There’s no denying video is crucial to the success of any social media marketing strategy. Whether you’re offering a sneak peek of your new product, sharing a funny moment or kicking off a series, you need to create engaging video content that grabs your audience’s attention. But where do you start?
Today, we’re demystifying a hot topic among business owners right now: how to create engaging video content for social media. We’ll look at how video has become a mainstay and share three quick tips you can start using today.
How many people are watching videos?
Video content consumption is exploding on social media. As mentioned, content with visuals has 40 times the impact than other mediums.
Here are some more mind-blowing stats:
- People watch more than 100 million hours of video on Facebook per day(Buffer).
- Over 500 million people watch videos on Facebook every day (Forbes).
- Time spent watching video on Instagram is up more than 80% year over year (Instagram, 2017).
How a video can shape an emotional response
As we mentioned earlier, in our post 6 powerful tips to create effective social media content this explosive growth is also making it increasingly difficult for brands to break through the noise and grab viewers’ attention.
But what’s the difference between just having a video and having a video that works? To review, if you want to make a significant impression in 2020, you must create engaging content (i.e. content that’s “thumb-stopping” and highly shareable).
Because video is naturally more enticing, it positions your content at the front of the line for attention. Creating branded video content for social media isn’t just essential for boosting engagement — it has the power to help you establish a connection with your customers and set you apart from competitors.
There’s no better way to build brand awareness, engage with your audience, and convert viewers into leads than through video.
No matter what you’re selling, no matter what your company does, if you don’t have a video content marketing strategy for the biggest social platforms, you’re likely falling behind your potential.
How to create “thumb-stopping” video content
According to Vidyard, an average video retains only 37% of viewers all the way to the last second.
In other words, your video needs to be something truly unique and captivating to make people watch until the end — and, more importantly, to encourage them to take a specific action afterward.
So, if you want to create engaging video content that makes users stop dead in their scrolling, here are four key tips to keep in mind:
- Define your end goal.
- Think about how you can provide value.
- Tell a story.
- Don’t be overtly salesy.
Let’s get started.
1. Define your end goal
Before you even think about hitting the record button, you need to identify your primary objective.
Every decision made during the creation process will link back to your video’s purpose and what action you want your audience to take after watching it.
To get a clear picture of your primary objective, ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s your goal? Do you want to generate leads? Build brand awareness? Or showcase your company culture? Ultimately, what do you want your audience to do after watching the video?
- Who’s your target audience? What character profile are you targeting? What are your customers’ biggest needs, wants, motivations, and pain points?
- How do you define success? Whether it’s clicks, view count, or conversions, identify the KPIs that best align with your marketing goals to determine whether your video is successful.
Once you’ve answered these questions, it’ll be much easier to decide what type of video to make and where to post it.
For example, if you’re a B2B company wanting to promote brand awareness, consider creating a video that highlights your unique company culture or showcases your client’s success stories.
For an e-commerce brand, how-to videos and product demos are highly effective when it comes to influencing purchasing decisions and capturing leads.
As long as you keep your end goal and your audience’s needs in mind, you’re on the right track.
Something I hear about quite often is a viral video. Everyone wants a viral video. Your strategy shouldn’t be to have a flash-in-the-pan viral video to gain exposure. First of all, videos that do go viral are usually not business-related. Your strategy should be a long-term goal that focuses on brand and relationship building. That’s the true longevity of content.
2. Think about how you can provide value
You should produce video content that aligns with your marketing goals, but you also need to create content that your audience actually wants to watch.
The easiest way to create content that keeps your customers coming back for more? Use your videos as a medium to provide value.
Think about what motivates your audience and create content that plays into those wants and needs. Educate them. Help them. Entertain them. Answer their most frequently asked questions. Give them a behind-the-scenes look at your business, or teach them something they can’t learn from other types of content.
If you focus on providing information that improves their lives in one way or another, you’ll drastically increase your chances of creating successful and engaging content.
Lastly, always ask yourself, “why will people share this video?” If you can’t come up with a compelling answer to this question, you need to go back to the drawing board.
3. Tell a story
In the crowded world of social media, it’s no longer possible to be successful simply by promoting a product or service — marketing videos must tell a story.
Storytelling is such a powerful and effective tool because it evokes emotions and helps people relate to your brand on a personal level — and this is exactly what allows you to build a connection with your audience.
Take the time to understand what makes your audience tick. What makes them laugh and cry? What will make them empathize with your story? Once you’ve identified specific emotional triggers, build a storyline that connects with the viewer.
Remember: people don’t share ads, they share stories.
4. Don’t be overtly salesy
If you’re using video content as a sales pitch first and foremost, you’re doing it wrong.
Successful social video content should be centered around branding, building awareness, and telling a compelling story about your brand – not necessarily pushing your latest product or promotion.
So, get out of the habit of trying to sell with video and into the habit of delivering genuine value.
When implemented effectively, video has the power to grow brand awareness, drive leads, and, most importantly, establish a genuine connection between your business and your customers.
Some jump-off point ideas for content
Need some ideas for where to start with your video content marketing plan? Here are a few:
- Interview your staff, customers, anyone with a voice that your audience will want to hear from.
- Share behind-the-scenes-clips of what goes on in your culture beyond the sale.
- Make videos of you and your company out in the community, contributing to the local scene.
- Share tips, Q&As or how-to videos.
- Do product demos and show people how your service benefits their lifestyle.
In short, these tips involve putting your customers at the center of your video marketing efforts. Still not convinced? Here are some more stats:
Video drives buyer intent and conversions
- 96% of viewers find video helpful when making purchase decisions online.– Animoto (Tweet This)
- In 2019, 83% of marketers said that video gave them good ROI, up from 78% 12 months before. – HubSpot (Tweet This)
- 79% of people say a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or app. – Wyzowl (Tweet This)
- Prospects that view videos of a product are 85% more likely to buy. – Internet Retailer (Tweet This)
- More than 55% of shoppers say they used online video while actually shopping in a store. – Google/Ipsos, Global (Tweet This)
See more stats from Vidyard, WebFX and Wyzowl
Going into 2020, finding new ways to surprise and delight your audience will be more important than ever. By creating thumb-stopping video content, you can build awareness of your brand, engage your audience, and inspire viewers to take action.
To accomplish this, you’ll want to define your end goal before you look through your viewfinder, consider how you can provide value, tell a story, and avoid being overtly salesy.
So, go on — get filming!
