Social Media Video Engagement
by Bill Eager
We know content marketing is the focus of digital social media strategies. Content that engages target audiences with relevant stories that are easily shared. I suggest you add to this formula that video should be the format for this content… both paid and shared on your owned, earned and social channels. It’s actually pretty obvious that when users scan their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds that video draws attention and clicks. Check the engagement of any post that incorporates video and I guarantee it has more engagement and shares than text or text and photo.
Indeed, according to the IAB, year-to-year growth for mobile video advertising exceeds 200%. This translates into a spending growth of dramatic proportions where marketers are now spending more than $15 billion dollars annually on U.S. based, digital video advertising.
A Paradigm Shift For Social Video
If video is the new king of content, then how do organizations get the biggest bang for their buck. Traditionally, high quality video production runs $3,000 per finished minute. And if the average video runs three minutes, that’s about 10K every time you post. Obviously unfeasible for anyone…. even Fortune 100 companies.
Ten Social Media Video Tips
Let me offer tips that will increase audience engagement, drive shares and clicks and create meaningful dialog at an affordable price.
Social Video Tip Number One. Use lots of your existing (that’s right, what you have in the can), archival content to attract viewers, increase engagement and strengthen SEO. In other words see if you can repurpose what you already have in different ways for different messages and audiences.
Social Video Tip Number Two. Instead of one or two videos think in terms of HUNDREDS of videos. Since only 2 percent of any feed will actually see a post (unless you boost), you need to put out lots of content every day and week.
Social Video Tip Number Three. Instead of 3 to 5 minutes think in terms of 10 to 30 seconds. Attention spans are rapid…. five minutes is deadly. Three is too long. See what you can message in less than 30 seconds.
Social Video Tip Number Four. Instead of live action video think in terms of creating video from existing marketing materials, using bullets and colored backgrounds and simple images to create the video that is more engaging than text. There are plenty of tools that help you do this such as the cloud-based creation tool Animoto and the analytics platform Wistia.
Social Video Tip Number Five. Think in terms of
- 10% High Quality Video (branding)
- 20% Goal oriented video
- 70% Repurpose existing video
Social Video Tip Number Six. Prioritize which videos should come first! Not every video supports every campaign or message. If you schedule your social then schedule the videos to align with campaign goals and KPIs.
Social Video Tip Number Seven. Have the video work in “mute” mode! Years ago people found the mute button on their TV remotes… well it’s also turned on with social media. This means you need to use subtitles to help with any video where people are speaking or there is a script.
Social Video Tip Number Eight. Put a goal to each of your videos. For example is the video designed to help with. brand awareness, fill your sales funnel, engage discussion with a target audience. Don’t waste video views… make sure there is an engagement strategy that is easy to measure.
Social Video Tip Number Nine. Use your videos on social, blogs, web sites, video channels. In other words, strategically put your video content on your various paid, earned, owned and social channels.
Social Video Tip Number Ten. Learn from every video. Metrics are the key to successful engagement and campaign ROI. Learn and watch your average view times, the demographics of audiences, peak time of viewer interest during the video display, and disengagement from the video. Learn what WORKS and produce more of it!
Video And SEO
The goal of all content, including video, is to get people to your web site where detailed engagement can help audiences as they move through their customer journey. As such, video can help with this goal by enhancing your SEO. If you can get visitors to your site or social to spend an extra 5 or 10 seconds by incorporating video then your SEO on search engines (Google) rises dramatically because the longer people stay on a page is a key factor in Google algorithm!
Contact Bill Eager if you are ready to really succeed with your digital video strategy! Visit my home page
