There’s no denying that social media is an incredibly influential part of online marketing. Considering how much time we spend scrolling through our social media feeds, it only makes sense that the average customer would as well! But how do we make sure we’re taking full advantage of the power that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have to offer? It’s becoming increasingly clear that the answer is quality video content.
There’s no denying that social media is an incredibly influential part of online marketing. Considering how much time we spend scrolling through our social media feeds, it only makes sense that the average customer would as well! But how do we make sure we’re taking full advantage of the power that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have to offer? It’s becoming increasingly clear that the answer is quality video content.
More and more people are turning to their mobile devices as the primary way that they access social media, and metrics show that they’re not a tremendous fan of text-heavy posts. Rather than trying to fight the tide of mobile users that are quickly overtaking those of us still on computers, it’s time to bridge this gap with mobile-optimized media.
Let’s discuss how you can utilize social media video marketing to take advantage of the shopping craze this holiday season.
Why Choose Video?
Before we get into the details on how you can leverage social video content to better promote your business, let’s discuss how video can be such a crucial factor of any social media marketing campaign.
Since so many people are using phones and tablets to browse the web, we’re starting to see a significant shift as businesses adjust their content to better suit the needs of their audience. This shift means ditching the long essays and focusing on infographics that pop and videos that convert.
A Personal Touch
Long text posts are not only tedious to read, but they can also give the impression that a business is impersonal, or even aloof. Exciting media and videos that put a face to the brand can humanize the company and improve reception with their customers. While there’s an investment of time and money required to produce a high-quality video, a few strategically placed clips can do wonders for a business’s perception – especially if they’re still trying to kickstart their online presence.
Amazing Versatility
There’s only so much you can do with words on the page. Even the most creative copywriter will run into issues if their content can’t grab the attention of bored consumers scrolling through their feeds. Video content is an amazingly versatile format, offering companies the opportunity to do everything from short, viral snippets, to long-form instructional videos and even live streams.
A creative marketing team with access to the necessary resources to create professional video content has a near-limitless potential for securing new customers and keeping current buyers engaged.
Complement the Sales Funnel
Anyone who has dipped their toes into the marketing scene has heard of the concept of a “sales funnel.” This idea describes the customer’s journey from initial awareness of the company to an eventual conversion. Just as well placed text can help guide visitors from one step to another and impact their decision in a positive direction, engaging video content has a place at every step of the process. Video marketing for business can start with a social media post, direct browsers to a site or online storefront, and help direct them towards a purchase with surprising effectiveness.
Simply put, the versatility of social media video marketing interfaces quite nicely with the dynamic needs of a growing business.
The Secret to Quality Video Marketing
Now that we’ve convinced you how effective social media video marketing can be, let’s cover some key aspects to keep in mind when creating new content for your business. Creating video content with no plan or knowledge will undoubtedly fail to live up to expectations, so consider the following while you’re planning out videos.
Give Each Video A Job
Creating video “just because” is a recipe for spending time and money unnecessarily. Just as a company would approach producing website content with a specific goal in mind, video marketing for business should always be planned with a purpose. In some cases, videos might be designed solely to entertain followers and improve brand reception. In most situations, however, video marketing should be focused around a call to action.
Whether the goal is to get a customer to like a Facebook page, purchase a product, or reach out to the company for more information, video content should be goal-oriented.
Choose the Right Format
Video content is incredibly versatile, which gives a company plenty of options for marketing. This versatility can be a double-edged sword, however, since it also opens up the possibility of using an ineffective format for the task at hand.
If your goal is to explain more about the product and pique the interest of your customers, a professionally-recorded demo or product review might be just the ticket, while a livestream may miss the mark due to its temporary nature. Conversely, trying to create buzz for a current or impending event is time-sensitive, making it the perfect opportunity for a member of the marketing team to pick up their phone and start an impromptu stream.
For the most part, the appropriate type of content will be readily apparent once you’ve decided on the goal of said content. Put yourself in the shoes of your customers, and think about the type of content that would motivate you to take action.
Choose the Right Length
No one wants to read a wall of text for an advertisement, and for the most part, no one wants to sit through an hour of video content either. The optimal length for a video is platform dependent, but a general guideline is to keep things under two minutes in length.
Two minutes may seem like a very tight window to get your point across, and in truth, it is. When your social media audience is comprised primarily of people browsing on their phones, however, it’s critical to keep clips easy to digest. Longer videos and text posts belong on the company website. Social media video content is focused entirely on convincing users to take a closer look at what your business has to offer.
Engage Your Customers
Video marketing encompasses a wide range of formats and can take a lot of expertise to perfect. It’s important to keep in mind that social media video content has one primary goal: engage and connect with customers.
The upcoming holiday season will have shoppers out in full force, so abandon the monotonous text posts and use video to stop the endless social media scrolling. Give your business the gift of a marketing facelift, and you’ll no doubt reap the rewards!
Contact social media agency fishbat today for a free quote.
