Leveraging video content to increase engagement on social media isn’t new.
But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t businesses out there failing to do it effectively.
With so many brands competing for attention from consumers on social media who already have a short attention span, any approach that will make your content stand out from your competitors should be embraced.
In this article, we will dive deep into why video on social media marketing is valuable, how to use video content on social media and what steps you need to take to create high-quality content that people will engage with.
2019 is your year to take control of your social media marketing, and use video to do it. You’ve got a lot to learn, so let’s begin…
The Importance of Video in Social Media Marketing Today
Businesses of all sizes are embracing video marketing strategies across their social media assets.
Video content creation is something that every member and division of business can get involved with and enjoy.
It’s more informal than written content because you can speak to people directly, but can also be formal if you want it to be. The format can be flexible and you can mold your video ideas into whatever shape you like for your business.
Social media is a major outlet for the publishing and share of videos. Social media users are actively looking to be engaged with content, and video content is more likely to catch and keep their attention.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t post standard photo content, or even experiment with posts that don’t even include a visual component, but it’s all about leveraging your tools and assets in the most effective way possible to be successful.
Types of Videos to Leverage
There are different types of videos that will serve different purposes for your business.
It’s essential to learn about all the directions you can go in when coming up with a video content strategy.
With so many types of videos you can leverage on social media out there, and it’s worth learning more about all the options open to you before you make those videos.
Let’s talk about some different types of video on social media to have in your arsenal:
Brand Videos
Brand videos offer an overarching narrative about your business, its mission and its values.
These types of videos aim to increase brand awareness and make your audience and new customers aware of who you are and what you have to offer.
Product Demos
When you have a new product you’re trying to sell, it helps to let users see the product working before they commit to making a purchase.
By offering a visual demonstration of your product, it becomes easier for people to have faith in what you’re selling.
Event Coverage
Businesses often attend conferences and events to make industry contacts and raise their profile in the space they are in.
For those who didn’t have the luxury of attending these events, having strong video content shows your network what you’re up to and offers an in-depth view of your company for partners and consumers.
Interviews
If you’re looking to build brand authenticity and reliability, you can record interviews with other industry experts.
They’ll offer insight on their own experiences and give your audience unique information to digest. It’s about sharing ideas and knowledge with the masses.
Explainer Videos
These online advertising videos focus on an individual character who places themselves in the shoes of the consumer.
They represent each customer and their problems that others may experience. Your company and its products will be presented as a solution to the customer’s problems.
Live Streams
Live streams are a newer method of real-time customer engagement. These videos happen live and can involve interaction with your audience across various social platforms with the feature.
You can leverage your social assets to prepare users for an upcoming live stream, and footage can then be re-watched later by those who missed it.
Video on Social Media Creation Tips
Creating quality video content on social media can overwhelm, so it’s crucial you understand the video production process before diving in.
In 2019, your videos must display a high level of professionalism, from film quality to engage visual aspects and transitions.
Here are tips and information that will help achieve visual professionalism.
Set Up a DIY Studio
First, you must find a place to film. For videos where it’s mostly a person speaking to camera with stock footage sprinkled in, a simple and clean space will suffice.
If you have an open office space, consider your conference room or areas that aren’t overcrowded with personnel and items.
Lighting is Key
It’s important to remember that lighting matters a lot when you’re recording footage.
Even if an area looks bright, you need to make sure that light is coming from the right angle and hitting the subject in the right way.
It’s something you should try to learn more about and experiment with until you get it right.
Use your iPhone and a Tripod
You need not spend money on an expensive camera to create quality video content. Anything from the iPhone 7 onwards can shoot 4k footage.
You can also find affordable tripods online with iPhone attachments. Also, consider looking into attachable lenses for your iPhone.
Ensure Your Microphone is Close Enough
Your audio is vital to the success, or failure, of your videos. Make sure that viewers can comprehend what is being said.
If the sound is difficult to understand and not clear, viewership will drop off. There are also microphones and other audio tools that can easily sync up with your phone.
That’s not to say all videos require audio. We’ve seen trends in silent videos with simple background music and subtitles for todays on the move viewers.
Don’t Ignore the Importance of Editing
Editing techniques are key when you’re trying to craft a particular narrative and make it possible for people to emotionally invest in your video on social media.
If you are serious about succeeding with video marketing, look into different applications and tools to assist with social media video editing. There are free and affordable tools in the app store that can make you a professional video editor, all from your phone.
Script Everything in Advance
If you’re going to be standing in front of a camera and talking into a lens, you want to make sure that you at least have an idea what you’re going to say.
Making it up on the fly doesn’t always work well, although some are better than others at it. But it’s important to have a plan for all the points you want to highlight and have a strategic approach to doing so.
Coming up with a Strategy for Video on Social Media
The right video distribution strategy will help you deliver your content to its desired audience. Each social media platform has video capabilities, so it’s important to create a unique, cross-platform strategy.
Many feel that Facebook is a good place to put all of your video content. But views aside, it’s important to consider how long people are viewing your videos, and what actions they are taking from then on.
Quick how-to videos and guides with captions work well on Facebook. Users can keep them silent through auto-play mode and listen on the train to work, while in the bathroom, or for some even at work.
We don’t recommend long-form videos on Facebook anymore and would suggest keeping them under a minute. Anything longer should be leveraged across YouTube or IG TV.
Instagram also uses silent auto-play, and they’re actually the ones who pioneered it. That’s why you should use subtitles when it makes sense to educate your fans who don’t have the sound playing.
Instagram has several different avenues for publishing video content. There are standard posts, slideshow posts, stories, live, and IG TV, and each has its own unique features.
For example, video posts can be one minute long, while slideshows can include 10 one minute clips. Individual video stories can last 15 seconds, live videos can go up to an hour and most IG TV videos can go up to 10 minutes (although some accounts can do 60 minutes).
It’s important to consider these allowances to use the video content you already have effectively across IG, or create a new video strategy based on each of these outlets.
YouTube
YouTube is the biggest video hosting platform in the world, and most of the users are looking watch long-form content. These viewers are looking for educational or instructional content such as how to tie a tie, or be entertained by vlogs of their favorite YouTubers and influencers.
YouTube has followed suit of Facebook and Instagram, now having story features available for seven days and can be posted by users with over 10k subscribers.
Come up with a strategy that targets your niche audience and consistently create content that engages them.
LinkedIn recently made it possible for users to upload native video content, opening a whole new world of possibilities for users who want to engage with their professional contacts and colleagues.
Sharing valuable industry insights will make your video content stand out on LinkedIn.
Gary V is a great example of how to effectively leverage video content on LinkedIn. He posts unique content specific to the platform and relevant career topics. Granted, he does this across his other channels as well, but he uses LinkedIn specifically to give users tips on using LinkedIn to grow their careers.
Measuring the Success of Your Videos
Once you’ve created your videos and posted them to the social media platforms, then it’s time to dive into the analytics. It’s important to measure and track the success of your videos so you can see if they are having the desired impact that you intended.
If they’re not, you must dive deeper to find out why your videos weren’t successful. Maybe the production quality was low or you don’t have a strong enough audience yet to actually reap any benefits from video.
There’s a lot to consider when determining the success of your video content. Here are some important metrics to know:
Average Duration
As mentioned above, large amounts of views are great, but how long are users actually watching your video? Your goal should be to get users to view your video as long as possible.
Would you rather have 1,000 viewers that all dropped off after three seconds, or 100 views that all stayed on for your entire five-minute video?
If people are dropping off after a few seconds, you need to hone in on why. Is your intro boring and too long?
If people are staying on for the duration, figure out what that secret sauce is and continue to replicate it in unique ways.
Video Views
Video views can still be important, but moreso as a vanity metric.
Most people see that a video has thousands or millions of views, and instantly that subconsciously makes them more intrigued by the video.
If that’s your goal, then video views can be a strong stat for you.
Repeat Views
If people are coming back and watching your video more than once, that’s a sign of quality video content.
Repeat views occur when people are really interested in what you’re saying and want to take in that information again to ensure they fully comprehend it.
Or it’s a hilarious video that makes them laugh over and over, and they want to show all of their coworkers and friends.
Engagement Rate
Engagement rate is a metric that tells you even more about how your videos are being viewed.
It takes the amount of time each person spends watching your videos divided by the video length.
It lets you see the overall average amount of time people are spending watching your videos and when they stop viewing.
Conclusion
Now you know why video content is as important on social media, and that trend will certainly continue through 2019.
Users want fast, easy to digest content, and video is the perfect recipe. The sooner your business starts taking advantage of the power of video on social media, the sooner you’ll start growing your audience and reaping the rewards on a regular basis.
Heading into the new year, start looking at what your business is currently doing with video and how in can be improved upon.
If you need guidance, and Glenmont consultant can help develop a powerful video on social media marketing strategy. You can also learn more about our video production services here.