As you think about your content marketing strategy, it's imperative that you consider adding video and if you already use video, consider adding more.
The effectiveness of this marketing trend should come as no surprise with internet speeds and mobile usage continually rising to enable users to stream videos wherever they are, whenever they want.
Video does not have to be viral to be valuable
How many of you remember this viral video from last year? While it is a silly example, “Chewbacca Mom” demonstrates us how important using video and having a visual storytelling strategy are. You can bet that Chewbacca masks sold out around the globe!
But, don’t get caught in the, “It’s not effective unless it goes viral” thinking. It’s a mistake to focus your video strategy solely on viral video. Instead, build a process for the ongoing creation of valuable videos specifically for your target audience.
After all, 74 percent of all Internet traffic in 2017 will be video, which means it doesn’t have to be viral to be valuable.
In fact, studies show that using the word “video” in the subject line of an email will prompt:
- 19% more recipient to open them
- 65% more to visit your website
- and 26% less subscribers to leave.
Of course, email is not the only place you can promote videos. In fact, it’s more typical to think “social media” when talking about sharing videos.
But not all social media platforms are created equal in the video marketing world. Keep in mind the effectiveness of videos is very much platform-specific. For example:
- Evergreen video content (content with a long life) works well on YouTube due to how users search and discover videos
- Shareable and time-sensitive videos work well on Facebook and Twitter due to the social nature of consuming content (Twitter says that videos and photos get the most retweets)
- While short-form, attention-grabbing videos are more suited to platforms like Instagram and Snapchat
Remember to consider where YOUR target audience spends most of their time, and create videos that match that platform (rather than creating multiple types of videos and trying to cover every platform). There are a few video platforms in particular that began trending in the last two years and show now signs of slowing down.
Facebook Live
If you’ve updated your Facebook app over the past few months (or if you have been obsessed with April the giraffe giving birth), you may have noticed Facebook has reorganized its appearance to draw more attention to the ability to “go live”, as well as a specific notification just for videos.
Although Facebook is not the largest video streaming platform, it does have the largest number of active users. For this reason, it’s a great option for organizations to increase their visibility. It’s fantastic for large and small organizations alike because of the ability to create and share videos that don’t require excess scripting or editing, It can be done fairly quickly. Plus, it is accompanied by an app notification when a live stream is happening which grabs your audience’s attention with minimal additional effort.
Facebook Live is very easy-to-use and businesses of all types can use live streaming to increase engagement with their Facebook followers. To get started on Facebook Live, simply click on the Live button in your News Feed, write a short description of what your audience is going to see and start filming. Note: some business pages still require the use of the Pages for Facebook app to access the Facebook Live function.
Update: Facebook has released their own version of stories called, you guessed it, Facebook Stories. More to come on that later.
Snapchat
With over 100 million daily active users and 400 million snaps per day, Snapchat is one of the fastest-growing social networks. As you might already assume, 71% of Snapchat’s users fall into the 18 to 34 age range.
It has a variety of features, including 10 second photo and video sharing, short stories that are viewable for 24 hours, a mobile messenger with live video streaming (similar to apple’s facetime), and more.
So how can you use snapchat for your business? Here are 3 ideas:
- Provide access to live events
- Offer contests, perks or promotions
- Take people behind the curtain
Instagram Stories
Lauched less than one year ago, Instagram Stories has become THE platform for social influencers and just about anyone else wanting to share video snapshots of their day.
In a big leap from sharing just photos or 15 second videos to your profile (or feed), Instagram Stories lets you share multiple photos and videos in chronologocal order. Essentially, it is a slideshow of your life.
The worry of over-posting on social media is gone with Instagram Stories. It's all about sharing as much as you want throughout the day in the most creative way you can. The photos and videos will disappear after 24 hours and they don't appear on your profile grid or in the feed.
This platform, like Snapchat, is all about authenticity. By sharing behind-the-scenes, not-so-perfect moments, followers are able to connect with a brand and feel like they really know what's going on. Organizations can maximize this platform by inviting followers along on the day-to-day happenings and enticing them to engage.
So, now that we've talked about how to incorporate video into your social media marketing...
Here's how you can jump on the trend
- Go live or post a story. If you are unsure how to use the tools for your organization, play around with them on your personal profiles first.
- Consider what video platform your audience spends the most time on. Determine which will have the biggest impact, then make videos that match.
- Develop a strategy based on your platform. Should your videos be short? Long? Time-sensitive? How frequently should you share?
The long and the short of video is that it is here to stay. Smart marketers will latch onto this trend by creating relevant, high quality video content and leverage it on video-friendly social media networks.
Regardless of the platform you choose to share it on or the content you create, it's important for organizations to focus on how best to maximize the benefits of video as a part of their long-term content marketing strategy rather than chasing after the elusive "viral" video.
And remember, authenticity is vitally important; anything that can help humanize your brand to your audience is a definite bonus.
Produced with Constant Contact
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