Social Video Marketing Tips to Help Your Business

Are you still confused about which social media platforms you need to be posting your videos on?

Each social network has its pros and cons for video content. Depending on your needs, you can choose to post only on selected platforms. Each one has their own set of rules, so you should also look out for the kind of videos you post on them.

Are you interested in exploring some other social media platforms? Let’s take a look at how each one of them can help your business.

Choosing your video content

There are a few video types that work across all social media platforms. The key is to not resort to hard-selling, as your audience will immediately be put off by your video.

It’s all about telling a story. Did you know that 7 out of 10 users end up with a positive perception of a brand after watching a good video from them? This is why you need to ensure that your content is interesting to the audience.

However, there are four video formats you can’t go wrong with. One of them is the explainer video. Audiences love this kind of content because it helps them understand your product or service better. You can use it to explain difficult concepts or terms to them in a friendly way.

You can use it to explain difficult concepts or terms to them in a friendly way. It’s also more effective when it’s from one to three minutes long.

Another type of video that audiences love is the demo video. Like the explainer video, this one helps audiences learn how your product or service can really benefit them. It’s also best to keep it to a maximum length of three minutes.

If you want to tap a specific audience segment, you can also do personalized videos. This will resonate with them and encourage them to engage with your content. These videos work best when kept within a 30 to 60-second length.

Lastly, customer testimonial videos are also very effective. This kind of video will help you build trust with your potential customers as they can see the genuine reactions of existing customers to your product or service. Like personalized videos, try to keep it within a minute long.

Now, how do you apply this to different social media channels? Let’s find out more about the pros and cons of each one of them.

Posting videos on Facebook

Everyone wants to post videos on Facebook since most customers are there. The platform itself has started favoring video content as well. That’s what makes it great for videos that aim to raise brand awareness.

You can increase your reach on Facebook through live videos and interesting content. But going viral is not easy, so it shouldn’t always be the goal. It’s better to ensure that your videos are crafted in a way that will encourage your audience to engage with your content.

Like other social media platforms, Facebook has its cons. For one, it’s not ideal for businesses that aim to build a fan base, since it’s difficult to get a wide reach on the platform. Your videos are also just contained within the platform and can’t be shared elsewhere.

There’s no way for you to embed calls-to-action on your videos either. In addition, posts usually have a very short lifespan on your audience’s news feeds, unless they have high engagement. But if you simply want to raise brand awareness, Facebook will definitely help.

Posting videos on YouTube

Of course, marketers are interested in posting on YouTube because it’s the leading video-centric social media platform. But what advantage does it have over other channels?

YouTube is great for brands that are looking into building a community for their audience, in order to get to know them better. Also, since it’s owned by Google, videos on this platform rank higher than those posted on other social networks.

Unlike in other channels, YouTube allows clickable links to be embedded on their videos, so calls-to-action can easily be added.

However, since everyone is clamoring for an audience on YouTube, it’s really hard to stand out on the platform. Viewers are also most likely to be distracted by other content when they are watching yours.

If your video strategy is all about breaking trends, the YouTube algorithm will not be kind to you. It might not be the platform you want to invest on after all.

Posting short-form videos

Three social media platforms are best known for short video content – Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Because of the length and lifespan constraints on these channels, marketers can’t expect to learn more about their audiences on these platforms.

Instagram limits video posts to a minute, while stories are limited to 15 seconds and will only be available for 24 hours. Meanwhile, Snapchat allows 10-second snaps for up to six times in a row. Lastly, Twitter limits videos to 30 seconds. Both Instagram and Twitter have live videos, with the latter hosting them through Periscope.

What types of videos work best with this short format? You can do sneak peeks – a tour of your office, what goes on throughout the day at work, or backstage happenings at your events. You can also try quick interviews with employees, guests, and experts. Doing quick how-to and demo videos will also be effective.

Of course, each platform has its own set of cons as well. Given that each of these social media channels have their own unique audience demographics, there are other challenges to overcome when you decide to publish your content there.

While Instagram now allows links on your stories, it’s still hard to direct them away from your channel and to your links. Snapchat doesn’t allow hashtags, so there’s no way for your content to reach more people. Twitter makes it hard to target audience segments, and while content lasts longer than other platforms, it will still be hard to keep it afloat for long.

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