Short-Form Video Tips U.S. Marketers Should Follow

Short-form video material is a foundation of effective marketing strategies in the current era of lightning-fast digital communication. TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts have all played their part in making bite-sized content that captures users for just seconds. But for marketers in the United States, the challenge is not so much creating content but creating content that is original and sparks engagement.
The secret? Short video creation right. This involves knowing what does and doesn't work on platforms such as TikTok, particularly when you're looking to generate sales with TikTok Shop marketing or TikTok business advertising.
In this blog, we will walk you through the dos and don'ts of creating short videos, featuring the best practices for engaging your audience and converting them.

The Do's

Creating scroll-stopping content on TikTok does not occur overnight. It requires monitoring trends, organization, and consumption by viewers.

1. Use Vertical Format

TikTok's whole interface is vertical video-friendly, and that's not a suggestion—it's a necessity. Vertical video is a natural fit in the TikTok environment, so your video isn't disrupted by ugly cropping or stretching.
Pro Tip: 9:16 aspect ratio videos offer perfect alignment with TikTok's screen and better overall user experience.

2. Add Captions

Not everyone consumes video with sound on, especially in public. Captions are necessary so that your content is accessible to everyone—especially for viewers who scroll without sound. It's also great for boosting engagement since viewers will read and re-watch with text.
Pro Tip: Use captions to label key product features in TikTok Shop marketing New York videos. You can add text overlays to commentate and encourage viewers to interact.

3. Get to the Point Promptly

TikTok's algorithm likes content that gets attention in a short time. If you're advertising on TikTok business to advertise your products, ensure you get the point across in the first few seconds. Avoid long introductions and get straight to the point of presenting the problem that your product solves.
TikTok users have a short attention span, so get their attention first.
Pro Tip: A great beginning can be a powerful declaration, a quick product demonstration, or a thought-provoking question.

4. Apply Trending Audio

TikTok thrives on audio trends. Whether it is a trending song or a viral sound bite, including trending audio to your short-form videos can get your content noticed.
Pro Tip: Don't use popular sounds without thinking. Ensure the sound is for your brand message or tone of your video. A fun sound can work like magic for TikTok Shop ads when displaying fun or humorous products.

The Don'ts

Having covered the most critical do's for creating successful TikTok videos, we can turn our attention to the don'ts. The most common pitfalls U.S. marketers must avoid so that their TikTok videos bomb.

1. Overproduction

While high-quality video can work in some places, authenticity is what makes it on or off TikTok. Overproduced content stands out and gets scrolled over immediately, with people avoiding anything too formal or overproduced.
Pro Tip: Be natural-looking. Whether you're doing an ad campaign on TikTok businesses or a flash TikTok Shop promotion, authenticity will resonate louder than perfection. Use a raw, "just shot this on my phone" aesthetic.

2. Ignoring Analytics

If you're not tracking your TikTok analytics, you're missing out on valuable insight. Paying no attention to how your videos are performing could mean wasted effort. TikTok provides you with in-depth analytics, so marketers can see what type of content is doing well and change their strategy.
Pro Tip: Track key indicators such as watch time, engagement, and conversion rates. These will guide your TikTok Shop marketing strategy and enable you to tailor your message, imagery, and timing to move your audience more effectively.

3. Posting Without a CTA

There needs to be a Call to Action (CTA) on any successful TikTok business advertising campaign. When you are trying to get someone to do something—click on a link in your bio, visit your TikTok Shop, or purchase your product—you need a good and straightforward CTA. Without it, even your most viewed videos may not be enough.
Pro Tip: Insert CTAs such as, "Shop now in the link below" or "Click link in bio for more" to encourage users to act. You also might insert interactive elements such as polls or "swipe up" elements to encourage engagement.

Why These Matter

When you're creating short-form video on TikTok, you're not just making content—you're building a connection with your customer. Each choice you make, whether it's format or captioning, directly affects the way viewers interact with your brand.

Get on TikTok's Good Side

The algorithm on TikTok prefers content that is getting engagement in the first few seconds. If you're constantly creating videos that take off immediately—via vertical content, trending sound, and quick hooks—you'll be a lot more likely to show up on the "For You" page.
By doing the do's, you're also keeping your content in alignment with TikTok's algorithm. This equates to your videos being found by more people, which means more views, engagement, and ultimately, sales.

Engage Audience Better

One other significant factor TikTok's algorithm considers when deciding what videos to promote is retention. Short videos are created to get individuals' attention within seconds and sustain it throughout until the very end. By making your video concise, to the point, and on-brand, you'll get individuals to watch your entire video to the end—and even pass it on to all their friends.

Maximize ROI for TikTok Marketing Campaigns

The don'ts are just as important as the do's if you're attempting to maximize your ROI. Boring, over-produced videos with no clear CTA will not generate conversions. Not monitoring the performance of your videos is like performing in the dark.
By focusing your gaze on the most profitable TikTok business ad best practices—such as using analytics to fine-tune your approach and never forgetting a CTA—you'll make more informed decisions that generate more sales and return greater ROI.

Case Study: How Glossier's TikTok Shop Succeeds

Glossier, today's beauty world darling, is a perfect example of a brand that has perfected short-form video making on TikTok. They embraced the raw, real feeling of TikTok by leveraging user-generated content (UGC) and influencer marketing to drive sales.
The TikTok videos from the brand, featuring real-life product reviews and before/after makeovers, went viral overnight. They used popular audio, vertical video, and brief CTAs and drove traffic directly to their TikTok Shop. Glossier saw a 35% increase in sales directly from TikTok traffic alone.
Takeaway: Marketing for TikTok Shop is all about being authentic, engaging the audience, and making your content native to the platform.

Conclusion

Short video is still a very potent marketing tool in 2025, and TikTok continues to be the gold standard for producing top-performing, converting content. By doing the do's and avoiding the don'ts, American brands can dramatically increase their potential for producing top-performing ads.
By creating videos that are real, short, and fun, you're leveraging the algorithm and culture of TikTok, which translates to more views, more engagement, and greater ROI. With the right TikTok Shop marketing strategies and effective TikTok business advertising, small changes to your video creation can result in giant dividends.