Social video in marketing campaigns

The time when statistics was needed to back up the importance of video content in social media marketing campaigns has passed. These days, you only need to swipe through your own feed to realize how engrained this new trend is to digital marketing. And if you’re now just jumping into the social video hype, you’re probably already running a little late.

Never fear, though! Below is the quick-and-dirty of everything you need to know about social video advertising. It’s information distilled – just like how your mobile and multitasking consumers like it.

 

What is Social Video?

Put simply, social video refers to video marketing on social media platforms. The reason this is becoming such an explosive trend is because it’s a method that wholly considers the new patterns of consumers.

We already know from social media marketing that we have to meet the consumers where they are. Knowing, too, that when consumers multitask, scrolling through their feeds would be part of the equation. Further, the video platform – done right and done fast – meshes perfectly with their busy schedules and attention spans.

 

Engaging in the Right Platform

Figuring out where exactly to meet your audience – among the numerous available social media platforms – is a bit of a tricky thing. Ultimately, broadening your reach across numerous platforms is your best bet to ensure engagement. However, if you’re on a budget or otherwise incapable of advertising on a lot of platforms, here are some things to know:

• Facebook vs. YouTube

The top two contenders, both Facebook and YouTube provide great advantages. While YouTube is the largest directory for video content and is a popular search engine, studies show that Facebook drives more views, more engagement, and more purchases. The ability to target audiences is a huge plus, too. Ideally though, you should be putting effort into at least these two platforms.

• Instagram vs. Snapchat

Again, two similar platforms with different advantages: Snapchat compels consumer engagement through a sense of urgency (due to the 24-hour limit of videos), while Instagram Stories feels a lot more authentic and behind-the-scenes than the usually filtered and perfect photos on the platform.

• Honorable Mentions

Other platforms to consider are Twitter, Musical.ly, Verizon, and Twitch – some of which appear to cater to a specific niche, but still prove to be promising platforms for social video marketing.

 

Perfecting the Craft

Figuring out the perfect way to create social videos would depend a lot on your brand and the niche you’re targeting. Some guidelines, however:

• Social videos tend to be more appealing – meaning they’re shared more or liked more – when they’re funny, emotional or inspirational, educational, or takes the form of a behind-the-scenes video showcasing the company culture.
• Remember that majority of viewers are only willing to watch less than 1 minute of social video content. Make sure that you hit hard and hit fast, preferably making an impact in the first 10 seconds of the video.
• The culture on all these social media platforms are different, so you must optimize your social video advertising according to each one. For example, the “perfect lifestyle” social video for Instagram probably won’t get much traction with the often-sardonic humor of Twitter.
• 84% of consumers watch social video content on their phones, so you need to optimize your video for mobile viewing to be effective with or without sound.
• Consider going live for full engagement with your consumers by answering questions and opening opportunities for interaction.

 

Aside from the argument that “everyone’s already doing it”, a good reason to start social video advertising is because this is how consumers build loyalty to brands they trust, the ones that they feel are relatable and are actually concerned about their customers’ needs. Social video, by being the preferred medium to show authenticity and brand culture and being the preferred medium for direct customer engagement, is perfect for building this trust. It’s a platform that resonates with consumers – millennials, especially – and that fact alone makes it difficult to ignore.