You may have a great social media strategy for your brand and while this is important, is there more you can be doing to generate great results online? 

According to Buffer’s social media survey, 83% of marketers said they would create more video content if they had the time, and 30% said they plan to spend more time on video content. It’s not surprising that marketers want to spend more time creating video content when videos receive 135% more organic reach than posting a photo on Facebook. Buffer also states that 70% of business to business (B2B) marketers state that video marketing has had a positive impact on return on investment.

Why is a video marketing strategy important?

Over 8 billion videos are watched on Facebook and 10 million are watched on Snapchat each day. By 2020 it is predicted that videos will account for 80% of all consumer internet traffic. Twitter have reported an increase of video views and more than 500 million hours of video is watched on YouTube every single day. The figures are phenomenal, it’s easy to see why marketers are turning to video marketing to promote their brands.

What to watch?

Depending on the products or services you offer, different kinds of videos will appeal to your customers. For example, videos can be used to reveal new products or services, or to demonstrate how to use products. Some companies use video to go behind the scenes which gives consumers an insight into what the brand stands for and can, in turn, increase brand loyalty. Do your research and find out what your customers watch already and what your competitors are posting on social media to generate new ideas.

How to use video for social media marketing

Include subtitles

It’s important to understand how consumers watch videos online. Research suggests that 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. So if you have something important you want to say include subtitles to make sure your message is seen.

Optimize your video

93% of Twitter videos and 50% of all videos are watched on mobile so it’s important to optimise your video for autoplay to grab users attention and encourage them to continue watching the video.

Also, your video needs to be optimised for search. The headline and descriptions you post with your video will show up in search results so it’s important to add keywords or key phrases to help users find your content on all platforms, and include relevant hashtags on Twitter and Instagram to boost search results.

Call to action (CTA)

Your video marketing goals will require some sort of user action, whether that’s getting users to visit your site, share your video or make a purchase, a call to action must be placed at the end of a video. You can place clickable CTA annotation at the end of YouTube videos making it even easier for viewers to subscribe, share or click through to your website.

Run video ads

Video ads can be shared with targeted audiences. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all have ad objectives that focus on increasing video views and engagement.

Headline and logo

The video headline may be the first thing followers see. Ideally, write headlines that are specific while still making viewers curious enough to watch your videos. Remember to include your logo! When other users share your video it may not be obvious which page the video has originally come from, so add your logo to make it clear the content has come from you.

Focus on one clear message

Keep it simple and focus on one message or story per video. You don’t want to clutter your video with too many stories, points of view, or messages. Always remember to include the singular CTA at the end of your video. If you’re adding something to the video that doesn’t contribute directly to that CTA, delete it and add it to a relevant video later on.

Monitor results

Track engagement, views and clicks to see what has worked and what hasn’t. Use social media analytic tools to get a clear picture of engagement with your video. When possible, focus on the number of shares, the amount of engagement, and the number of clicks to your site. Clicks can be measured on video ad campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and can be evaluated on all YouTube CTA annotations via Google Analytics.

So as with any marketing strategy, video marketing needs to be properly planned and analysed to ensure time is being spent on the right tactics that bring the most benefit to your brand. If done correctly video marketing can have a positive impact on your brand and can encourage more site visits, increase user engagement and generate new business.