5 Ways Digital Marketers Can Tap Into the Power of Social Video

Michelle HeathersApril 25, 2018Tips

If you run in marketing circles, you’ve heard it by now: Social video is big.

In fact, it’s huge, and for good reason. The use of video has seen explosive growth in recent years. Here are a few stats to wrap your head around:

Video on social media is here to stay, and as such it’s become a crucial tool in the toolbelt of digital marketers.

The question now is, what are some ways can digital marketers tap into this vast wealth of potential?

1. Use Facebook Live

When it comes to digital marketing, Facebook is a powerhouse, as it provides a huge audience - more than 2 billion monthly active users , to be exact. Even with the #deletefacebook initiative and the recent issues with Cambridge Analytica, we expect the majority of Facebook users to continue on as normal.

Recording a FB LIVE video is a great way to connect with followers and share information or updates via an engaging medium.

Before you launch into the promising world of FB Live video, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

  • Let people know when you’ll broadcast.
  • Avoid hard selling, and instead be personable and engaging.
  • Have a brief, descriptive post ready to accompany your video.
  • Create a riveting title that makes it impossible for people to pass by.
  • Run a Live video between 1-3pm and 6-9pm.

One other thing to keep in mind is length. While regular videos are best kept on the shorter side (ideal timing varies depending on the platform , you should make your FB Live videos longer. Around 10 minutes is a good starting point. The longer the broadcast, the wider the audience reach.

2. Upload Recorded Videos Natively

This simply means that rather than linking to a recorded video (on your company’s YouTube channel, for example), you upload the raw video file into the social post. This puts the video right in front of viewers without the need to click away. Having one less step in the viewing and engaging process is always good for increasing engagement.

Uploading a video also allows you to link to a secondary location such as a blog post (without the clunky look of using two links in the same post) that offers content or more information related to the video.

3. Include Subtitles

This may come as a surprise, but upwards of 90% of videos on Facebook areviewed without sound . So if you have a video that includes talking (rather than just text and music), inserting subtitles will increase the likelihood that people will pay attention and consume your content.

This means that when creating your video, you need to think beyond the audible. In addition to subtitles, use visual elements such as graphics and text to convey your message.

4. Incorporate Video into Your Broader Marketing Strategy

As with anything in digital marketing, strategy is the highway to success.

No piece of your marketing should function on its own. Videos, though powerful, need to fill a role in your overarching plan, rather than playing a lone star that at the end of the day may drive up engagement but not contribute to your ROI.

From that perspective, use videos wisely, making sure they integrate with and support your broader efforts.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment and Innovate

Once we hit on something that works, we tend to just stick with it. It’s important to test to see what works and what doesn’t (and of course continue using the former), but don’t let that exclude innovation.

A brainstorming session is a great way to come up with creative video ideas that get you thinking outside the box. Just be sure to analyze them and ask how each option will or won’t contribute to your marketing goals and ROI.{' '}

When vetting ideas, it’s also important to consider your brand and messaging. What tone and mood will resonate with your audience? Lighthearted? Analytical? Perhaps an animated video? Keep your branding top of mind as you brainstorm ideas.

And if you hit some bumps in the road, that’s fine. It’s part of the learning process that will ultimately result in settling on the best video strategy to implement for your social channels.

Wrapping up, video is a powerful way to reach your audience and increase your ROI. However, it’s only one of dozens of components that make up a rock-star digital strategy. If you feel like you’re in over your head or want to start social media marketing but have no clue where to begin, we’d love to help drive your marketing results . Shoot us an email at hello@brandglue.com to get started.

What video tactics have you found to be successful?

Enjoy what you read? Pass it along!

© 2024 BrandGlue. All Rights Reserved.