Abstract: The process of the exerting the mainstream ideological leadership of Institutions of Higher Education in short video field is a collection of four elements: subject, content, channel and object, which implies the leading force of subject, the explanatory power of content, the communication power of channel and the absorption power of object. In the tension-filled short video field, colleges and universities are facing the new opportunities of “decentralized” production mode, algorithmic technology application mode, hyper-symbolic system and virtual presence to enhance the effectiveness of exertion, and the new challenges of diversified pattern, fragmented information, obstruction of communication space, and the proliferation of media technology that weaken the effectiveness. This reality mainly stems from the relative lag in the construction of short video platforms in universities, the lack of content supply, the insufficient response of the communication and distribution mode to the technical empowerment of short videos, the over-empowerment of the role of short video users. It needs to be solved from the aspects of enhancing the synergy of the exerting subject, rationally setting the communication content, expanding the communication space, and enhancing the subjective initiative of the exerting object.