How Video Could Solve Your Social Media Problems
By now, you’re fully versed in the efficacy of video as a marketing medium and the ways in which it connects with the human brain. But do you know how to use video in conjunction with social media to produce optimal results?
Three Tips for Using Video on Social Media
Written content has its place in digital marketing. It fuels SEO and empowers brands in their pursuit of developing thought leadership. However, text-based content isn’t the answer to all of the marketplace’s demands. If you really want to connect with customers, there’s a need for multimedia content that reaches customers in relevant ways.
“A recent study showed that emotions portrayed in our own voices influence our moods,” explains Craig Walker of Dialpad. “The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggest that not only do we use our voice to communicate emotions to others, but we actually listen to our own voice to gather information on how we are feeling.”
The power of the human voice, combined with the brain’s natural attraction to visual stimuli, makes video one of the most powerful content formats around. Furthermore, this means video could be the answer to your social media shortcomings.
Here are some tips that could take you over the top this year.
1. Learn to Use Live Streaming Platforms
YouTube, Facebook, Periscope; everyone is getting involved with live streaming video. It represents the future of social media and you’d do well to consider the many applications for your own marketing efforts. But most of all, it represents an opportunity for you to get up close and personal with your audience in a way that’s never been possible before.
“What streaming video does best allows brands to drop the corporate veil, connect human-to-human, and allow users to participate in brand storytelling in ways that enrich the customer experience,” marketing strategist Kathy Klotz says.
While that may sound easy enough, live streaming video isn’t as simple as turning the camera on and hitting record. You’ll need to study examples and see what other brands are doing to get an idea of what works.
2. Nail the First Few Seconds
When it comes to publishing a video on a platform like Facebook, which permits auto-play functionality, it’s absolutely imperative that you make a statement within the first five seconds (and preferably the first two seconds). This is the window of opportunity you have to grab your audience’s attention and pull them in. Otherwise, they’ll keep scrolling and find something else that interests them.
Start with a bang and get straight to the point. This is why short-form video content really thrives. It doesn’t command a lot of your audience’s time, yet it packs a pretty powerful punch.
3. Move Viewers to Action Through How-To Content
In case you haven’t noticed, the videos that work best on social media typically incorporate some degree of “how-to.” These videos tend to be so successful because they move viewers to action – as opposed to speaking at them.
While you may not think your marketing efforts are conducive to “how-to” content, there’s always room to get creative. Perhaps you sell lawn equipment. A video about how to fertilize lawns for greener grass would be an effective way to draw people into your brand. Maybe you offer marketing consulting services. A quick video about overhauling your homepage’s SEO could be valuable.
The moral of the story is that you need to be moving viewers to action through your social video content, not rambling on about your brand and products.
Make Video a Priority in 2017
As you experiment around with unique social media strategies this year, make sure you put video at the top of your list. Video content connects with customers in a way that no other form of content can – and that makes it a secret weapon that you can’t afford to ignore.
