Did you know that 43% of people hope that marketers will use more video in the future?
That’s right – and it means that now is the perfect time to get grips with video marketing for social media.
To be in with the best chance of driving engagement, building your brand identity, and seeing increased profits, you’ll need to follow a few simple rules.
These pointers will stop you from making amateur mistakes, and help you to make videos that get serious results.
Ready to learn the golden rules?
Let’s do this.
1. Don’t Make Videos Too Long
There’s nothing worse than a social media video that’s 45-minutes long. Who has long to stop for that long while scrolling through their timeline?
Nobody.
The best video marketing for social media uses videos that are short – preferably one minute or less. Any longer than this and viewers are likely to switch off – if they bother clicking on the video at all.
Short videos get your message across quickly and succinctly and force you to focus on what you really want to say.
2. Make Sense Without Sound
Since many platforms mute video by default, it’s important to create videos which make sense without sound.
That could mean adding captions or subtitles or simply making videos which tell a story without needing any words.
Think someone using your product and then giving the camera a big smile, or trying your competitor’s product and breaking down into floods of tears.
The best videos tell a story without the viewer needing to unmute sound – and this limitation can force you to get really creative.
3. Create Content That Helps Your Audience
When creating content online, the key is to focus on actually helping your audience – and the rule stays the same whether you’re writing blog posts or creating videos.
Instead of creating ads or promos to share on social media, think about showing tips and tricks, how-tos, life hacks, or educational clips.
Followers won’t be turned off by too much self-promotion, and they’ll be more likely to share your videos with others. You’ll also help establish yourself as an authority in your industry, so it’s a win-win.
4. Stay on Top of Social Media Trends
In the world of video marketing for social media, things move fast. What might have been hot a week ago could have gone completely out of fashion by now, so you need to stay on top of trends.
Instagram stories are a great example of a current trend – they allow you to post videos which are available to your followers for just a short period of time.
Since stories are shown at the top of everyone’s Instagram feed, publishing your videos here is a great way to get attention. You can add links to your stories, so they’re a great way to drive website hits.
Trends in video content are also important, so take a look at what successful competitors are doing. Is unboxing products all the rage? Make sure you create your own unboxing video to share.
Social media never stands still – and you shouldn’t either.
5. Make Your Videos Match Your Other Content
Is your social media feed carefully curated to look classy, professional, and formal?
Make sure you don’t suddenly start posting amateur videos filmed on your mobile phone. Likewise, if your brand is built on being grungy and authentic, don’t spend thousands on professionally produced videos without spirit.
Keeping your video consistent with the rest of your brand image is really important if you want your campaigns to be successful.
Adding a video section to your brand guidelines is a smart move, especially if multiple different members of staff will be working on a video.
6. Create Compelling Captions to Boost Views
When your video shows up on somebody’s newsfeed, they have to make the decision to click on it, rather than keep scrolling to see something different.
A winning caption is a great way to capture attention and increase those clicks, and it doesn’t take much effort.
Giving a hint to the content of the video can be a nice teaser – something like, ‘X happens, but what will happen next?’
Captions which play up the usefulness of the video also work well – for example, ‘You’ll wonder how you ever lived without this tip for peeling avocado!’
Whatever you do, don’t make your captions boring.
7. Use Live Video to Boost Authenticity
Most social media platforms now allow users to broadcast live video, and this is a great way to make your brand look current and authentic.
You could broadcast live from an event you’re running, or have a member of staff host a live Q and A session about your products.
Live video can go wrong, so be sure to plan carefully beforehand.
8. Include a Call to Action
There’s little point in video marketing for social media if you don’t include a compelling call to action.
You might show your bestselling product, and then insert a link saying something like, ‘Check out this company on our website today!’
For education videos, you could say something like, ‘Learn more on our blog’.
Never forget your call to action, unless you want all your hard work to be wasted.
9. Keep an Eye on the Bigger Picture
Video marketing for social media should always be part of your wider marketing strategy and business goals.
If you want to sell more of a certain product, your videos should be centered around that. If you want to boost engagement, videos should be designed to attract comments and shares.
Always keep your ultimate end goals in mind when creating a video.
How to Win at Video Marketing for Social Media
Video marketing for social media isn’t rocket science.
Create a video that helps customers and reinforces your brand image, then share it on the platforms your target audience use.
Keep videos short, useful, and interesting – and look out for social media trends that you can take advantage of.
Want more top social media marketing tips? Check out our blog today.
