Video is now a key component of any social media platform. Facebook is experimenting with new video features. LinkedIn is incorporating video into its own interface. And TikTok has won over demographics of all ages with their short, snackable videos.
To effectively engage your own customers on social media, then, it’s obvious you should use video. Also known as social media video marketing, this is a great way to reach your target audience.
From increasing brand awareness to driving conversions and more, social media video marketing is a powerful way to engage your audience. Curious about the benefits this strategy brings? Read on.
What Is Social Media Video Marketing?
A social media video marketing strategy involves creating and sharing videos on social media channels, including Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and more.
Wherever you choose to post, the goal is always the same: Reach your target audience and engage them on the social platforms they’re always on.
What Platforms Should Your Brand Use?
The first thing you need to know is that each platform has its own style of video sharing and uploading. Here are the most popular social networks — and what kind of video formats work best for each.
YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world — second only to Google. It’s also one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.5 billion users worldwide.
With YouTube videos, the options are endless. Users can watch both long and short-form content, thanks to the brand’s newest feature, YouTube Shorts. Whatever you choose, put a face to those behind your brand. Explain your mission with a compelling story. Whatever message it is you’re looking to spread, say it with video.
TikTok
A conversation about social media is incomplete without talking about TikTok. This social media app allows users to easily create and share short-form videos.
A key component of TikTok’s success is getting users involved in the video creation process. Users riff off their favorite influencers, either dueting with them or putting their own spin on a popular trend.
With this in mind, your TikToks should be a collaboration between your brand and your followers. As an example, take a look at this TikTok Crocs reposted from a fan and shared on X.
And don’t forget about authenticity. Some of the most popular videos on the app are shot by everyday people from their smartphones, and this kind of content is especially popular with Gen Z. The key takeaway? You don’t need expensive equipment or fancy editing software to create a TiKTok that delights your audience.
As TikTok continues to gain popularity, other brands are taking note — especially Instagram. The company is leaning into a more video-centric experience to keep up with the demand from consumers for more videos. Just take a look at what Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, had to say about adding Reels, which he estimates drives about 50% of time spent on the app.
Instagram Reels, akin to TikTok’s own interface, lets users can scroll through short, shareable videos — and your brand can take part, too. Leverage this feature to give a quick product demo, announce exclusive offers and more.
But Instagram videos don’t stop there. Instagram also offers IGTV, a feature for users to upload longer, high-quality videos — as well as Instagram Stories, where viewers can upload their own videos for followers and friends to see.
Similar to Facebook Live, LinkedIn offers its own video streaming feature. Take your webinar to the next level by streaming it directly from your company page. Offer a live video tutorial on how to use your product in real time. Or live stream an event for those who couldn’t make it.
LinkedIn is going all in on video this year, and the strategy appears to be working, with video yielding 5x more engagement. One journalist tried it and found using video on LinkedIn helped increase her top-of-funnel awareness.
Social Media Video Marketing: Best Practices
Your company’s social media videos need to show off your brand’s values and how you operate. It’s all about showcasing what your business is about, whether it’s through a short video series or a single demonstration of your product or service.
Here are our top tips for making the most of this strategy.
Optimize Your Analytics
When it comes to social media video marketing, analytics are your best friend. With the use of analytics, you can track viewership, conversions and more.
Measuring metrics can help you gauge your videos’ engagement, which can be incredibly useful when determining the best times to post. If viewers are consistently engaging with your content during a certain time block, this could indicate that this is the ideal time for you to release new videos.
Additionally, analytics can help you determine which videos are most successful and what content should be avoided. When it comes time to make a new video, you’ll have data that shows which topics interest viewers the most. For instance, if your customer testimonials are seeing few video views or a low click-through rate, it may be time to restrategize.
Consider What Type of Video Works Best
It’s critical you consider what video types make the most sense for your brand. There are several different types of content that you can leverage, from educational videos to testimonials and more. Take product demos, for instance.
A branded video like this is effective for showing off the features and benefits of your products while also demonstrating how they work in real-world scenarios. And as you can see from the video above, they can be short and sometimes don’t even require voiceover.
Explainer videos are another type of video your brand should consider using. This works especially well for those in industries like banking, which can be full of nuanced topics. Check out this video from Acorns, a fintech app for saving and investing, as an example.
And don’t be afraid to get creative. You can turn any topic from underwhelming to entertaining with an interesting story. For example, do Wi-Fi features sound exciting? Maybe not, but you can bet they’re important to customers.
Here’s how they might look with a storytelling twist — where you’re the main character.
So while you might not be able to hire George Clooney, as Nespresso did, you can still leverage storytelling to connect with your viewers, just as EE did with their video above.
Wait till the end for an extra splash of humor. They don’t take themselves too seriously, which makes for a more genuine connection with the audience.
Make It Shareable
A key component of social media video marketing is boosting your brand reach. To do this, you need to create videos that your audience will want to share with others. After all, today’s consumers are much more likely to trust their friends and family above anyone else.
One way to make sure your video is shareable is to include a clear call-to-action. Create a hashtag they can include when sharing their video. And don’t forget to make sure users can embed their video onto other platforms and sites for easy sharing, too.
To make your video even more shareable, tap into user-generated content. We’ve seen first-hand how customizable videos boost social sharing.
This year in review from WW (formerly Weight Watchers) is a great example. Millions of members were able to choose what achievements they wanted to highlight from the past year before having their Personalized Video rendered in real time.
With a video like this, customers can show off their biggest wins and favorite moments. Better still, viewers are bound to want to share a video like this that showcases what they care about most — and this kind of word-of-mouth marketing is key to increasing your brand reach.
Social Media Video Marketing for Your Brand
It’s hard to imagine the modern world without social media. From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and Snapchat, social media has quickly become an indispensable part of our daily lives — and video is now a key part in this digital experience.
With so many brands pushing out their own video content, though, it can be hard for your digital marketing campaign to stand out in your customers’ newsfeed.
But you can rise above the digital noise by making your videos more than a one-way conversation. Add advanced interactivity to your video marketing strategy to let your customers interact with your brand, just as they would with any of their followers or friends.
Sounds like something you’re interested in? Let’s talk.
