Innovation & data-driven digital marketing.

Social media is constantly evolving, forcing marketers to stay ahead of the game to ensure their posts are seen, while also keeping consumers engaged.

For a growing business to continue to flourish, a solid social media strategy is an absolute must. Here is why video is becoming increasingly important on social networks:

  • According to a recent study by Buzzsumo, video is the best performing content type on Facebook;
  • Twitter recently published that tweets with video see 10x more engagement than those without – and Promoted Tweets with videos save more than 50 percent on cost-per-engagement;
  • Marketing Land recently announced that LinkedIn users are 20x more likely to share a video on the platform than any other type of post;
  • Even Pinterest has noted that users are 2.6x more likely to make a purchase after viewing brand video content on the platform.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and beat out competitors, you’ll need to develop a successful social media strategy that incorporates video. Below you’ll find our beginners guide to using video in your social media, complete with actionable tips and strategies to get started.

Determine The Purpose Of Your Video 

Before diving in and creating video content, it’s important to take a step back initially and narrow in on the purpose of your video. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Are you trying to introduce a new product? 
  • Are you trying to continue to build a better brand relationship with your viewers? 
  • Or do you want to simply provide helpful information to your audience? 

According to a recent guide published on Vidyard

“You can start to use video to increase qualified leads in your sales pipeline and prove ROI. The trick to making your videos count is to build purposeful, measurable strategy rather than random bursts of video excitement.” 

Whatever the case, creating video content with intent and a clear goal in mind will help you develop valuable videos that truly resonate with your clients.

Understand The Differences Of Each Platform 

After you brainstorm content ideas and decide on a purpose for your video content, it’s important to optimize it for a specific platform. There are several different options to choose from. You can post video content to Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and even Instagram’s newly- launched IGTV platform. It’s important to remember that each platform has its own specifications.

Here are some of the recent video guidelines for the larger platforms:

  • Facebook: recommended dimensions of 1280 x 720 for both landscape and portrait videos 
  • Instagram: recommended to be at 600 x 315 for landscape and 600 x 600 for square videos 
  • Youtube: minimum recommended dimensions are 426 x 240, with maximum at 3840 x 2160.

(For a complete list of specifications for all the most popular platforms head over to Sprout Social’s guide).

Take a moment to think about where your audience spends most of its time online. This is a great opportunity to do some quick market research and decide on which platform (or platforms) would be best to launch a video social media strategy. 

Not sure where to begin when it comes to targeting your audience? Knowing some basic facts about each platform and its user demographics is the first step. When it comes to a platform like Pinterest, its user base is dominated by female users. According to Convince And Convert, Twitter’s user base has a larger portion of college graduates when compared to Facebook or Instagram. Youtube has the largest number of viewers, however, it is not as frequently used as other platforms. Knowing these simple stats can help you narrow down on where to publish your very own social media video strategy. 

How To Shoot Your Videos

Many marketers think that the only way they can shoot high quality videos is with expensive camera and lighting equipment. With recent advancements in smartphone cameras and technology, you can easily D.I.Y. a quality video. 

When shooting with your smartphone, ensure to flip your phone horizontally for the best possible viewing experience. It’s also helpful to turn on your phone’s Do Not Disturb feature to minimize any pesky distractions or notifications while filming. 

Rather than investing thousands in pricey and complicated lighting fixtures, it’s easier to work with natural lighting. When filming inside, shoot during the day and try to let in natural light through windows or doors. You can also opt to shoot your video completely outside, just be careful of direct sunlight. 

(You can check out Hubspot’s step-by-step guide for shooting quality iPhone videos here.) 

How To Edit Your Videos

The video editing process can also seem like a daunting task. Thinking about the different ways to edit a video and whether or not to invest in an expensive video editing app can certainly be overwhelming at first. 

A simple and affordable option that you can use right on your phone is InShot. Alternatively, if you prefer, look for video editing apps that you can use on your computer as well. There are tons of options for all skill levels. Video editing has never been so easy.

For more info, check out Oberlo’s list of 20 easy and affordable video editing options.

Make Your Videos Valuable

With any social media strategy, the end goal should always be creating content that’s valuable to your audience. 

According to The Digital Marketing Institute, the best way to know your video is adding value is by focusing the video on the story, not the sale. With value-driven videos, you can grab your audience’s attention – long enough for them to enjoy the content and happily stick around for your intended message—(more on CTAs later).

You can make your videos value-driven by broadcasting a sneak peek at a new product, or even by making your consumer giggle during a busy workday. 

With that being said…

One of the golden rules you should never break is: don’t post a video if it doesn’t directly connect with your brand’s messaging. This will only confuse your audience and even has the possibility of breaking down trust. 

Still not sure what kind of video to shoot? Here are some quick ideas:

  • Parody a popular movie or show
  • Host a Q&A session
  • Showcase the creation process of your product
  • Unbox a product
  • Demonstrate a Before & After using your product 

Always End Videos With A Call To Action

At the end of the video, it’s important to make your intention and messaging clear. A call-to-action (CTA) at the end of a video leads your audience into your sales funnel. CTAs can be a link to a free download, a landing page or even a discounted offer. 

If your target audience enjoyed your video and watched the entire thing, they will be more likely to act. However, it’s up to you to convert with a CTA. Otherwise, your video will be nothing more than an enjoyable interlude on a continuous social feed. 

Use Video to Level-up Your Social Media Strategy

Video is currently the most popular form of online content. Many digital marketing experts estimate that it will dominate nearly all of the internet. According to Cisco, IP video traffic will make up an amazing 82 percent of all IP traffic, both business and consumer, by 2022 (up from 75 percent in 2017).

If  you find yourself having trouble getting the results you want from social media, or you want to revamp your overall marketing strategy—creating and optimizing videos for your audience might be the solution. Follow the simple tips mapped out in this guide, grab an easy to use tool you feel comfortable with and start creating more social video content to boost engagement. 

If you want to chat with one of our social media specialists on how to incorporate video into your social strategy, contact us.