How to Incorporate Video into Your Social Marketing Strategy

Everyone knows how fast things move in today’s digital age– not to mention the sheer number of sensory imprints we’re exposed to everyday. With attention spans shrinking by the second, it should come as no surprise that viewer message-retention is 95 percent when seen as a video, versus 10 percent when read as text. Video also boasts a 96 percent click-through rate. And here’s a stat that will blow you away: videos are shared 1,200% more times than text and links combined.

So it’s an understatement to say that incorporating video into your social marketing strategy can give your business a big boost. In fact, video is something that our social media marketing agency serving Nashville, TN consistently encourages our clients to integrate. But how best to do that? Let’s explore.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories vanish after 24 hours, making this an effective platform for “day in the life” videos about your company, personnel, clients, and more. You can do this with a combination of photos and videos, which makes for some creative possibilities in terms of structure and layout. And since the 24-hour rule is hard and fast, you’ll never be accused of over-posting.

Don’t underestimate the power of hashtags when posting to Instagram. Companies using 9 – 11 hashtags enjoyed the highest average user engagement per post, peaking at around 30,000 engagements for every Instagram post.

Snapchat

Snapchat’s time-constrained, “self-destructing” posts make it a platform like no other. If used wisely it can greatly benefit your brand. One option is to focus on capturing activities that are relevant “in the moment”. Spontaneous, short-lived rewards and coupons are also effective, as are sneak-previews of new products and “flash invites” to events and sales. The “behind the scenes” footage angle is also interesting; if done properly it’s an excellent way to build interest in your brand and compel viewers to find out more about you.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live has been around for over two years, and the video portion is just about a year old. Like the two mediums discussed above, Facebook Live is a worthwhile conduit to current customers and prospects, and its shelf-life is considerably longer than Instagram or Snapchat. However, since Facebook Live has more staying power, you should consider a) advertising the video to your target audience prior to posting it, and b) establishing some clearly defined goals so that the video appears well-organized and professionally constructed, but not scripted. Ten minutes is the recommended Facebook Live video length, but you can go for up to four hours if you want. Just make sure you plan, script, light, and film accordingly. And don’t forget captions, since 85 percent of Facebook Live videos are viewed without sound.

If you think video is a big deal right now, just wait until 2021, when it’s expected that video traffic will comprise 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic. Even more amazing is the pace at which video traffic is growing: a 73 percent increase from 2016 – 2021.

YouTube

Last but not least is YouTube, the progenitor of all video sites. Millions of companies have their own YouTube channel, and video blogs are one of the best ways to connect with customers and prospects – especially blogs that directly speak to your customers’ wants and needs. For example, a blog that addresses five or six of your customers’ most oft-asked questions. Of course you can mix in the occasional blog that deals with a big announcement, a new product, etc. And to bolster your SEO efforts, don’t forget to give each blog a headline, tagged keywords, and a concise description.

Did you know YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine? Yet another reason to establish a YouTube channel pronto, especially since Google is increasing the role that multimedia plays in SEO importance. And here’s yet another reason to invest in video: if your site has it, visitors are likely to stay two minutes longer.

Contact JLB Works today for further insights into video-enhanced social marketing and how it can help your business connect to a desired audience.