Using Videos in Your Social Media Marketing - Part 1
This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Blog Series co-authored by Tara Garwood and Kristina Kury. We’ll discuss general tips for using video in your social media marketing. In Part 2, we’ll talk specifically about tips and technical requirements for Instagram and Facebook. Then, in Part 3, we’ll switch the focus to Twitter and LinkedIn.
Videos in general should be a staple in any marketing plan for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
“Statistics show that 55% of people watch videos online every day, and social media videos generate up to 1200% more shares than texts and images combined.”
Video content ideas are endless as well. You can show ‘behind the scenes’ of how your business operates or teach your audience tips and tricks.
We recommend adding in captions at the bottom of your video. A lot of people have their volume turned off and this will keep them watching your video. It also makes your video fully accessible to the deaf community. Lastly, it helps your video rank higher in searches. “Googlebots” can’t see videos but they can read the captions and this helps to boost your organic reach.
Ask yourself these 5 questions before you begin so you can set your goals and intentions.
Are you trying to drive more traffic to your website?
Are you wanting to build trust in your brand and educate your audience?
Are you needing to develop a larger and more engaged audience?
Are you wanting to generate sales?
What’s your CTA (Call To Action) at the end of your video?
We recommend shooting your video in widescreen unless you’re planning to use it for Instagram or Facebook Stories, which should be in portrait. Widescreen looks more professional, like you’d see on TV and movies. Generally 1920x1080 is good for social media videos, but you may want to try sizing down to 1280x720 if your file is too large. All of the platforms listed here recommend that you use .MP4 or .MOV files.
When recording video for social media, there are several things that can make your video stand above the crowd! Lighting yourself properly is very important, as is good framing (i.e. don’t cut your chin off!). You should also invest in a tripod, so you don’t get that shaky camera look. If you want to learn more about shooting better phone videos, check out the workshop Tara gave with District Bliss.
Be prepared; practice what you want to say. But don’t be too scripted, as it can come off sounding stilted and awkward. If you’re live, interact with your audience. They’ll love getting shoutouts! Check out Tara’s blog post, 7 Pro Tips for Being On Camera, to get more helpful hints.
This blog was written with Kristina Kury, Founder & CEO of Sprout Creative, working with small business owners and entrepreneurs who are busy running their business, overwhelmed with marketing and whose growth has plateaued to turn their marketing into a more manageable, automated marketing machine.
You can follow her at @SproutCreativeLA on Facebook and Instagram.
This blog was written with Tara Garwood, owner of Banner Day Films. Tara is an award-winning filmmaker who loves to create videos that help businesses and nonprofits change the world! You can follow her at @bannerdayfilms on Facebook and Instagram.