Film studios and TV networks spend large budgets and many months producing masterpieces for the big screen.
But what if just a few minutes of a staffer shooting on a mobile device could deliver marketing and fan engagement value that equals or surpasses even the biggest promotional campaigns?
Pick any feed, and you’ll find several short-form videos receiving hundreds of thousands — even millions of views. While old-school marketing channels still matter, the precision and tracking capabilities of digital and social advertising are only getting better.
A recent report from TikTok highlighted simple short-form strategies that can crush it on their platform (and, in turn, other short-form social and digital feeds, too).
So, what are the biggest takeaways you need to know? We’ve pulled together the best practices and examples they covered to help you create successful short-form content that drives engagement.
Capture and Market Behind-the-Scenes Content
Productions and sets can be chaotic. There’s constant movement, costume changes, lighting and installation setups, and endless hours of makeup.
This may seem like a boring grind, but for fans, it’s magic! They crave behind-the-scenes footage of their favorite shows, movies, actors, and more.
Capturing this footage is easy. Any staff member or assistant can whip out their phone instantly and film footage. That simple 30-second clip of set installation that took less than a minute to film could generate millions of views when it comes time for promotion.
Check out these curated examples from the TikTok team itself.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Clip Generates 3 Million Plays and Over 90K Likes
During filming for the 2024 blockbuster Bad Boys: Ride or Die — the production crew filmed a quick 25-second clip of a scene being shot with star Will Smith. That clip went on to generate nearly 3 million plays and over 90k likes.
Twisters: Movie Makeup Clip Gets 240K Likes and 2.4 Million Plays
In another film campaign TikTok reviewed, they featured a post from Twisters star Glen Powell getting made up for a scene. Bonus points for Powell playfully talking through the process. The result? A 23-second video with over 240K likes and 2.4 million plays.
Responding to Fans With Content is an Engagement Hack
One of the most effective ways to create engaging content on TikTok is to listen to your audience and create content you know they want.
You can crowdsource inspiration by simply looking at what’s being said in the comments for videos and having talent respond.
Getting time with lead talent on the set can be challenging, but it’s a little easier when the clips are short. If the talent knows how quick and easy it is — it can even be built into the schedule. A quick 3-minute block can make the outsized results more than worth it. Plus, you can film several responses at once to amass a bank of content to share.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence Respond to Comments
See this Bad Boys example provided by the TikTok team. In it, both Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reacted to a fan comment. Again, it’s under 30 seconds and received over 3.3M views.
This is a great example of social listening. That simple comment was likely something that resonated with many fans. The Bad Boys team knew this clip would play because they were paying attention to their audience.
Create Collabs Directly (and Indirectly) with Creators
Some of the most viral content ever created comes from Collabs. The TikTok team showed another example from the filming of Bad Boys. This 48-second vignette featured Smith and Lawrence with the king of TikTok, Khaby Lame. With 10 million likes, 62K comments and 190K shares — you could call it a success.
Now, you won’t be able to afford to work with the biggest creators on the platform. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create collaborative content. The TikTok team shared a few examples showing how easily these content collabs can come to life, and the results speak for themselves.
Popular Entertainment Influencer Creates Content On Set
Look at this Twisters’ example where well-known creator Guy With a Movie Camera likely spent a few minutes onsite to produce this 5-second masterpiece with three stars from the movie. That five seconds resulted in 18 million views and became one of the influencer’s most-watched TikTok videos.
Remote Influencer Showcases Twisters Viewing Experience
Some creator collabs don’t have to include any of the actors, they don’t even have to be brought on site. In another example TikTok shared from Twisters, entertainment experience influencers Real Mouse Vibes produced a 15-second TikTok that drove 1.7 million plays and over 268K likes. This short video became one of their most popular all-time posts.
Live Events are Short-Form Promotional Gold
Premieres and promotional events aren’t just spectacles and appearances. They’re exceptional opportunities to easily grab content that can reach (and promote the show/film to) millions.
Have that camera (or phone) ready to capture the sights and sounds. Organize those clips and weave them into simple short-form content that engages. Of course, having the right short-form content platform can help.
Simple Clip Montage from Twisters Gets 150K Likes
Engaging content doesn’t need to take hours or months to create. TikTok shared multiple examples from the Twisters movie that showed how powerful short-form content can be. This montage of quick clips earned nearly 150K likes.
Twisters Captures Clips from LA Premier
Another example TikTok shared certainly had more production value, but is full of quick clips from the Los Angeles premiere event that clearly excited viewers. The 56-second video had an impressive 69 million views.
Is Your Short-Form Content Strategy Following Best Practices?
One of the best ways to create a successful social media marketing strategy is to follow the trends and tips the platforms share. After all, these insights provide hints into the types of content the platforms (and their algorithms) want to see.
Pay attention to examples they share, extract actionable insights and learn how to adapt them to support your marketing and content strategy.
Ready to capture, organize, and share short-form content that drives engagement? See how leading entertainment companies worldwide use Greenfly to promote films and shows across platforms. Get in touch today to book a demo.
