How to Make Social Video Work for Your Brand

Video is where it’s at when it comes to social media. If you’ve read an article about social media marketing in the last year, you’ve probably read something about the increase of video use. But why? Simply put – the human attention span is shrinking, and a video holds our attention longer than plain text and even photos. We know that video is becoming more and more important, but what types of video work best for your brand? Long form video, short-form video, LIVE video, stories? Different brands use video in different ways. Before we jump into the how, here are some big statistics:

  • 1/3 of the time people spend online is devoted to watching videos

  • 90% of consumers say videos help make buying decisions

  • 80 million videos are generated each day on Facebook alone

  • 250,000,000 people use Instagram stories every day

Now, what video format will work best for you?

Long-Form Video

As we mentioned before, the human attention span is shrinking. While there is no “defined” length for “ long-form video,” anything longer than 30 seconds is typically considered long when it comes to social media. So, if a brand is to use long-form video, the content must be captivating. How-to videos, interviews, webinars, company stories, testimonials and product highlights are great uses for long-form video. The biggest obstacle with long-form video is keeping your audience interested throughout. We typically see that viewer “completion rates” for long-form video are much lower than short-form videos.

ASK has the manpower and expertise to ensure every facet of your IT runs smoothly, so your IT guy avoids burnout and you can focus on running your business. It's kind of like hiring 30 people for the price of one.

Short-Form Video

If long-form video is more than 30 seconds, then short-form video is less than 30 seconds (said Captain  Obvious!) But realistically, when it comes to short-form video… the shorter the better. The concept behind short-form video is to keep it (you guessed it) short and to the point. These videos are meant to provide quick information. You have less than a minute to get your point across. Ideally, the main points should be addressed in the first 7 seconds of your video. Short-form video can be used as a hook to lead followers to a landing page, a website, or simply to your social profile to learn more.  

Live Video

Live video has continued to grow in popularity. Livestream claims that 80% of brand audiences would rather watch live video than read a blog, and 82% choose live video over another form of social post. Live video gives brands a way to engage with their audience in a way that other video forms do not. It allows for candid video coverage. The rawness and purity of the footage is what people crave, which is why it is so popular. Being able to ask questions to your audience and get real-time responses, allowing your following to view as it airs and creating a sense of community and connection around the video are all unique to live video. Another big reason to use live video? People watch live video 3x longer compared to a video that is prerecorded. Lastly, live video is a growing trend. Social platforms are prioritizing live video in their algorithms – meaning more reach and engagement organically. What’s not to love?

Stories

Story form video is temporary and generally low-quality videos. Originally starting in Snapchat, but now available on Instagram and Facebook too, stories are typically 15 second (or shorter) videos that live and die in 24 hours. What’s great about stories? They’re real. They’re authentic. And they have great real estate on social media.

On Instagram, stories are currently located right at the top of your feed. Facebook’s mobile app also lists stories directly at the top of the newsfeed. Why is this great for brands? It seamlessly integrates into users’ personal connections’ stories. What’s important with stories is to make them just that – a story, something conversational. You don’t want to come off salesy, overly formal, or too in depth. At the same time, you still want to represent your brand properly. So, make sure you’re prepared and know what you want to say. The beauty of stories is that they aren’t live and that you can do as many takes as you need to get it right. Stories also include photo slides and a bunch of fun stickers/text/options too. But we’ll save what makes a great story for another blog post 😉

So how are you going to make video work for your business or brand? Which forms do you think your audience will respond to best? For help with your social media marketing strategy, fill out the form at the link below:

Social Media, Tips & ToolsGuest User