Think about the last time you watched a video on social media. It was probably when you last checked your social accounts, right? Video consumption has exploded and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, more social media platforms have pivoted towards favoring video content (see Instagram’s latest embrace of video with Reels) over still images.
This rise in video consumption has made video an essential part of every marketer’s content strategy. Thankfully you do not need a background in video production to create standout videos for your social profiles. Here’s how to make sure your video content is captivating and engaging to your social media audience.
How to create engaging videos
Brainstorm. Before you start recording, you need to flesh out your topic ideas. Look at your top performing blog posts and turn the posts that resonated with your audience into videos. Another option is to conduct keyword research to see what your audience is looking up and create videos based on those popular searches. You can also check out popular videos from similar companies to see what types of videos have been popular for them and adapt that to your audience.
Plan your video. Most successful videos require planning. While you may not need to write a script for a video less than a few minutes, you still need to know what message you’re trying to share, especially since you want to keep your video short and concise. Check out this guide on how to make a storyboard for a video.
For longer videos, preparing a short script will keep your messaging focused and limit rambling.
Tell a story. Everything needs a point. Craft a compelling story that resolves in the end. This allows you to tap into the emotions of your audience to increase engagement with the videos you create.
Encourage action. Tell your audience what you want them to do by including clear a call-to-action in your video and caption.
Create a social media video strategy
Creating good videos isn’t enough. A comprehensive strategy will guide the kind of videos you create and how you distribute them.
Define your goals. Identify the objectives you’re looking to achieve through your videos. This should align with your general social media marketing goals, whether it’s to build awareness, drive traffic to the website, increase conversions, or develop a larger and more engaged community.
Formalize your message. Define the message you want to convey in each video, whether it’s to entertain, educate, or influence a purchase.
Plan distribution. Decide which social media platforms you’ll share your videos to. This will guide the format and type of video content you create.
Measure performance. Continue to monitor your video performance to see if the content you’re creating is working for your audience and each platform. Remember: what works on one platform may not necessarily work on another.
Popular types of video content
Knowing what type of video content to create can be challenging. Here are some of the most popular types you should consider creating content around.
Live Video: We have spoken at length about the power of Live Video. It’s an extremely effective and easy entry point into creating video content. Most of the major social platforms have embraced live video: Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok.
The best thing about live video is production values aren’t expected to be slick. You’re good to go as long as you have a strong internet connection. Another plus: you can often download your live video and repurpose it as another social post.
Video announcements: Share company news, introduce new communities or floorplans or feature the inventory homes you need to sell.
How-to/Educational: Provide immeasurable value to your audience by teaching them how to do something. Some ideas include common home maintenance tasks to simply DIY projects that help homeowners live their best lives in their homes, explaining the home buying process, or answering frequently asked questions.
Behind-the-scenes: Show how the magic happens! Share what goes on behind the scenes in your business. Revealing the parts of your business that usually remains unseen is a strong way of building trust with your audience.
Social media video best practices
Include subtitles. Videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter usually play with the sound off by default. Including subtitles ensures your audience can enjoy the same value from your content regardless of the volume. Plus, it makes your content inclusive of those with hearing impairments.
Keep it short. Social media content is usually made to be quickly consumed and this extends to video. Capture your viewers’ attention early with an intriguing hook to increase the likelihood of them watching it all the way through.
Use the right format. Remember that each social network handles video slightly differently. It’s worth taking the time to make sure your video is optimized for each platform you plan to share it on.
Video is here to stay. As each social media platform rushes to promote videos to attract and engage viewers, now is a great time to start creating engaging social media videos to supercharge your social media strategy. If you need help with your social media video strategy, give us a call.