13th November 2019
By admin_Liquona
Social Media. The platforms may change over time, but there’s no denying the fact that social media is booming. Facebook users have doubled since 2014 (Statista) and that’s just the start of it; Twitter users have increased more than tenfold (Statista, April, 2019) and Instagram shows no signs of slowing down with 1 billion monthly active users (Brandwatch, 07/05/19).
Social media has become the modern day watering hole with a few upgrades; open 24/7, accessible worldwide and an endless supply of stimulation keeping us hooked with no intention of leaving. With all this in mind, it makes complete sense that advertisers have jumped on board, with brands (big and small) increasing their social media video spend.
According to a study by Brandwatch (07/05/19), there are now over 2 million monthly advertisers on Instagram and if we only look at the top 100 brands in the world, 90% have an Instagram account. Not only are brands increasing spend and effort into Instagram, it also seems to be working, with 60% of Instagram users discovering new products via the platform.
So, we know it’s important to increase and maintain a social media presence, but how do we ensure we’re doing it right? Here are 10 top tips for using video on social media.
Keep it short! This seems obvious but it’s amazing how often people get this wrong and upload a feature length movie to social!
There is no fixed guideline when it comes to duration, we advise making content as short as possible, 60 seconds should be a good starting point.
You should be looking to engage your audience on their level with content that they are interested in. Social media should not be used as a constant advertising campaign. Think about your audience and think about what they might be interested in – what’s going to stop them from scrolling down and pause on your video?
The platforms may have changed over the last 2,000 years but one thing’s for sure – humans use stories to communicate, relate and understand (fun fact: storytelling is what makes us so different from other species on the planet, as we’re able to organise ourselves in a rather sophisticated way to work as a collective on mass, well that and the ability to make fire!)
The first few seconds are vital and certainly the most important. Think back to the days where people shopped on actual streets, in actual shops, with actual cash – there’s no point having a beautiful shop if the window isn’t drawing people inside!
The majority of social media consumption happens in mute: on the train, on a bus, in secret in a boring meeting etc. So make sure your videos work in silence. The visuals need to tell the story well but you can also use subtitles.
Social media is for the now. Often by the time you’ve created the content you will have missed the chance to communicate. It’s important to recognise when your content is time critical and when it isn’t. Plan ahead, and get the most out of your videos by creating different cuts, teasers and snippets.
We live in a visual era. Everything is noted on cameras from cat yawns to coffees – we’re all about the showing – and less about the telling!
In 2019 more pictures are now taken every two minutes than were taken during the entire 1800s.
These Instagram stats demonstrate how important this trend is for marketers hoping to reach their audience. (Brandwatch)
It’s also important to take your audience into consideration, you may want to vary your content dependant on its’ final destination. For example, Instagram’s biggest demographic group is males between 18 – 24 years old (Brandwatch, 2019).
Above all of these tips is a strategy. It’s essential that your content fits into your brand communications story.
We hope this guide to social media video tips has been helpful, at Liquona we help brands with content strategy and would love to help you too! Get in touch today.