As humans, we’re naturally drawn to visual content. Video, in particular, has emerged as a powerful tool for online marketing in the post-pandemic world. Social media video marketing is gaining more traction than ever, thanks to the success of platforms like TikTok and Instagram reels.
The impact of social media video marketing is undeniable – businesses need to have a solid strategy to stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape. Without it, they risk being left behind. Many E-Commerce brands are increasing their video marketing budgets post-pandemic.
But what makes a social media video successful?
Where should businesses invest their resources for maximum returns? Look no further as we explore the 5 key ingredients to a winning social media video marketing strategy in 2023.In this blog, we explore the 5 key ingredients for a successful video for social media.
Ingredient 1: #Pick a Platform
Social media marketing videos are media assets that you share via social media platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Each social network is different and plays by its own rules.
You need to know how to use each platform properly if you want to engage with its users. For example, while Youtube videos must reach the 10-minute mark to gain maximum reach and impact, a video on Instagram needs to be short and snappy to hold the viewer’s attention. When posting videos on Facebook, appealing to the site’s broad user base is crucial. On the other hand, Pinterest only resonates with 16 to 30-year-olds, and Snapchat exclusively attracts teenagers and young adults. If your content is educational in nature, it is best to post it on sites like YouTube and Instagram.
Your video content can be managed more effectively with a Management membership platform, ensuring it reaches the right audience at the right time. With Simpled’s easy-to-use features, you can create and publish engaging social media marketing videos, helping you increase the impact of your content on social media.
Related: Social Media Platforms Your Business Should be Using Now
Ingredient 2: #Tell a Story
Storytelling is a powerful method of communication. It’s something we’ve been doing for thousands of years, and it’s deeply ingrained within our DNA. Now more than ever, viewers are curious about the brands and creators they follow — and social media marketing video is the best way to keep them coming back.
Showing the faces of your business through video storytelling is a great way to humanize your brand and help create an emotional connection between you and your target audience. Plus, it’s a great way to showcase your products in a personable way, which can be more relatable (and persuasive) than a series of static images.
A fascinating research by Harvard Business School called ‘Why your brain loves a good story ‘, says that a good story releases oxytocin. This chemical is responsible for bonding between people. Isn’t that what you want from your video?
Related: 9 Best Free Online Video Editors in 2023 to Simplify Your Life
Ingredient 3: #Short and Sweet
There’s a great debate over the ideal length of a social video.
People won’t watch it if it’s too long, and if it is too short, your video might end up so underdeveloped that viewers won’t know what’s happening.
Animoto’s research into social video length shows that consumers prefer minute-long videos. Vidioh suggests that videos up to two minutes are optimal in most situations.
So, it’s best to keep your video under one minute in length to ensure that your message is memorable.
Tips to Keep Your Viewers Engaged:
- Use subtitles. 85% of all Facebook videos are watched without sound. Create captions or subtitles for your social video to keep your viewers engaged even if their sound is turned off.
- Use numbered lists. Video listicles with “The top 5 ways to do…” or similar titles attract more viewers and engagement than just “Ways to do…”
- Use the right tempo. Time your social media marketing video evenly throughout. It’s best to plan your social videos carefully so you can fit all the information you need into the optimum time slot. You can always make video series to expand on an entire topic.
- Use the first 10 seconds to hook your viewers. Your audience expects you to get them interested fast. So, how do you get them interested that quickly? With a good hook.
A hook is something interesting that happens at the beginning of your video that draws in viewers. It could be a close-up shot of an object or a person or just some beautiful music around a landscape. Plan your first 10 seconds like they’re all you have.
Related: The Definitive Guide to Choosing the Best Aspect Ratio for Your Videos
Ingredient # 4: Optimize for Success
Did you know that more than half of all the world’s videos today are watched on mobiles? And that number is as high as 93% for Twitter! So, to get the best out of social media videos for your business, you should optimize your videos for mobile viewers.
To optimize your social videos for mobile, try following these four simple tips:
- Use simple graphics with easy-to-read text.
- Always play your video with the sound off to ensure it still makes sense.
- Use video analytics of your last videos to know what worked and what didn’t.
- Apply those insights for mobile optimization.
Ingredient #5 Create a Call To Action
You’re losing out by not adding a clear CTA at the end of your video. The primary purpose of your video is to make your viewers take action. You want them to visit your website or app, download a form, or hit the purchase button. Wistia analyzed 484,000 CTAs and found that more than 90% of videos use a post-roll CTA when the video has finished playback. Post-roll CTAs hook viewers who have watched the entire video and are the most interested and engaged.
Use action words like “Create,” “locate,” “explore,” “make,” and “discover” to compel viewers to follow your value proposition.
Create and Publish Amazing Social Media Marketing Videos with Simplified
Simplified is a one-stop shop for all your social media video marketing needs. Our comprehensive suite of features is designed to make video creation and distribution easier and more effective. Here are some of the ways Simplified can help take your social media video marketing to the next level:
- Video Editor: Our video editor is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for you to create engaging videos in minutes. Choose from a wide range of templates and customize them with your branding, text, and images. Add background music, captions, and other effects to make your videos stand out.
- AI Script Generator: Our AI script generator takes the hassle out of writing video scripts. Simply provide a topic, and our AI writer will generate a script for you in seconds. You can edit the script as needed and then use it to create your video.
- Social Media Scheduler: Simplified social media scheduler allows you to schedule your videos to be published on multiple social media platforms at once. This saves you time and ensures that your videos reach your target audience when they’re most likely to engage with them.
We don’t blame you if you feel like social video marketing is on the verge of reaching saturation point. But there are still many underutilized opportunities for marketers to explore.
The good news is your social video doesn’t need to be overwhelming or expensive – often, the simplest, most authentic concepts work the best.
Simplified user-friendly free video templates allow you to create scroll-stopping, informative, and fun social videos for your followers to engage with across multiple platforms.
Start creating your videos now with Simplified!