Six short video platform trends to look out for in 2023

Authored by Shashank Shekhar, Senior Director Content Strategy and Operations, ShareChat and Moj.

We are only two months into 2023 and have already seen hundreds of trends take over social media platforms. This also means numerous opportunities for brands to capitalize on to reach their target audience. The popularity of short-form videos has skyrocketed, and brands are scrambling to recalibrate their marketing budgets to capitalize on the trend. It has enabled them to reach a difficult-to-please demographic directly. Social commerce via influencer marketing has enabled brands to create a strong user community within a much shorter time span. Brand ads are aligning with the shorter attention spans of this newer audience to curate snackable, 15 second versions for short-video platforms. With this consumer's ever-changing sentiments, and new-age tech interventions, brands must stay on top of trends to optimize their reach, and platforms must innovate to keep up with their users consistently. Here are the top seven short video trends to look out for in 2023.

Short video platforms are where everyone wants to be

Trends are popular and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. People want to see what's new and exciting and share that content with millions of others who share their enthusiasm. Relevant, timely, and entertaining content is in high demand, with creators and brands working hard to stay ahead of the curve by leveraging hot topics and navigating the dynamic landscape with topical innovation. One of many instances where trending topics could gain traction on short video platforms was the hashtag #SidKiara trending and gaining 172M video plays on Moj in no time when Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani got married and the creators leveraged this trend to showcase their creativity via memes.

Campaigns and music releases tailored to audiences' needs for bite-sized content

Curating content that will resonate with users of short video platforms is a sure way to make a movie trailer/teaser or a newly released song incredibly popular today. The Bullet song gained popularity after Ram Pothineni and Krithi Shetty posted a short dance video of their hook step on our platform, encouraging users to do the same and generating 12 billion plays.

Many musicians are capitalising on this trend by tailoring their songs to the short video format. Most popular are snackable, upbeat songs with repetitive and catchy hooks that are easy to lip-sync to. Artists are enticing the ‘15 to 60 second audiences’ with stunning visuals, outstanding choreography, and a variety of creative elements. Sneak-peeks of upcoming music releases, which build intrigue and keep the audience waiting for more with their out-of-the-box innovative treatments, are a new rage. This is the year we will see many more songs and trailers releasing exclusively on short video platforms first to gauge and pique the initial interest of the target audience.

It’s not all entertainment; it's infotainment!

Short videos aren't just for fun and entertainment; platforms such as Moj are hugely popular among users for providing them with practical knowledge, skills, and information. People are learning how to cook, keep their plants healthy, keep their house clean, contour with finesse, and make a DIY décor piece for their homes - all through short format videos. Users with shrinking attention spans want their information to be quick, precise, and concise. It provides a fantastic opportunity for brands to place their products with real users, immersing their target in an interactive experience while significantly shortening the time between interest and purchase.

LIVE superstars and virtual gifts are on the rise

Going LIVE is the most effective way for creators to achieve superstardom among their followers and turn it into a profitable side hustle or career. When audiences can see and interact with a creator/ celebrity in real-time, they feel more connected to them. Another popular feature gaining popularity is virtual gifting, which users can use to show their appreciation to their favourite creators. These virtual gifts can be exchanged for real money. It is not a novel idea for users to pay to subscribe to content they enjoy. Users interacting in real-time with their favourite content creators via virtual gifting to support that creator, on the other hand, is a relatively new trend that is expected to grow this year.

The passion of a shared community that loves a specific type of content and feels compelled to support and help it grow will only open up new revenue streams for creators and performers. This year is going to be pathbreaking for virtual gifting. In 2023, we may see LIVE Millionaires on Moj.

There has been a shift from long-format to short-format content

Long-form content has traditionally dominated the digital space in many industries, ranging from auto or gadget reviews to gaming content, food recipes, makeup tutorials, travel tips, and educational and finance content. All of these industries are now reimagining this content for the short-video space. We now see bite-sized gameplay clips, quick 15-second innovative recipes, make-up tutorials that you can understand in 30 seconds, gadget reviews that persuade you to buy that new phone in 60 seconds, and excel tricks to help you work faster every day. Brands are now challenged to engage an audience that wants to experience everything in under a minute while remaining authentic and relatable. We will continue to see brands from a variety of industries create content that can be adapted for short video platforms to cater to GenZ and millennials who are addicted to speed and on-the-go content.

Content is fast crossing the regional barriers

With content from every region available to all, we're seeing a blurring of regional lines and exciting crossovers. Users who previously only consumed content in their native language are now exploring content in other languages; it is now easily accessible. The song ‘Patli Kamariya’, originally recorded in Bhojpuri, found an unexpected audience in Tamil-speaking audiences. As popular culture becomes more global than local, more diverse content will be spread across regions this year.

Short video platforms have transformed how Indian marketers promote their products

Indian marketers are increasingly using short video platforms to advertise and promote their products. With the rise of Short Video Platforms, these platforms have become essential to Indian marketing strategies. Brands are creating short, snappy videos that creatively and engagingly showcase their products to capture the attention of younger audiences more likely to use these apps.This shift away from traditional promotion methods has enabled brands to reach a larger audience and communicate their message in new ways. Short videos enable marketers to experiment with different formats and styles while also allowing for quick and easy information consumption. The growing popularity of these apps and the number of brands that are now using them to reach their target audience demonstrate the success of this approach. In conclusion, short video platforms have transformed how Indian marketers promote their products, offering a new and dynamic approach to advertising.