At the “main technological conference in the world”, which takes place in Lisbon, the conversation has already reached the bathroom.
During a discussion about changes in content formats on social media, with YouTubers Josh Temple (known as Slogo) and Eric Struk On stage, the question was raised: what content do you see when you are sitting on the toilet?
As expected, the two quickly came to the conclusion that most people prefer short content in these moments, which can sometimes be prolonged.
But according to the website, which follows the big event closely, Temple and Struk believe that The secret to success lies in creating varied contentin response to the diverse preferences of audiences.
“It’s a fluid process, which changes according to current trends,” said Temple, highlighting that it is necessary to create a dynamic in which shorter content meets longer content.
Both note, however, that while shorter videos have dominated during the Covid-19 pandemic, Long content is regaining its space.
For Struk, there is currently a healthy balance, where each format finds its use and its specific audience. “It’s more tools in the toolbox,” he says.
But what is really fundamental is the consistency. Temple emphasizes that maintaining a regular frequency is essential to achieving good metrics on social media, even if trends are constantly changing.
While short videos get more views initially, their ability to engage with the audience is more limited, while Long videos offer superior retention and monetization value.
In YouTube Shorts, for example, the first three seconds are crucial to capturing attention, but the Long videos are still more profitable today and remain more profitable in the long term.
“Regarding monetization, long formats will always be king”, says Struk: “I have videos from a year ago that continue to generate income”.
It is also essential to prepare the various platforms to support both formats, say the two creators.
Struk considers that YouTube is well positioned, adapted to receive short and long content. TikTok and Instagram still face challenges and may have to adapt to these new trends.
Slogo argues that one of the fundamental aspects for success in adapting to the new paradigm is the ability to overcome the barrier between horizontal and vertical formatspointing to the example of YouTube as an effective approach to this transition, after the introduction of Shorts.
