Most social media marketing managers understand that they must include visual content into their plans.
Dynamic videos and video clips are frequently becoming part of this strategy, too. Now, 81% of businesses utilize video as a marketing tool—up from 63% the previous year—according to HubSpot. With video content growing as an integral part of an organization's overall marketing strategy, it's more critical than ever to make sure it's executed seamlessly, professionally and in a way that will force an ROI.
Although the world of social media is always changing and demands innovation and experimentation every day, social media managers and corporate video editors can keep in mind a few most useful practices to drive results, foster engagement and grow followers.
Here are four for succeeding with video content marketing for The Dillon Ross Group's LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts:
Optimize for mobile. Brightcove's Global Video Index found that 53% of global video views begin on smartphones and tablets, siphoning market share from desktop computers. On top of that, social media platforms have been redesigned to cater to mobile. Instagram, for example, doesn't make it easy for everyday users to upload content in its desktop version. CNET details how users can avoid this problem, so they don't have to transfer images from their computer to their phone. CNET notes Instagram's adoption of a mobile-first intellect. Failing to optimize for mobile is a critical failure when you're creating videos for social media channels. If you're uploading content that's suited solely for horizontal versus square formats, followers probably won't try to watch it.
Subtitle your videos. A massive 85% of video content is viewed on social media without sound. If you create a spoken-word video without subtitles, your message is probably going to be lost. People infrequently seek out corporate content, so don't expect them to fish out their headphones to get the essence of your information. Unless you've designed a powerful introduction or thumbnail, they'll scroll to the following video in their feed.
Create a captivating hook. As alluded to in the last segment, a fantastic introduction is essential to establishing the scene for your content. Users should be able to know what the video is about within the first three seconds, so develop an intro that draws them in quickly. If it isn't apparent what the video is about, they have no incentive to keep watching. There's no need to create a feature film; shorter content is often more useful. The ideal length for a video is 15 to 20 seconds of high-value and informative content. Research from Hubspot shows that Instagram videos that average 26 seconds in length get the most comments.
Have fun. So many digital marketing companies ignore this. People want content that makes them smile, laugh or resonate with what they're watching or reading. Don't only push marketing messages. Your video content needs to have some sense of storytelling and human connection. It's crucial to share video content that's not all about your company. Doing this takes more work to make sure it's related to your followers, but it's well worth it.
Conclusively, it's most valuable to recognize that social media—as well as how video is used, produced and distributed on it—is emerging. Try different things, track what does and doesn't work, and improve your strategy for the next time.
If you need help creating video content for your business, The Dillon Ross Groups' creative team is here to help. Contact our new business team, and they will help you get started on creating high-quality video content!