Make an impact on social with video
Here’s a stat for you: in 2021, the average person is expected to watch over 100 minutes of video online every single day. Not only that, but the majority of that video content will come directly on — or from — social media.
While pretty impressive, these numbers probably don’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last few years. Both social media and video continue to be increasingly popular elements of online marketing, and videos optimized for social media have become a key tool for brands looking to make their mark online. Now more than ever, the question isn’t whether or not you should be using social media video content, but rather how you can make the most of it. Making video content for social media doesn’t have to be difficult. These best practices and expert tips will help you create effective social media videos that make an impact.
Understand the medium
When strategizing for social media video content, it’s important to understand individual platforms and the nature of social media overall. Whether you’re looking to utilize Facebook, Linkedin, or even TikTok, the rising importance of mobile viewership is clear.
Mobile video consumption has been increasing at a rate of at least 100% year-in-year-out and will continue to be the dominant trend for video audiences in the years to come. This means that your social content should be mobile-friendly, first and foremost.
Optimize your social media videos for each network
Every social media network has its own specifications and limitations for video formats and sizes, so you’ll need to optimize your video for optimal viewing and accessibility for each social media network where you plan to share or promote your videos. Vimeo’s social video creator makes it easy to create video content for every social media platform with simple tools for adjusting and fine-tuning your videos to suit each network’s specifications.
Don’t just inform, entertain
According to one recent study, 72% of customers say they’d prefer to learn about products or services with video — but It’s not just information that consumers crave. The entertainment value of your social video content can be just as important, and nailing that sweet spot between educational and entertaining can make all the difference in creating ads that are as engrossing as they are effective.
Grab attention by hooking viewers in the first few seconds
Social media users’ attention spans are short, and some social media platforms limit videos to a few seconds to a few minutes in length. Twitter limits videos to two minutes and 20 seconds, for instance, while Instagram limits videos in the main feed to 60 seconds and Instagram Story videos to just 15 seconds. That means you need to grab your viewers’ attention quickly with a compelling hook in the first few seconds to keep them watching.
Add captions to appeal to users with the sound off
Many social media users scroll their feeds with their sound off (in fact, 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound), so if you want to get your message across to these users, captions and descriptive text are key. Vimeo’s social video editor makes it easy to add text, descriptions, and captions for every frame, and more, so you can captivate viewers whether they have their sound on or off.
Prioritize click-throughs
Yes, we’d all love to make social video content that creates a viral craze all on its own. But more often than not, your content isn’t going to set the internet on fire (unless you’re Kim Kardashian, of course). Because of this, it’s more crucial than ever to make the most of your social video content, and provide potential customers with an easy way to connect more deeply with your brand. While some social media platforms are better equipped for prompting click-throughs than others (Facebook lets you organically integrate in-video links), employing follow-through links or short URLs on Twitter or Instagram are important steps for ensuring solid ROI.
Encourage engagement
Social video content allows your audience to connect and engage directly with your brand. We don’t have to tell you how important audience engagement can be for your company, but you might want to know just how helpful video can be in boosting your numbers on social media.
Let’s look at Twitter, for example. Tweets with videos see up to 10 times more engagement than tweets with just text or images, while Promoted Tweets with videos help save brands more than 50% on cost-per-engagement.
Endlessly customizable, highly engaging, and super sharable, social media video content is one of the best ways to increase your brand recognition and turn prospective customers and clients into some of your biggest fans.
