The use of video as an effective social media marketing tool has grown tremendously over the last few years and looks set to continue, with figures suggesting 80% of all internet traffic will come from video in 2020.

We are seeing an increasing demand for digital services and social media campaigns that prioritise video. In a world where this is ever more competition for consumers’ attention, video offers a way to capture users’ imaginations. Here are our five top tips from implementing effective video campaigns on social media:

Know your Audience
Knowing your audience is key. This determines which social media platforms you use and how you should be using video within those platforms. For example Instagram, SnapChat and TikTok are, generally speaking, used by a younger audience, with 18-25-year olds choosing to watch videos via the story functionality rather than the newsfeed. If you want to produce a video to target this age group, videos must be filmed in vertical.

A great intro is key
Work hard to make the first four seconds of your video eye catching and relevant to your target audience. Research has shown that if a viewer has made it to four seconds, it’s likely they will continue to watch the rest of the video. Pose a question or use an interesting graphic to ensure engagement from the get-go. Successful video formats are: ‘how to’ guides, ‘behind the scenes’ footage (i.e. for a sneak peek of a product launch) and product demos.

Short is sweet
The ideal video length on social media is between 30-90 seconds, but this varies according to which platform you are using. Instagram will not take a video longer than 60 seconds, but you can now post up to hour-long features on its popular IGTV function. Twitter, if uploading directly onto the platform, will not take a video longer than 2 minutes and 20 seconds. On Facebook, ideally you should be looking at a video no longer than 90 seconds, depending on the subject matter.

Always upload direct
Always upload your video directly onto the social media platform you want it to appear; do not use a third party such as YouTube. Facebook and Instagram want users to stay on their platform for as long as possible, so will penalise posts which send users elsewhere. It is now possible to download video from YouTube which can be posted directly onto social.

Use subtitles
Most people watch videos on their smartphone with the sound off, mostly because of being in a public place. For this reason, it is important to include subtitles. Think about how your ideal customer will be consuming the content and make it as easy as possible for them to access.

Looking for engaging video content to tell the story of your business or product?

Get in touch with our cunningly good team on 01738 658187 today.