Executive Summary

The short-video landscape is exploding. Here’s how the main platforms—which also include Snapchat Spotlight, YouTube Shorts, Triller, and Dubsmash—stack up as venues for organic and influencer marketing, paid advertising, and social commerce.

Why are short entertainment videos an important marketing trend?

Both the user base and the amount of time spent in these venues are growing. As prime places for user-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing initiatives as well, the apps are starting to play a larger role in social commerce.

Which short-video platforms are the most important ones for US marketers to know about?

TikTok is the clear leader. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube are still working on gaining momentum for their relatively new offerings. Standalone apps Triller and Dubsmash (the latter recently acquired by reddit) are two other players carving out niches.

How can businesses use short videos for organic or influencer marketing?

For some marketers, creating their own videos has helped increase organic engagement. Marketers are also using these platforms for social listening to discover trends. Partnering with creators is a significant opportunity on nearly all of the short-video platforms we examined.

What are the ad opportunities in short videos?

Of the properties we studied, only TikTok and Triller carry paid advertising, although the others plan to eventually. TikTok’s ad offerings are more plentiful than Triller’s at this point. One large advantage that Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube will have, once they start offering short-video ads, is that many marketers are already used to their tools and systems and may find it easy to extend their buys.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report explores six reasons why short, UGC videos are an important trend and profiles the marketing opportunities in several key venues.

KEY STAT: Adult monthly users of TikTok in the US spent an average of 33 minutes per day on the app in 2020. That’s greater than the time spent on either Instagram or Snapchat.