Why Short-Form Video Matters More Than Ever in 2026 - Episode 43

Welcome to back to SMM - the newsletter that may have taken a very slight holiday over the festive period… but we’re officially back!

I hope you’ve all had a great start to 2026. Now, let’s dive straight into today’s topic:

Why Short-Form Video Is Essential for Social Media Growth!

This is my specialist subject - and for good reason.

So why is every brand switching its marketing from corporate, polished, often boring social media content to fun, exciting, and more authentic short-form video?

Because that’s exactly what consumers have been crying out for.

For years, brands stripped away personality in favour of safe logos, polished messaging, and content designed not to offend anyone. The goal wasn’t connection - it was damage control. Don’t say the wrong thing. Don’t show the wrong person. Don’t take any risks.

But today, that approach no longer works.

Consumers want real people, real opinions, and real moments. And whether brands like it or not, CEOs and leadership teams are now being forced to show up — or someone on their team will do it for them.

Side note: In the next few years, there will almost certainly be a brand that does the complete opposite - leaning fully into professionalism and polish - and it will work extremely well. When the entire market leans one way, there’s always opportunity in leaning the other. But right now, authenticity wins.

So Why Should You Care About Short-Form Video?

Because if you want to be successful in 2026, this is no longer optional.

As technology and AI continue to grow at pace, people are craving human connection more than ever. Yes, the next billion-dollar company will probably be an AI startup - but realistically, that’s not what most of us are building.

You’re building a brand.
You’re selling a service or a product.
And you’re selling it to people.

And people trust people.

Short-form video allows your audience to see you, hear you, and decide whether they like you - all in seconds. That level of trust cannot be built through static graphics alone.

Is Making Good Short-Form Video Easy?

No.
And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

Creating high-performing short-form video takes time, effort, repetition, and a lot of trial and error. You won’t nail it overnight.

It took me 15 months to create my first short-form video that hit 100,000 views.
Now, that’s something I see every single day.

But that only happened because I committed to learning, testing, failing, and improving. Without that process, success in short-form simply doesn’t happen.

(Unless, of course, you pay a professional to do it for you - which is also a valid option!)

Next Steps…

Start creating.

Organic short-form content is free to make, which means there is zero excuse not to experiment. Post, analyse, improve, repeat.

LinkedIn posts that include an image of the person consistently outperform those without. Short-form videos that feature the creator almost always perform better than videos where the creator hides behind graphics or text.

People want people.

Don’t shy away from being visible.
Don’t shy away from being human.
And most importantly - don’t shy away from being successful.

Make sure to subscribe, and remember - “The moment you stop worrying about opinions is the moment progress speeds up.”

- Jacob

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