How to Harness the Power of Video on Social Media

Social media is an even playing field.

Everyone, no matter how many followers or how many likes, has the chance to be a social media rockstar.

However, with so many other wannabe superstars out there, you need to have a strong engagement strategy in order to stand out.

Today, video is the best way to reach, engage, and connect with your audience.

Video consistently sees higher engagement levels than any other media type. Your followers want to see short, informative videos that tell a story and promote action. Incorporating video into your social strategy will increase your reach and engagement so that you can be found in busy newsfeeds and make meaningful connections with your audience.

Why Video Matters

Video is proven to be an essential channel for marketers, bloggers, and well, everyone.

In fact, if you’re not using video, you’re now behind the curve. Here’s why:

Your Audience is Watching

Social media users love watching videos.

In fact, recent stats show that 76% of Facebook users and 82% of Twitter users watch at least one video per day, for a total of 8 billion+ video views for every 24 hours.

With all of this activity, video has skyrocketed in popularity and now one-third of all time online is spent watching video.

Video plays into the short attention span of your audience, giving them entertaining and informative content in a fraction of the time.

Videos will Maximise Your Engagement

With so many people watching numerous videos on a daily basis, this type of media is the best way to engage your audience.

Research has shown that video generates up to 1200% more shares than text- and image-based posts combined.

What’s more, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.

Connecting with your audience is easier in video format than any other medium. Ask questions, have discussions, and share your story, all with the power of video.

It’s time to give your followers what they want. Give them video!

How to Incorporate Video into Your Social Strategy

Not all video is created equal. Here’s how to use the power of video to its best potential.

Tell a Story

Video is best used in storytelling, not sales.

If you want your video to be watched and enjoyed, you need to create value for the user. Videos focused on brands or promotions alone are much less likely to be watched.

Instead, use your video to tell a story that will connect with the viewer. Westjet tells heartwarming stories every year in its Christmas Miracle videos. Their content tugs at the heartstrings, provides Christmas cheer, and makes viewers feel good about their brand.

It’s worth noting that your story should work just as well without sound. Use captions and text-based visuals to tell your story without needing to turn up the volume. Most platforms autoplay videos with the sound initially turned off (you wouldn’t want sound suddenly playing while you’re browsing at work), so if sound is important, give your audience a reason to turn the sound on.

Hook Your Audience

Viewers’ attention spans get shorter all the time, which is why you need to use the power of video to hook your audience early.

Your video should introduce your story quickly, to capture attention as people scroll through their feeds. In the first few seconds, make sure to clarify what your video is about and why it’s worth your audience’s time. This is important since according to Facebook research, nearly 50% of a video’s value is delivered within the first 10 seconds (or less).

The entire length of your video should be between 30 to 60 seconds to get the most attention. This video for the Nissan Rogue captures the viewer’s attention right away and brings them along on a thrilling chase:

Include a Call to Action

Make sure your viewers know what you want them to do after watching your video.

These don’t have to link to sales or subscriptions, but could be any of the following:

  • Follow/like your page
  • Share with friends
  • Comment on the video
  • Check out other videos

There are three common places to slip in your calls to action, as Wistia explains on their blog:

  • Before your content begins,
  • Somewhere in the middle, or
  • After your content.

Try experimenting with different CTA placement in your videos to see how your conversions—clicks, likes, and shares—are affected.

Empower Your Social with the Power of Video and SmarterQueue

SmarterQueue is your trusted partner in everything social media, and video is no exception.

With video and SmarterQueue on your social media team, you can save time by scheduling, sharing and managing all of your videos in one place. When you can upload and manage videos all within your queue, you don’t have to leave SmarterQueue to post or schedule your videos. Simply upload your video once and it’s ready to be shared on all your networks with all your fans and followers. It’s the smartest way to do social media. Properly.

Courtney Apps

Courtney Apps is a business owner, MBA, and never met a dessert she didn’t like. She is the owner of Upstream Digital, which specializes in web design, branding, and social media for small business. She lives in North Vancouver, BC.