Engaging content is king on social media. However, there’s one type of content that has gained massive popularity recently. Video content is changing the game! Brand and companies alike are focusing more on stories, reels and videos in general.
Not all videos are created equal, though. We want to help you boost your social engagement through content that is tailored to your audience. Here are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind for your video content!
1. Educate, don’t always promote
We’ve mentioned this before in other blog posts, but it’s really worth emphasizing again. When you are posting on social media, your followers are not generally looking for more information regarding your products or services. Instead, most people come on social media to unwind. That is why posting the right type of content is crucial.
Your best bet is to create short, entertaining videos that meet your audience’s needs. Let’s go through some examples:
Do you have an educational product? People would love to see the impact it provides! Make sure you film a video showcasing just that.
Do you offer online marketing services? Try to film a series of videos where you build a mock marketing strategy. In this way, people will be educated by your content and also see your expertise.
For example, we went through the process of creating an automated workflow in HubSpot in this Youtube video.
Overall, engaging your audience through videos is easy when you have something to offer in return. Great video content is one that educates, entertains and engages. That will get you the most reactions.
2. Use custom thumbnails
This aspect is often overlooked, but try to remember yourself: How many times have you clicked on a video on Youtube just because it had an intriguing thumbnail. Maybe the video didn’t meet your expectations, but you still counted as a view.
Now, we don’t encourage you to clickbait your audience through thumbnails. However, we do advise you to keep them in mind and realize they make a difference between a click and a scroll. First impressions matter, right?
Make sure you design custom thumbnails. Also, it’s important to keep similar designs for each video series (or similar videos). We found that Canva is a great, free, online tool that helps you build your own custom thumbnails. There’s no need for graphic design experience, just an eye for details and inspiration.
3. Focus on the first 5 seconds
Want to learn an interesting fact? According to a Microsoft study, the average attention span of humans is around 8 seconds.
So let’s think about that for a second.
There is 1 second for people looking at your thumbnail, 1 second for skimming the video description and 1 second for the video to load.
In the end, you’ve got no more than 5 seconds to get them interested.
The first frames of your video must be compelling, engaging and used to retain viewers. This is why in almost all social media videos nowadays, you will see that there’s a short 5 seconds recap of the best moments in the video.
Take the example of every Gary Vee Instagram video. You will see his team edit the most exciting moment in the first 5 seconds, then cut to the intro and start the video. This technique leaves the audience hanging for more, wondering what that crucial moment was about.
There are obviously more video editing techniques to get your audience hooked and engaged. It’s excellent you research more of them and see which one works best for your type of business.
4. Promote your brand story
Another reason why most people will visit your business social media page is to see why you are different from the other providers. The key right here is to be creative about showcasing your brand personality. There are a handful of ways in which you can do it.
Film some behind the scenes footage of your company. Let your audience meet the people working alongside you. Moreover, make sure your coworkers have the chance to share their opinion on the product and service you are working on. Showcase the impact and change you guys bring to the market! That would make for a great piece of engaging video content.
Adobe filmed this short, engaging video presenting their team members. They managed to blend humour with everyone’s view on the company’s mission.
Afterwards, make sure you ask for video testimonials from your users or customers. The few willing to do this can make a remarkable difference in promoting your brand story! Post-purchase evaluation, such as asking for testimonials, is a step most marketers miss! Make sure you touch upon every step of the customer buying journey.
5. Customize content for each platform
Social networks have their own, unique video features. Remember that what works well on Facebook might not be suitable for Instagram or Youtube. One mistake most businesses make is that they use the same video content for all platforms to have volume. Truth is, you’ve got to understand the differences.
Let’s take Instagram, for example. This is the place to post Stories, Reels and showcase your brand story through short-medium length videos. Instagram, the most popular social media platform nowadays, is also the place to connect with your younger audience.
Youtube, on the other hand, would be the best platform to post your educational videos. You can upload tutorials on how to use your products and services, short courses, interviews or longer podcasts with your industries influencers.
Facebook works great for your promotional videos. Also, we’ve seen great success on Facebook with shorter educational videos. For example, you can cut your longer videos from Youtube into smaller parts and post them as teasers on Facebook.
LinkedIn is the place to connect with like-minded business people and organizations. For example, it is a great place to post your Meet the team videos when you run recruitment campaigns.
Of course, these examples are not set in stone. A great piece of video content will work amazingly well on various platforms. Make sure you follow the influencers of your industry on all social media platforms and learn how they build their video content.
6. Use live videos
Live videos are a significant trend nowadays. Also, they are the way to directly connect with your audience, especially in times where there are still some social restrictions. For example, scheduling weekly live streams where you discuss the latest trends of your industry will attract even more followers. People tend to share stuff they find useful.
Live videos work well if your business provides a service. Let’s suppose you own a digital marketing agency. Weekly live streams discussing with your peers about digital trends can educate people and provide engaging video content.
