Short-form builds brands. Here’s proof.
Many brands have had tremendous success with short-form video content as a part of their marketing mix. Why don’t more businesses do it, or do it well?
A common pushback is not knowing what kind of impact it will have on the bottom line. To answer that, TikTok partnered with System1 to analyze hundreds of branded videos seen by tens of thousands of people to see what short-form video can and can’t do for a brand.
In this episode of Brand Sauce, we review some of the key takeaways from the study, examples of small brands using short form well, and how a brand can start to explore making video content to grow their business.
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If you have a question for a future episode, please send it to me at brandsaucepod@gmail.com!
TRANSCRIPT & AI SUMMARY
If you've ever been to Galesburg, Illinois, it's possible you went past a family-owned restaurant. It probably had a lot of things that reminded you of many different family-owned restaurants — not a chain, not too fancy, but familiar.
This particular restaurant prides itself on their pancakes — covered in frosting and fruit, more like a dessert than breakfast. Most restaurants like this aren’t known nationally, and that’s to be expected. Why would people across the country know a single restaurant in the middle of Corn Country, Illinois?
But if you spend any time on TikTok or Instagram, there’s a good chance you’ve seen this place — Judy’s Family Café.
[Judy’s Café and Short-Form Success]
That’s Judy. Oh, don’t look at her — she’ll try to sell you pancakes.
“I have the best pancakes! Come Judy’s for breakfast! I’m Judy! I have café! Come for breakfast!”
Judy’s Family Café has racked up millions of views worldwide thanks to an endless stream of frenetic, silly, and funny social media content.
Many videos start with engagement bait or AI-generated weirdness, and then suddenly — Judy yelling straight into the camera about pancakes. She’s usually wearing tiny sunglasses, which somehow make the whole thing even better.
Because of the success, Judy’s Café had to move to a larger location last year. Their social success literally outgrew the building.
[The Question]
Judy’s is one of many small businesses — and even big ones — that have seen massive success using short-form video. So, can short-form content work for any business?
Yes. It can.
So why don’t more businesses do it — or find success when they try?
From experience, it’s hard to convince a boss, manager, or client that this type of content is worth the time and effort. They’ll say:
“It costs too much.”
“It takes too long.”
“We can’t measure results.”
All fair points. But doing it right can pay off in big ways. And luckily, TikTok and System1 just released a free study that helps make the case.
[Welcome to Brand Sauce]
🎵 Music plays
Welcome to Brand Sauce, where we make strategic marketing simple — and a little spicy.
I’m your host, Joe. I’ve got over 15 years of experience across agencies, freelance, and in-house marketing. I’ve seen great work… and plenty of ways to come up short.
Short-form content can be incredibly effective for both large and small brands. In fact, you’re probably hearing this podcast because of short-form content I’ve posted.
[Mailbag Segment]
Before we get into the TikTok and System1 study, let’s open the mailbag.
If you have a question or comment, send it to brandspod@gmail.com — all one word.
Today’s question comes from Reddit’s advertising thread:
“Would you rather have a full-time agency role or a broad set of consistent freelance clients entering a hypothetical recession?”
A timely question. The poster’s a senior copywriter with three reliable freelance clients, billing around 30 hours a week — roughly $130K a year. They’ve also been offered a $120K full-time remote agency job.
What’s the right move?
A lot of people replied: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you can, take the stability of a full-time job and still do freelance on the side. That’s the best of both worlds.
But of course, that depends on your situation. Agency roles can vanish quickly — a client leaves, a new creative director “cleans house,” or budgets get cut. Freelance offers flexibility but less security and no benefits.
I went through this myself in 2019 — freelancing for 9 months between agency jobs. It started slow, then picked up. When I finally took a full-time role, it felt right. And looking back — especially after the 2020 pandemic hit — it was the right call for me.
So, the answer? It depends on your goals, risk tolerance, and how much you value flexibility versus stability.
And remember: as a freelancer, no paid vacation, no health insurance — unless you have a spouse’s coverage. That’s part of the equation too.
[Main Topic: Does Short-Form Content Work?]
Let’s talk about that TikTok × System1 study, “The Long and Short Form of It.”
They analyzed 900 short-form brand videos reviewed by 92,000 people across eight global markets.
Here are the key takeaways:
1. Entertaining Content Wins
Brands that are entertaining saw:
40% more memory lift
Over 2× more brand awareness lift
Be engaging, pattern-breaking, and fun. If people want to watch, they’ll remember you.
2. Post More, Stay Consistent
Brands that publish a body of work — not just one or two videos — perform better.
Think Judy’s Café. You know what to expect, but each video is a new flavor of chaos. That keeps people watching.
3. When Selling, Be Direct
Longer “conversion” videos don’t always convert better. If you’re asking for an action — sign-up, sale, click — just get to the point.
Entertain first. Sell later.
4. Small Brands Can Win Big
If a small brand is entertaining and distinct, it can build awareness just like a big brand. Judy’s Café proved that. So did other indie brands doing short-form well.
5. Be Distinct
Entertainment matters — but so does identity. Show who you are naturally. Don’t plaster your logo everywhere; weave your brand essence into the story.
[Ad Break – “Fake Ad” Segment]
You know I love doing fake ads. But recently, I saw something that shook me — dog food for humans.
I thought “Bro Slop” would be a funny parody idea. Turns out, someone’s already selling it. People online are taste testing it.
So, I guess the fake ad universe has become real.
If Dog Food for Humans wants to sponsor this podcast… I’ll at least answer the email. brandspod@gmail.com.
[How to Create Short-Form Content That Works]
You understand why it works. Now let’s talk about how.
Short-form must be entertaining — but that can mean many things.
Informational / Educational:
Like Pipe Dream Americana, which sells military surplus clothing and tells stories about each piece’s design and history.Behind the Scenes:
Like Town Hall B in Chicago documenting their bowling alley renovation — real, emotional, human.Comedic / Chaotic:
Young Farts RV Parts built an audience through absurd humor — and now they have a TV show in development.Provocative:
Underhill Chewing Gum grabs attention with the claim that it can heal cavities. Controversial, but effective.Craftsmanship / Design Storytelling:
Craig Hill shows their design process — beautiful, thoughtful, detailed.Completely Unhinged:
Mug Root Beer’s wild TikToks are so absurd, you can’t look away.Dry Humor / Office Parody:
QuickTrip’s videos feel like The Office in a gas station. Subtle and clever.
Mohawk Chevrolet took the same approach — and the creator got hired by General Motors because of it.
[Production Tips]
Batch your shoots. Film multiple videos in one session.
Test and learn. Publish, measure, and iterate.
Repeat what works. When a format hits, double down.
Don’t overproduce. All you need is a phone and a good idea.
Balance awareness vs conversion. Too much “salesy” content can hurt affinity — so keep it mostly entertaining.
[Recap]
Be entertaining — in whatever way fits your brand.
Produce a lot — volume teaches you what works.
Batch create — efficiency matters.
Keep it simple — good ideas > fancy production.
When you sell, be direct — but don’t overdo it.
If you do these things, short-form video will be one of your most powerful brand-building tools.
[Outro]
🎵 Music fades in
This has been Brand Sauce. Thanks for listening and watching.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — Spotify, Apple, or RSS. Please rate and review — it helps others find the show.
Download the free study at system1group.com.
Download my free ebook, Marketing Your Business in a Weird Economy, at brandsauce.co.
Sign up for my newsletter — I only email a few times a year, promise.
Thank you for watching, thank you for listening — and as always:
Keep it smart out there. Keep it spicy.