Video is the key to winning social media

Adding videos to your social media marketing mix can be a true blessing if you keep a few tips in mind. Today we’ll talk about the basic questions and ideas that can help you create great videos that will engage your social media followers.
 

What video type should I use?

Social media allows you to use all kinds of different video types and that is a great thing because it keeps things interesting and your followers will be engaged. Using old content all the time won’t get you anywhere so let’s talk about a few ideas that you can work with, ideas that have the potential to work wonders for your marketing efforts.
First up are the pre-roll video ads. Think of them as 15 to 30 second short videos that are tasked to capture the viewer’s attention and steer it towards your product or service. They are perfect for sharing on social media services like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. Most of the people will automatically hit the skip button so you have to come up with a great idea for a pre-roll video which will grab the viewer’s attention immediately.
A video showing off a product, when done right, is rarely a bad choice. The numbers say that 76% of people who watch a video are likely to share if it was entertaining. You have to keep that in mind when producing a product video. The balance between product promotion and a light and an informal manner during the presentation is the key here.
How to videos are also a great idea for mixing up your video marketing campaign. Teaching your potential customers or clients how to do something can be very rewarding because it helps you attract new followers and improve shares. Some examples include fitness videos, computer repair tips & tricks and the trendy life hacks. Video is the best medium to offer any type of problem-solving content.
 

What kind of video tool is right for me?

The rising popularity of video in marketing is a fact that no one can ignore. It’s no surprise that the social media giants have made it very easy to create and upload video content using their respective platforms. Just take a look at the Instagram app that’s preloaded with options to shoot, edit and upload your videos using nothing but your smartphone! Using these built-in social media services you can start a video marketing effort on a tight budget.
There are a lot of options out there for those of you who have some video experience. Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects are powerful software tools that can help you edit your videos and load them with beautiful motion graphics. Adobes monthly plans for these tools usually hover in the $20-$30 regions. Free video tools like Camtasia or PowToon are not bad either. If you’re looking for smooth, eye-catching professional videos it’s best to leave that job to the experts. Some of these companies offer scriptwriting, storyboarding, voiceover and editing at fair prices. This way you’ll be getting the best results for your campaign and that’s why you should consider beefing up the video budget.
 

How can I track performance?

Creating videos with the help of social media apps is one thing but measuring the videos’ success is a different animal. Social media giants like YouTube and Facebook can give you a basic insight that also includes video shares and views. There you will find useful analytics: how long people are watching the video, play rate, what type of audience is the video attracting and many more. This kind of data can be of immense value and it can help you tweak your future videos for the best possible performance.