Studies show that people engage much more actively with videos than any other type of social media post. On Facebook, video posts get shared 10 times more often than any other kind of content. That’s a MASSIVE difference and one that social media marketers need to be ready to capitalize on.
That’s the power of high-quality video production in the world of social media. How do you tap into it? In this article, we take a closer look at why great video content can make a huge difference in your marketing campaigns, and what it takes to make shareable, engaging posts.
Why videos?
Just why is it that videos capture people’s attention in such a significant way? There are a few factors worth keeping in mind:
- Videos stand out. In a sea of text, a bright video box will show up better. It catches the eye and encourages people to stop scrolling for a moment to see what is going on.
- Videos are easier to understand. Only a relatively small portion of the population best intake information through reading and writing—the two tent poles of social media content. Many visual learners will jump at the chance to shake things up a little bit with a good video.
- Videos provide a passive experience. “Passive,” admittedly is not a word that marketers like to hear. In this case, however, it can be a good thing. People get a lot of information from social media, but they don’t necessarily log on with that purpose in mind. They want to relax and enjoy a stress-relieving experience. Videos can provide that. They get information in an interesting format that doesn’t ask anything of them.
Despite the high potential of video content on social media, it currently only makes up about 15% of all posts. That’s good news for marketers who want to stand out in the crowded social media marketplace. However, the content does need to be good.
Below, we will take a look at a few factors to keep in mind when making your video content.
Use Data
Naturally, every good marketing campaign needs to have a clearly defined direction. Data implementation is the best way to shape your campaign. Making good videos is important, but your target audience needs to be taken into consideration.
Who is supposed to be responding to this ad? In marketing, this hypothetical person is referred to as the Ideal Customer. Not just someone who will buy the product, but who will buy it again and again, and maybe even recommend it to their friends. A qualified lead.
You can use data to shape this profile, and then work on building customized content. Just make sure that you are leveraging data not just strategically, but also ethically. Use only properly sourced data, be transparent, and manage your information in a way that does not risk anyone’s privacy.
Not only is this the right thing to do, but it will also ensure that your reputation remains unimpeachable.
The First Five Seconds Reign Supreme
That’s about as much time as you are going to get to keep someone’s attention. If the person watching your video isn’t grabbed pretty much immediately, they will move on to something else. Why? Because they can. Because there are six hundred other posts on their timeline, and you aren’t their entire day.
Obviously, you want the entire video to be interesting, but no one will ever see past the first few frames if they aren’t interested. The average video bounce rate is under five seconds. Having high-quality content will help.
The other thing? Transparency. Make sure people understand what the video they are clicking is about. A really grabbing caption is great, but if it doesn’t accurately reflect the content, people will notice, and they won’t watch the rest.
Keep the Content Short(ish)
There are places for long content. For example, let’s say you are doing a video campaign for a hardware store. They want to do a series of how-to tutorials for troubleshooting problems around the house. They don’t want their content to go on forever, but they also want to make sure it is as comprehensive as possible.
In this scenario, doing your topic justice may be more important than brevity.
That said, brevity still counts for a lot. Short content reflects the fact that your audience has no shortage of options. Use their time wisely.
Make it Good
Finally, make sure the content does what it is supposed to. Educate, entertain. A little bit of both. You developed the ad with a purpose. Execute effectively, with a high-quality video that will stand out from all of the other content on social media.
Draft an excellent script, and use it to create a highly engaging video that clocks in at 2 minutes or less. With short, sweet content that is targeted toward the right viewer, you’ll find success with your social media marketing campaign.
Conclusion
Social media video production standards are an important aspect of standing out. Yes, it is easy to throw content up online. In the absence of traditional barriers—high cost, gatekeepers regulating what can or cannot be published—there is a different obstacle. Volume. Anyone can post, and that means everyone does.
Quality is the standard that separates and elevates content. Yes, marketers have other tools that will help get content in front of eyeballs, but the only way to guarantee engagement is to make great stuff. Cream, as they say, rises to the top.
Bottom line? There is already more than enough silliness on social media. Making quality video content is the best and most sustainable strategy for improving the visibility of your social media marketing campaign.
