Using visuals to boost your marketing on social media is an unavoidable reality. We have explored a little bit of the importance of still and motion imagery as part of social media marketing. Now, it is time to focus on one of those two areas, which is leveraging the use of video. Let’s be real: social media video marketing is a powerful tool, but one that can be daunting for those who are not familiar with the nuances.
Video Marketing on Social Media
In general, people are attracted to eye-catching features, or otherwise known as “shiny things.” What we mean by that is humans are visual creatures. If they see something that looks good, they will give it more attention. If you watched “The Matrix,” Keanu Reeves’s character Neo goes through a simulation where Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) explains how humans behave. This is the so-called “Woman in Red” scenario (played by Fiona Johnson), where Neo notices her above and past the crowd.
While the lesson imparted in the movie is more about paying attention to the details (as the woman in red transforms into an enemy agent), it also reflects how visuals can capture interest. Neo notices the woman mainly because the rest of the crowd was bland and had similar color schemes. What we can glean from this in regards to compelling visuals is that your social media marketing must “pop up” on top of the rest.
Video marketing is on the rise in social media platforms and will continue to be so for years to come. Just looking at the hard numbers can attest to this. According to a study, 92% of marketing professionals active on social media declare the importance of video marketing in their strategies. This is a massive leap forward from 2015, where only 78% said the same. No doubt, that percentage will only continue to grow in the future.
Wary of Video Marketing
While the effect of video marketing on social media is undeniable, not everyone is jumping in on the bandwagon. Why is that?
The consensus is that it is costly and too much effort for little reward. These perspectives have little merit but are no longer significant issues in the current day and age. The costs for incorporating video marketing into building a brand and advertising have significantly dropped. As for the second concern, you will be glad to know that marketers confirm a positive return of investment (ROI).
The costs for producing compelling and quality videos can seem daunting if you are looking at the more prominent players. The good news is there are alternatives. Software like OpenShot and Da Vinci Resolve provide low-cost options for video production and editing. Stock footage videos are also readily available. Even YouTube has stock videos, sounds, and music for free, thanks to generous producers. So it has become less of a cost issue and more of a matter of time and effort.
And if you would like to learn how to incorporate video marketing for your social media strategy, there are resources online. Tutorials and detailed instructions can be consulted for those willing to put in the time to learn.
Video Marketing Principles
Now, hold your horses. Before you start producing your next masterpiece, there are some basic principles about video marketing that you should familiarize yourself with:
- Have a Clear Purpose — If you only set your goal to “grab attention” or to “increase engagement,” you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Be more specific, establishing a plan that is in line with the brand identity or line of business. This includes your target audience.
- Diversify the Platform —Use more than one social media platform for your video marketing campaign. While you might have a primary platform you would like to focus on, such as Facebook or YouTube, you should give thought into releasing videos on adjacent platforms. For instance, instead of just Facebook, videos should also be optimized for Twitter. Maximize your reach!
- Find the Right Mix of Information and Length —There can be a tendency to put too much information on video marketing campaigns. Take into consideration your audience’s attention span. On the other hand, there should also be sufficient information in the presentation. It should be clear what message you are sending. A good benchmark is 30 seconds to just under 2 minutes.
These basic principles should be consistent in your video marketing efforts.
Conclusion
By this point, you will no doubt have ideas forming on how to leverage video marketing for your campaign. However, there is a lot more that needs to be covered. I highly recommend Rachel Miller’s Moolah Marketing as a resource you can look through that goes over video marketing in-depth. Moreover, you can get more practical advice from my free Facebook Mastery e-book, too! Check it out at the top of this page!
Make sure to tune in next time to Kobra Social for more information, news, tips, and strategies to take your social media marketing game to the next level!