form videos.
• 66% of marketers believe short-form content is the most engaging type.
• Videos under 90 seconds keep viewers engaged to the end at about a 50% rate.

This level of engagement is gold for brands. Comments often signal genuine interest, shares expand reach, and higher view-through signals to platforms that your content is worth promoting.

6. Viral Potential

Because short videos are easy to consume, easy to share, and optimized by platforms, they have strong viral potential. In fact:

• About 47% of marketers believe short-form videos are more likely to go viral than any other content type.
• The format favors quick consumption and sharing among friends. This is the reason why so many brands are repurposing existing content into shorter clips.

While “going viral” can never be guaranteed, creating short videos with strong emotional hooks, clear branding, and share-friendly formats can significantly increases the odds.

What This Means for Brands & Video-Production Companies?

If you’re a corporate video-production company (or a brand commissioning one), here are key takeaways based on this short-video boom:

1. Start with the audience’s viewing habits
Viewers prefer quick, digestible content. Plan your video strategy accordingly: use a mix of formats but give priority to short-form where appropriate.

2. Think multi-format from day-one
When you’re producing a longer branded or corporate video (2-3 minutes or longer), build in short extracts (15-60 seconds long) designed for social distribution. This gives you more value from each shoot.

3. Storyboard for impact
Because your window to capture attention is short, storyboard for high impact:

• Hook in the first 3 seconds
• Deliver the core message within 15-30 seconds
• End with a clear call to action (CTA)

4. Optimize for mobile and silent viewing
Most short-form video is viewed on mobile and often on mute. That means:

• Use big and clear visuals
• Add captions or on-screen text
• Make sure the first frame is enticing

5. Engagement trumps perfection
Short videos don’t need the deep polish of a long-form corporate film. They thrive on authenticity, emotion, and share-ability. Quick turnaround, strong concept, and energy can beat over-produced slow content in the short-form space.

6. Measure properly
Track not just views, but engagement- view-through rate, shares, comments and clicks back to your website. Compare short vs long-form performance to guide future investment.

7. Use data to guide investment
Brands are increasingly allocating budget to short videos and reels. A report by Bain & Company forecast that by 2025, 600 million to 650 million Indians will be consuming short-form videos daily, with active users spending up to 55–60 minutes per day on these platforms.

Conclusion

Short-form videos are not a passing trend, instead they are a long-term change. This format is transforming how audiences consume content and how brands communicate. From declining attention spans to the super charged engagement and viral potential of bite-sized clips, data-backed insights show why brands should embrace this format.

For a corporate video production company, the message is clear: don’t just produce a single long video and hope for the best. Build a flexible and multi-format content strategy where short videos are a core part of your offer. These short clips deliver real impact. They are fast, effective, and ready for the platforms where your audience lives.

Read More
7 Types of Corporate Videos That Every Business Should Use

7 Advanced Camera Techniques That Make Corporate Videos Visually Unforgettable

Master Shooting with a Green Screen for Corporate Video Production

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to Reels & Short Videos

Q1- What is reel in social media?

A reel is a short video, usually 15–90 seconds that allows users to share quick stories, tips, or entertaining moments. Users share them on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to entertain, educate, or promote content. Platforms mostly optimize reels for vertical viewing on mobile devices.

Q2- What is a reel vs a video?

A reel is short and vertical, designed for quick engagement on social feeds. Regular videos are often longer and used for detailed storytelling or tutorials. Reels are snackable content meant to capture attention fast, while traditional videos often provide deeper or more detailed value.

Q3- What is a reel used for?

Reels are used for entertainment, education, brand promotion, and storytelling in a compact format. For individuals, reels are a way to express creativity, showcase hobbies, or join viral trends. For brands and businesses, reels are used to boost visibility, engagement, and brand awareness.

Q4- Which platforms use reels?

Instagram, Facebook, YouTube (as Shorts), and Snapchat Spotlight, they all support reel-style short videos. They have become a global social media trend and are now also supported by major platforms like LinkedIn and Pinterest. Brands which are producing reels-ready content, ensure their visibility across all these networks.

Q5- Can shorts go viral?

Absolutely yes. Shorts and reels have a high potential to go viral because they are quick to watch, easy to share, and designed to catch attention immediately. Social media platforms prioritize these formats in their algorithms, pushing them to more viewers. This means even small creators or brands can reach millions of users if their content is relatable.

Q6- What makes a short go viral?

A short video goes viral when it combines a strong hook, emotional appeal, and trending elements like popular audio or memes. Consistency, relatability, and leveraging platform trends further amplify the chances of virality, turning a simple reel or short into a viral hit.