Social media platforms are excellent way of reaching people across the globe. As of June 2019, the internet has 3.49 billion active social media users—it’s no surprise that social media outsourcing has become a thriving industry. One of the best ways to promote your content on social media is through video format. Videos have one of the highest conversion rates among content types. Putting a simple video on your landing page can increase your conversion rates by 80 percent.
If you are browsing your social media every day, you will notice that there are a lot of video posts on your feeds. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast and Trends, by 2022, 82 percent of all internet traffic globally will be made up of online videos. IP video traffic is expected to grow four-fold from 2017 to 2022. The future is very bright for video content. However, it will also be a challenge to stand out among millions of videos shared on the internet every day.
The most important rule for social media video content is to make it short.
Users have limited attention spans. Even if you ask marketing experts from social media outsourcing companies, nobody will watch your 30-minute video. Well, unless it is an episode of their favorite series or a video cut from the concert of a famed singer.
If you can, stick to a 60-second time limit. Most short-form videos on social media are 30 seconds or shorter. Meanwhile, the sweet spot for long forms is 2-6 minutes. The key to this is removing all the excess and unnecessary elements while keeping all essential parts. Here are the elements you should include to your social media video content.
A Shocking Start
The beginning of your video will decide if users will watch it to the end so make sure to put an extra punch at the start. The first three seconds are very important! Hook viewers and pique their curiosity with something thumb-stopping. Ask a question, present a problem or a cliffhanger, make a promise—anything that will command attention.
Tell a Story
An excellent video has a compelling story. Yes, you can tell a story in less than 30 seconds. Write a script with a storyboard. Create a plot, setting, characters, conflict and resolution. You should also highlight your protagonist—whether it is a human or an alien. The story and characters won’t only make your video more interesting, it will also help your video make a lasting impression. It doesn’t have to be something complicated, but an unexpected twist would be a plus.
Get Emotional
Social media videos that get the most shares are usually those that can invoke people’s sentiment. If possible, put emotions to your videos. It doesn’t mean that all your videos need to pull at the heartstrings or make your viewers shed a few tears while pondering on the meaning of life. Humor your audience. Those with positive emotions such as happiness, surprise and awe are among the most viewed and shared videos.
Add Subtitles
Adding subtitles will give a lot of benefits to your videos. For one, not every user speaks the same language. An English subtitle on a video on a different language will largely increase your reach. Subtitles also make your videos easier to consume especially for those with a different accent or or for those who have hearing impairments. Another important reason why you should use subtitles in your video content is that a lot of users tend to browse their social media in public spaces, on mute—during transport or maybe while lining up for public services. Subtitles will help your viewers understand your message even without sound.
Pack it With Large Fonts and Vivid Colors
As mentioned earlier, a lot of your viewers will watch your videos on their mobile phones in mute. Your videos should be mobile friendly. This means large fonts that can be read clearly even on small screens. You should also use attractive animations with vivid colors and pictures. Try playing your video on mute so you can see if it is boring or if it is easy to understand without background sound.
End with a call-to-action
You put a lot of effort to create that video; it would be pointless if it ends with nothing. Present a solution and conclude your video with a powerful call-to-action. It shouldn’t be too intrusive, or too sales focused. However, it should clearly direct your viewers towards converting. The best time to boost your conversions is towards the end of your video when your audiences are desperate for directions. Where do they go next? Clearly point them in the right direction.
Conclusion
Social media videos are a great tool in boosting your audience engagement and increasing your conversions. But the most important thing is to learn how to do it the right way. Provide high-quality content with real value. Your audiences have limited attention spans—don’t waste a single second of it!
