We've all searched for solutions on YouTube countless times, proving the enduring appeal of both short and long-format content. Despite fierce competition, YouTube's long-form videos remain popular, and creators share the same with Molshree.
In the span of more than a decade since the inception of YouTube in India, the video-sharing platform, no doubt, has been able to create a huge impact on people across age groups seeking genre-based content. However, with the introduction of many other platforms like Instagram, various genres like fashion, lifestyle, and beauty found their best way on the medium over YouTube. But it is only YouTube that’s still sought after by curious minds for the consumption of content in genres like technology, health and fitness, education, reviews, and more. There are certain genres that viewers like to consume in long-format only, and those are the loyal audience of YouTube videos. We spoke to a few YouTubers to understand the causes for the same.
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Amit Bhawani, a tech YouTuber from Hyderabad, is also popular for film reviews of technology-based products. For him, it is important to make such content in a long video format on YouTube because every area and feature is showcased and spoken about in the video. "Most technology videos are explainers and require context and an approach in which you must provide every minute detail about the product so the viewer can get a sense of it.” Amit Bhawani opines that the short video format is killing the long format by making users stick to eye-catching content. "Long format looks boring because of the slow pace where everything is explained, while short format content is just running at a fast pace with not many details but content that grabs your attention."
Similarly, health YouTuber and nutritionist from Gurgaon, Nidhi Mohan Kamal believes that the reason why YouTube is still preferred for consuming health-based content is the necessity for a longer discussion on health-related topics. "Data concerning health-related topics need to be presented in a better way which is only possible through long videos on YouTube.” Adding to it, Kamal also highlights that videos on YouTube do not have a "shelf life". "One of the best advantages for the audience is that they can easily access the information, irrespective of the year of its creation, through a simple search. The platform acts as an index for the videos and can be traced down easily.” Even Kamal observed a boom in the viewership of long-form videos of fitness during this time. "It was the time when the audience opted to learn exercises online, and that made the long-form content on YouTube grow again.” Not only for learning exercises, the mandate to learn and study online, along with an urge to learn various skills during the lockdown, similarly played a pivotal role in creating interest in YouTube videos all over again. Even Nidhi Mohan Kamal is of the view that YouTube shorts are just like advertisements to feature films, i.e., long-form videos. "Shorts can be used for introducing the long videos on the channel. For example, 'top 10 yoga mats' can be highlighted in the shorts, but the videos can explain them in detail, which is required for the people to make certain decisions.” Hence, in times of preference for short-form content, Kamal believes that a longer format can exist only if it’s created in a thoughtful and crisped way.
It would be wrong to claim that only certain genres, like health, technology, and education, require the use of long-form content on YouTube. Vidhi Rajput, a fashion content creator, and YouTuber, is of the opinion that long-form videos are always like a bonus, irrespective of the genre. "One gets to understand the entire description of the beauty products from its size to the quality through YouTube videos.” Working on the fashion and lifestyle categories on YouTube, Rajput is determined that the audience loves to watch YouTube's long videos, even for fashion and lifestyle-related content, through her own experiences. "I enjoy watching how creators share their lives with us through long videos. I have been watching many creators, and if they do not upload anything new, I start rewatching their old videos, and the same works for other people too.” People go on YouTube to learn, and by merely searching it, one gets the information at their fingertips, may it be related to education, fashion, or beauty. Even for the creators, as Rajput says, long-form videos on YouTube are a good way through which creators get to share every small detail of their lives. "The more you watch someone, the more you get connected to them.”
A beauty YouTuber from Navi Mumbai, Priyanka Pradeep Prajapati, opts for longer videos to interact with her audience. She believes that longer videos are a better option as the creators can not explain everything in just 15/60 second shorts. YouTube shorts, which was introduced in 2020, is a short video format on YouTube that has gained huge popularity among the audience. But as Prajapati mentioned, long-duration videos are more engaging for all genres. Hence, she always aims to create content to ensure a healthy interaction with her subscribers and to keep the content helpful for the audience. In addition, Prajapati also highlights how longer videos have the edge over shorts for creators. "As channel monetization is concerned, a normal YouTube video is the key to earning revenue and hence, I believe, the longer video format is better than short video.”
This article was first published in the Social Ketchup Magazine's Nov-Dec 2022 edition.
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