20 Ways to Use Videos in Your Social Media Marketing (Without Being a Professional Videographer)
By Amy Winer
Guest contributor
Social media has taken over the marketing landscape as platforms like Facebook cross 1.71 billion monthly active users. While reaching people on social media isn’t easy, the best way to reach more people is to change how you connect with them.
At first, this was with unique and eye-catching images, but even that isn’t enough. To truly connect and engage with your audience, you need to start using videos in your social media marketing.
The Power of Video
Here are some statistics to help you understand how powerful video content can be on today’s platforms:
- 82% of marketers say that video marketing has a positive impact on their business.
- 93% of marketers are using video in their strategies.
- 70% will increase their spending on videos in the near future
Video Brainstorming Bonanza
We created a very special freebie for you today. It’s a 7-page brainstorming workbook to help you generate ideas for all 20 of the video tips in this article.
Plus, the Brainstorming Bonanza workbook includes links to all the web pages referenced in this article. Download and print the workbook right now, and use the idea starters as you read this article.
I want the Video Brainstorming Bonanza workbook!
20 Ways…
Here are 20 ways you can implement video content into your online marketing strategy.
1. Try Different Lengths of Video
Each platform has differing limits for their video lengths.
- Snapchat – 10 seconds (more with a verified channel)
- Twitter – 30 seconds
- Instagram – 60 seconds
- Facebook – 45 minutes
- Facebook Live – 90 minutes
- YouTube – 11 hours
You can work around length limits by posting links to YouTube or Vimeo, which will allow you to connect users with longer videos.
According to video engagement studies done by Wistia, the optimal length for videos is about two minutes. Longer than this is when engagement starts to drop significantly. If you want to go past two minutes, you need to have compelling content that holds your viewers’ attention.
Here’s a 13-second promotional video for Blogging Bistro that we created with Adobe Spark Video, and then uploaded to our YouTube channel.
2. Use Live Video Streaming
Several platforms allow for live video streaming. This is a great option for a major event, product release, or a look behind the scenes of your business.
Consider doing a live stream at your next company event. Platforms like Facebook Live and Periscope are great options.
You can repurpose your Facebook Live video by embedding it on your blog or on a page of your website. Click here for Blogging Bistro’s tutorial, “6 Super-Easy Steps to Embed Facebook Live Video on Your Blog.”
3. Post Clips from Your Daily Business Life
Many businesses post pictures from their office or photo collages of company events. Any picture can be turned into a video, so next time you’re hosting a get together, be sure to grab some quick clips that show the human side of your company. Post these clips on your social media to help people get to know your brand better.
4. Post Features of Specific Employees
The best way to build your brand is to give people the opportunity to know who they are doing business with. Each month, spotlight a specific employee in your company.
Post a 30-second video of them introducing themselves and describing what they do for the company.
5. Film Testimonials from Customers
It doesn’t need to be long, 15-30 seconds will be fine, but this is a great piece of content to post on your social media pages.
6. Create Product Demos
It’s one thing to describe your product, service, or program, but it’s another to show how it works. Film a 1-to-2-minute video that shows your product in action. Focus on the benefits it provides for customers.
7. Host a webinar
Hosting a webinar is a lengthy process, but it can be huge for your business. Webinars introduce new people to your brand and give them useful information.
You’ll need to start several weeks in advance and promote the event on social media. Post short clips advertising the event on your social media pages to create buzz.
8. Curate Videos from Others
If you’re feeling the pressure of producing your own content, don’t forget that curating useful content from others is always an option. There are entire YouTube channels dedicated to compiling and curating videos.
Consider doing the same in between the videos you produce to keep engaging content flowing.
9. Create Videos Asking For Ideas
Engagement on social media is a two-way street. Yes, you should talk with your followers, but there’s no law saying you can’t initiate conversation with them. If you’re looking for new ideas, film a video asking them to submit their ideas.
Find out what they want and need through this process, and you’ll have everything you need to produce great content for them.
10. Create Call-to-Action Videos
The content you produce must have some kind of takeaway or message. Try creating videos that motivate viewers to do something, whether it’s trying out a free demo of your product or signing up for your newsletter.
Make it exciting and engaging and you’ll find that they will follow through with your CTA.
11. Post Soundless Videos
With many videos on social media set to autoplay, people don’t want to be assaulted when they scroll past a video with their volume on full. Try creating digestible on-the-go videos that use subtitles and text instead of sound to convey a message.
Facebook Pages include a cool feature called “Slideshow,” where you can upload up to seven still pictures and create a soundless video out of them. (You can overlay background music, too, if you wish.) Here’s an example of a Facebook slideshow video from Blogging Bistro:
Visit “5 Ways to Improve Your Social Media Bio in 5 Minutes” to read the full tutorial, so you can see how the video enhances the written content.
12. Post Breaking News Videos
Social media is all about timely content. When something big happens, you want to be the first to post. Next time you need to say something before everyone else, grab a phone and film a quick news report for your social media pages.
On your phone, film breaking news in your niche and post it to your social channels.13. Post a Featured Video on Facebook
A featured video on your Facebook Page is a great way to get new customers acquainted with your brand. It appears front and center on your page when people arrive. You can simply upload one and assign it as your featured video in your page settings.
Make it short and sweet while also conveying your brand’s message. Check out Blogging Bistro’s tutorial on how to feature a video on your Facebook Page.
14. Create Video Ads
Paid advertising on social media allows you to target very specific members of your audience. While most companies use static ads, you can get ahead of the game by filming short video advertisements. Video ads can result in a huge boost in engagement and conversion.
15. Post Video Content from Your Audience
To increase engagement with your audience, host a contest where you ask them to film (with their smartphone) short clips of them using your product or following a theme of your choice.
Have them submit their clips for a chance to be featured in a compilation video and possibly a chance to win a prize of your choosing.
16. Post a Video Series
Let’s say you filmed an awesome interview with a major player in your industry. It’s probably too long to post as one clip, so don’t. Instead, chop up the interview by each question/answer and post them as part of an ongoing series.
Publish a schedule to bring people back each time you post another segment of the interview.
Chop up a Q&A into a multi-video series.
17. Cross-Promote Videos on Multiple Platforms
If you have a killer video, but it’s too long to post on all your social media platforms, post teaser clips on those platforms. Provide a link to the full video.
18. Film “Thank you” Messages for Specific Customers
People love personalized content. Why not show your appreciation by creating a short personalized “thank you” video for people who purchase your content or compliment you on social media.
This same type of video can be used in your email marketing. A little thank-you goes a long way.
19. Do a Time-Lapse Video
Instagram has a Hyperlapse app that allows you to create time-lapse videos. There are a ton of ways to use these types of videos. Here are a few examples:
- Showcase a quick tour of your office
- Show off a quick teaser of a new product
- Tell a short story related to your brand
20. Create a Channel Trailer for Your YouTube Channel
When using video content, YouTube will be one of the first places you go to. On your YouTube channel’s main page, consider creating a trailer that captures the look and feel of your brand and the content you’ll be posting.
Much like the Facebook featured video, this can easily be done with any of your currently existing or uploaded videos.
Video Brainstorming Bonanza
Don’t forget to get your free, 7-page brainstorming workbook to help you generate ideas for all 20 of the video tips Download and print the workbook.
I want the Video Brainstorming Bonanza workbook!
Let’s Chat
Tell us about one creative way you have used video (or plan to use it) in your social media marketing to interact with your audience.
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Amy Winer is an experienced social media marketer who has a passion for making the most out of platforms like LinkedIn. You can find her @AmyAmywinerllc
Credit to Blogging Bistro
Reviewed by mimisabreena
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Tuesday, August 30, 2016
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