Posted by Video content is something that’s becoming increasingly popular on social media. Every platform has had to adapt to the needs of its users and that includes a lot more video features and functions as a result.
84% of video marketers say video has been effective in generating leads. Incorporating video marketing within your marketing strategy can help your brand across all your social media platforms.
If you’ve not explored video marketing before, then this guide will serve as a helpful resource for understanding how to use it and why it’s beneficial for your brand. With 63% of marketers considering video engagement as their top metric, it’s worthwhile to spend some time working on video content.
Why is video content essential?
Video content is critical for brands at the moment, especially with platforms competing for users. As a brand, there are many benefits that can come with video marketing and it’s become one of the most important methods of marketing for businesses in today’s world. Here are just a few of those benefits.
1. They help explain your product in detail
Images can only tell the customer so much when selling or promoting a product. Video content goes that one step further and can help explain your product in detail. Through the use of how-to videos and tutorials, you can better communicate your intentions to anyone who comes across it.
2. Videos provide a good ROI
87% of video marketers surveyed on wyzowl, say that video, in general, gives them a good return on their investment. Whilst this is the case, it does rely on a good content strategy, as well as the quality of the content itself.
It may seem like a costly expense when it comes to video content but it can be done in an affordable manner.
3. Video is versatile
Video can be used in a variety of ways, particularly when it comes to different social media platforms. For example, videos on content can vary from 15 seconds to 3 minutes long, whilst on YouTube, you can create entire feature films for viewing.
Live video is another growing form of media, with 82% of people preferring live video from a brand over traditional social media posts.
Tips for video marketing
Every social media platform is a little different from the next so having a detailed plan and approach for each one you’re on, is necessary. As a brand, it can be helpful to have an online presence on the platforms where your audience will be. Whilst it might be worthwhile to be on every social media platform, it’s not always necessary.
For social media video best practices 2022, check out the suggestions for each platform below.
Facebook is one of the OG’s for social media platforms and is a popular focus for many businesses to reach their customers.
1. Limit video length
Think about how long your video content is. As this platform isn’t particularly popular specifically for it’s video content, it’s all about keeping your customers engaged for as long as possible. Limit the length of video content where you can to keep it short and concise for the most part.
2. Vertical videos are better performers
Vertical videos end up performing better than square videos because this format is used on other popular social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok. These vertical videos are also great for mobile, which is the main device used for browsing the internet.
3. Caption your content
Make sure you cater for those who are hard of hearing or might struggle to pick up what’s being said from the content provided. Captioning is a great way to be inclusive to everyone who comes across your content.
As one of the first platforms to introduce social media stories, Instagram has paved the way for a lot of the changes we’ve seen on the platforms in existence now. So much so, that Facebook now owns Instagram.
1. Run live videos
Live videos are a popular feature on this platform, particularly when it comes to selling products or promoting your brand. They can be great for showing the BTS (behind-the-scenes) of a product launch or an insight into the company’s working day.
2. Tag products in sales videos
In order to help your sales go further, it’s worthwhile tagging your products in videos where products are being sold. As a user, it streamlines their customer journey so that they can go ahead and make purchases easier.
3. Keep videos short
Just like other platforms, keeping videos short on this platform can be helpful. 87% of Gen Z Tiktok users that have Instagram Reels, describe them as being very similar in their features and functionality.
As a resource for news content, Twitter appeals to more text than video content. However, there’s still an opportunity to utilize video marketing for your brand on this platform.
1. Keep your copy concise
There are on average 6,000 tweets that go out per second on Twitter. With such a volume of Twitter traffic, it can often make it hard to get noticed. Keeping your copy concise will help keep up with the fast-paced approach that this platform has. If your copy is too long, then it’s likely to be ignored or not engaged with as much.
2. Include product and people
When creating video content, be sure to include any product links or people that you’ve perhaps collaborated with or want to reach out to. Twitter can be a great platform for connecting with others and for helping drive more traffic to the tweet.
3. Use visual cues
Visual cues are an important part of posting on Twitter, especially as there’s a lot more text that’s often incorporated into each post. It’s good to have some visual cues like video or GIFs, for example, to help the user understand what’s being communicated.
YouTube
YouTube has been around since 2005 and has provided careers for many individuals and businesses. As a platform, you can create and publish anything from music videos to daily video blogs and how-to cooking tutorials.
1. Create eye-catching thumbnails
Thumbnails are an essential part of a Youtube video because they influencer viewers to click on the content. Therefore, it’s important you spend some time perfecting its layout so that it entices your target audience.
2. Focus on storytelling
Storytelling is more worthwhile to focus on when it comes to YouTube than creating more sales for your business. There is a lot of scope available with what you can create on this platform, so think about how to engage your audience through storytelling opportunities.
Tiktok
Finally, Tiktok is a platform that has thrived off the back of the pandemic and is a great way for businesses to advertise themselves through short-form content. It started off as fifteen seconds to sixty-second videos but has since expanded its recording time to three minutes.
1. Identify ongoing trends and adapt
What sets Tiktok aside from the other platforms, is that trends come and go very quickly. As a brand, it’s important to identify any ongoing trends and to adapt yourself constantly to meet the needs of the algorithm that remains somewhat of a mystery.
2. Collaborate with other brands and influencers
Collaboration is important and there are many influencers on Tiktok that have crafted big influencer profiles over the space of just a year. The platform is still fairly new, which means pricing can vary from one influencer to another.
3. Post often
Creating video content for social media involves posting often. When you’re competing for the spotlight, it’s important to be consistent and to set yourself up with a content schedule whereby you can get all of the work completed efficiently.
Current trends in video marketing
If you’re looking to introduce or enhance your video marketing strategy, then being aware of the current trends is important. Here are just a few current trends to consider for your video content this year.
1. Short-form content
With the likes of Tiktok coming onto the social media market in the last couple of years, short-form content is certainly a hot topic at the moment. It’s led to platforms like Instagram creating Instagram Reels and YouTube having a YouTube shorts section. It just goes to show that short-form content is here to stay.
2. Online training and educational videos
A lot of students have had to adapt to online resources for education, as well as those within the workplace when it comes to training. With that being said, online training and educational videos have become popular resources. The e-learning market is set to rise in the coming years, particularly whilst many are still working from home.
3. Shoppable videos
There’s a rise in shoppable videos, with platforms like Instagram, already providing shop features for many brands and businesses. Shoppable videos not only provide a more interactive experience but also provide a lot more engagement.
What does the future of video marketing look like?
So what does the future hold for video marketing from this year onwards? Does video perform better on social media? As many consumers utilize their mobile phones for video content and browsing the internet in general, more attention will be focused on how to deliver this video messaging regardless of where the customer is.
- Interactive videos will likely increase in popularity, especially with methods that involve virtual reality.
- Video streaming services are changing television advertising, according to Emily Anthony, Senior Director, Media Services at Merkle. Live videos could therefore positively impact monetization for your brand’s content.
- AI-driven videos will provide better personalization, enhancing a brand’s social media video strategy.
- Drone video footage will help contribute to the story or message of your content. It can contribute to more exceptional video experiences for customers.
Use video marketing for your brand’s strategy
Video marketing is a flourishing area of marketing in general and one that you certainly should take advantage of this year for your business.