Tips For Using Social Media Video In Your Marketing Strategy

Learn how to get the most out of social media video in your marketing strategy

Social media videos are a great way of building trust in your business and are a powerful tool for telling audiences about your brand and engaging consumers’ emotions on a personal level. With HubSpot reporting that 43% of consumers want more video content from brands it’s easy to see why videos are more memorable than traditional marketing content and more convenient for consumers to engage with.

Last year, Facebook began favouring longer videos in people’s news feeds in order to keep viewers on the platform based on the percent of each video they watch. However, with so much content on social media, you only have seconds to stop someone’s thumb from scrolling and to grab their attention.

There is an art to creating the perfect social media marketing video.

TIP 1:
Use an attention-grabbing thumbnail

Social media videos have been proven to capture and hold more of the customer’s limited attention than any other medium, and in an environment where people are suffering from content overload, video as a marketing tool gives you the best opportunity to effectively engage your audience. However, With the speed consumers scroll through their social media feeds, you have to do something that grabs their attention to get them to stop on your video. Some tactics that work well are banners in video thumbnails that have a question on them similar to: “Do you want to grow your business?” or a banner with a statement like: “Don’t miss this opportunity!” You’ll be surprised how effective Emojis in banners or an out of the ordinary picture can get people’s thumbs to stop scrolling.

TIP 2:
Understand why people Are Watching

When a user clicks to watch your social media video content, you often have as little as 10 seconds to not only grab their attention but reassure them that your video will live up to their expectations. That’s difficult, considering the number of distractions and competition on social media platforms nowadays. When creating a video, it’s important that you understand your audience’s goal. Why are they watching your video in the first place? Do they have an issue or problem they are trying to alleviate? Do they have an issue they might not even know about, but will after watching your video?

Don’t force your product or service on them. Again, knowing the reason they are watching will help you better shape an opening. Whatever you do, you need to connect to their specific needs or issues. So start by introducing the issue or pain point they may be experimenting with direct language like “you” or “your company.” Ask them questions or set up a story that capitalises on human emotion and then walk them through the issue and your solution.

Attention spans are short and people's time is precious so you need to respect this.

TIP 3:
Give them ‘Added’ Value

Grabbing and holding an audience’s attention long enough to state the value in how your product or service can solve their issue is paramount in any piece of content you create. Don’t just rattle off a list feature. What are the benefits and how can you prove this? This is especially so in video. Social media videos already have the benefit of being highly engaging as people are very visual.

Deliver value and always use subtitles. Do not be afraid to give away your company’s “secret ingredient.” If you can give consumers actionable advice that they can implement themselves and it works, then they will trust you. Delivering as much value as possible will help your brand gain credibility and trust.

TIP 4:
Pitch em!

Your product or service pitch has to tie in flawlessly into your video. It’s important that you do not affect your users’ thought process. If you place a product or service pitch in the wrong place or time in the video, you could potentially lose the user’s interest because they weren’t ready for it. Always make sure the pitch ties in and is properly placed. If you’re un sure about timing – do some different versions and have a chat with some trusted customers to see what they think. Also, don’t forget you can do A/B split testing easily on Facebook to find out which social media videos work best.

To get the most interest – pitch quickly and to the point. Don’t go overboard with accolades or too much information. You can link to that information to in your call to action or next steps. Make sure that your product or service actually solves the user’s issue or problem. Walking them through a problem and offering a solution speaks volumes.

TIP 5:
End With A Call To Action

Don’t just leave the consumer hanging – always include next steps in your video. If there is a button or link in the ad, have them click it to learn more. If your content is engaging enough and delivered enough value, they will take action. At the end of a social media video, point to where the link or button is depending on the platform. At the end of your video, you can literally say: “Click the ‘contact us’ button below”. Obvious, but very clear!

HOW CAN GDR HELP?

Whatever route you decide to take, make sure that you indicate in your social media video – whether it’s in your words, annotation or lead forms – that you are giving a clear next step. Test, test and then test some more. Don’t be afraid to try off the wall the tactics to grab attention or go over the top with the value you provide to the consumer. Make it memorable, and help them in one way or the other than give your pitch. Remember, you need consumers to trust you before you can ask them to do anything.

Are you ready to revolutionise your social media video marketing efforts? At GDR, we understand the importance of having a well thought and executed social media marketing strategy, and we also know that many businesses don’t have the internal resources or time to handle all aspects of their online/digital strategy.

That’s where we can help! We can handle all aspects of your social media video strategy and production which will:

• Make your brand memorable on social media
• Expand your digital reach and online presence
• Grow your social media following and website traffic
• Improve your online credibility and brand trust levels
• Drive sales up!

Find out more about our video marketing expertise.