Posted by Social media platforms have now become chock-a-block places with video content. You can find any video you want there, from how to cook a perfect omurice to tips and tricks for gaining more followers. Anything.
But, the advantage also comes with a pitfall; it’s only getting harder for your own social videos to stand out among the sea of content.
When we talk about social videos, we don’t talk about videos that can be seen in 4K resolution– edited with high-end video editing software, so you can see details of each element, but we talk about entertaining and educational ones. After all, it’s always all about the quality of the message and the content you deliver. And that’s definitely not a walk in the park.
We’ve listed some essential points you should follow while creating your social videos to help you separate yourself from others in the battle for eyeballs.
What makes a social video perfect?
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of the ultimate rules, it’s always better to understand what we call “perfect” social videos are.
There might be a lot of best practices you can see on video marketing checklists. But, we’ve only picked the most essential ones. So, here are some points that make a video ideal for social media users and can engage them right off the bat.
1. They tell stories
As you might already notice, a viral video on social media always tells a story that evokes users’ emotions.
When you make users feel something; inspired, motivated, joyful, or even sad, you know that you build a meaningful connection with them. That’s why they are willing to share the video across their social media profiles.
2. They talk about audiences
Gone are days when businesses bragged about how awesome their features are. A great social video always puts the user as the main character. It understands their pain points, solutions they need, etc.
3. They are concise
A great social video tells an engaging story in a short amount of time. Today’s social media users are fickle and it’s really easy to move to the next content after another.
Not to mention that most social media platforms have a limited amount of time for each video. That’s why well-crafted social videos keep the duration of the content short but sweet.
4. They don’t sell
Remember that no one ever wanted to be sold to. No one expects themselves to be a target audience for brands that are vying for their attention.
That’s why perfect social videos never sell but surely it can generate more leads. They simply aim to provide users with valuable content to engage them and make them stick around.
Essential rules for creating perfect social videos
Now that you understand what makes a perfect social video different from those mediocre ones, it’s time to create them for your business.
1. Come up with out-of-the-box ideas
We’ve mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating: the quality of the content is what matters in social videos. There is an endless type of content there, so you have to come up with fresh, out-of-the-box ideas.
Of course, coming up with original content is not an easy task, especially if you have to do it regularly. In this case, you can jump into the latest trend and upgrade it– give it a little tweak, with the other ideas you have.
2. Be platform-conscious
Not all social media platforms are created equal. While they share some similarities, each platform also has its own quirks that you need to be aware of when creating your videos. Each of them also has different demographics and preferences.
For example, shorter videos work better on Twitter while Facebook is more suited for longer-form content. Meanwhile, Instagram Stories are perfect for behind-the-scenes footage or quick tips. The key here is to understand the nuances of each social media platform and create content that is optimized for them.
If you want to reach out to younger generations, using TikTok is a strategic move. However, you need to produce videos that catch the right target audience. Learn TikTok video best practices and experiment with them yourself. That way, you can garner more attention and generate viewers to your content.
Ask these questions to yourself before you pick your camera and start recording:
- Who am I trying to reach?
- What platforms do my target audiences spend most of their time on?
- What type of content performs best on those platforms?
3. Start with a strong intro
There’s no such thing as “save the best for the last” when it comes to crafting a perfect social media video. Remember what we said about the attention span of social media users? They are very fickle, which is why you have to hook users right from the start if you want them to stick around until the end.
One way to do that is by starting your video with a strong intro. This can be anything from an interesting statistic to a shocking statement, or even a question that will make users curious about the rest of the content.
4. Optimize videos for mobile devices
Do you know that more than 92% of internet users use mobile devices to go online, including accessing social media? From this staggering number, one thing is clear: it’s crucial to optimize your social videos for mobile viewers.
Keep in mind that not everyone is using high-resolution screens, so make sure you use a resolution that looks good even on smaller screens.
Below is a quick checklist for creating mobile-friendly social videos:
- Be straightforward. Don’t be afraid to cut out the fluff and get straight to the meat of the story.
- Simplify your graphics. Remove any visual clutter to make visuals much easier for the eyes.
- Play it with the sound off. At least 85% of Facebook videos are now watched without sound. Include captions to help fill in any gaps.
- Optimize for slow internet connections. Use a file size that is lightweight and won’t take too long to load even on slower networks.
- Test, test, and test again. Always check how your videos look on different devices before you hit publish.
5. Create a visual consistency
One of the best ways to keep users engaged is by creating a visual consistency throughout your videos. Visual consistency can help you build a recognizable brand and make your videos instantly recognizable– even without sound.
Think about the colors, fonts, and overall design of your videos. These elements should be consistent with your other marketing materials to create a cohesive look for your brand.
That said, this doesn’t mean that all your videos have to look exactly the same — that it would limit your creativity, but it does mean that you need to use similar visuals and style elements so viewers will feel like they are watching a series of connected videos.
6. Pay attention to the analytic
Creating social videos is only half the battle. You also need to track and measure the performance of your videos to see if they are resonating with your target audiences. Only then you can improve them for better results.
The good news is that most social media platforms come with a built-in analytic feature. Tools like Facebook Insights and YouTube Analytics can help you track data like views, engagement, and audience demographics.
This information will give you good insights into what type of content is working well for your target audiences and which ones need more improvement.
7. Be consistent
Consistency is key in a video marketing campaign in general. You can’t expect your new video will blow up and goes viral overnight. Just like anything else, success takes time and effort.
But if you want to create a perfect social media video, you need to be consistent with your content strategy. This means creating new videos on a regular basis and promoting them across all your channels. The more you put out there, the higher the chance that one of your videos will take off.
Also, the beauty of social media is that it’s constantly evolving. What works today might not work tomorrow, so you need to be constantly experimenting with new content ideas and formats.
This doesn’t mean throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Be strategic about your experiments, present and test your social media work on a small scale before rolling them out to a wider audience.
Wrapping Up
Creating perfect social media videos might seem like a lot of work, but the result will be with all the effort. Also, it doesn’t have to rob your social media budget. There are no one-size-fits-all tips for creating high-performing social videos that resonate with your audiences and help promote your brand. But, those seven essential rules mentioned above should be able to help you get started on the right track.