In today’s technological era, social commerce is booming and brand engagement is on everyone’s mind. Now more than ever, being present and visible on multiple different social media platforms is paramount for any brand wanting to succeed. One of the content formats taking over this new wave of digital presence is the short-form video. As seen mostly on TikTok and Instagram, videos between 15 to 60 seconds are the ideal length for engagement between brands and consumers. This type of content has a specific name on various apps such as TikTok videos, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
What Is Social Commerce?
Social commerce is now a practice used by multiple different brands, it entails marketing and selling products or services by the intermediate of social media. Social media is used by 5.66 billion people worldwide as of October 2025, which amounts to 68.7% of the entire population. This extremely high number of users is the center of opportunity for brands, allowing them to reach many potential customers. As consumers are scrolling through their feeds, various videos promoting a specific product or brand can arise organically by means of their algorithm and their interests. These posts are often integrated with clickable links that lead users to the brand’s website on the specific product page. Beauty brands such as Benefit Cosmetics and Charlotte Tilbury are very good at this practice. Utilizing aesthetically pleasing visuals and providing relatable content, such as behind-the-scenes clips or comedic videos to boost engagement.
The Power of the 15 Second Video
People’s attention spans are getting smaller by the day and this is why the short-form video is much more effective for brands and their engagement. Indeed, an average attention span in 2025 will be of 6.8 seconds. Brands need to capture the attention of their potential consumers very quickly and make them want to stay and watch the video. The videos need to be dynamic and promote their brand or products in an authentic way. The 15 second video on these different platforms allows for two way interaction, such as likes, comments and shares. Consumers need to feel that they are a part of something, which will evolve in loyalty as a customer.
Sources
Kovacevic, M. (2024, November 20). TikTok social commerce: The evolution of online shopping. Firework. https://firework.com/blog/tiktok-social-commerce
Stanley, H., & Keenan, M. (2025, March 30). What is social commerce? Trends and key insights for 2025. Shopify. https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/blog/social-commerce-trends
Proven Marketing Solutions. (2025, July 22). How short-form videos are dominating social media in 2025. https://provenmarketingsolutions.ca/how-short-form-videos-are-dominating-social-media-in-2025/
Statista. (2025). Number of internet and social media users worldwide from 2017 to 2025 [Graph]. https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/