Video marketing entertains, educates, and engages.
It has all the bells and whistles necessary to attract viewers, including moving pictures, sound, and music. In 2023, analysts predict that the average American adult will spend more than 149 minutes per day watching digital videos by 2026.[1]
Due to the popularity of live streaming, marketers across industries are now using live videos on social networks to enhance click-through rates (CTR) and gain more customers.
Therefore, brands that are serious about succeeding with social media video marketing need to pay attention.
In this blog post, we discuss what social media video marketing is and also share seven quick steps on how to ace your social media video marketing strategy.
What is Social Media Video Marketing?
Social media video marketing is a powerful way to reach and engage your audience. Videos are more engaging than text or images and they can be shared easily on social media. When done well, social media video marketing can drive traffic to your website, increase brand awareness, and boost sales. If you’re not using social media video marketing, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to connect with your audience.
Fortunately, video can be used in many different ways for social media advertising. We are not restricted to polished educational videos or commercials like those seen on television. Live video streaming, consumer demand for genuine products, and user-friendly editing software have made it simpler than ever to test the waters of video marketing.
Acing Your Social Media Video Marketing Strategy
Videos for each social media platform have unique requirements.
If you’re already using videos in your marketing strategy but aren’t seeing the results you want, it’s time to reevaluate your approach and figure out how to make your videos more effective.
Here’s how you can ace your social media video marketing strategy:
1. Establish Video Marketing Objectives
Setting goals is the first step in any marketing plan. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start with smaller goals. It’s important to note that each platform’s audience and requirements are different, so their strategies vary.
Here’s how:
Platform-Specific Audience: Audiences vary by platform. TikTok users are younger than YouTubers. This means that your YouTube and TikTok videos will be different.
Different Formats: Each social media platform has popular video formats. Instagram Stories are short, while YouTube videos are longer. This means you must make videos according to the format that’s specific to a platform.
Different Algorithms: Each social media platform’s algorithm determines how users see your videos. Engaging and interactive videos are prioritized by Facebook’s algorithm. You must create videos that encourage interaction.
Different Goals: Each social media platform may have different video marketing goals. For instance, you could use TikTok for brand awareness and YouTube for website traffic. This means you must define your goals according to the platform.
Tailoring your video marketing strategy to each social media platform can boost your chances of success. By understanding each platform’s audience, formats, algorithms, and goals, you can do this.
With the right script and imagination, your video marketing strategy can do more than raise brand awareness. It can boost brand advocacy and help customers make informed purchases.
2. Strategize By Stages of the Marketing Funnel:
You can easily incorporate videos into each of the five stages of the marketing funnel by tailoring your social media video marketing strategy accordingly. Let’s take a look.
Awareness: This is the first stage of the funnel, where potential customers are not aware of your brand or product. Your goal in this stage is to generate awareness and interest. You can use videos to create awareness by sharing them on social media, running ads, or embedding them on your website.
Consideration: In this stage, potential customers are aware of your brand and product, but they are not yet ready to buy. Your goal in this stage is to educate potential customers and build interest in your product. You can use videos to explain your product or service, demonstrate its benefits, or share customer testimonials.
Conversion: This is the final stage of the funnel, where potential customers are ready to buy your product. Your goal in this stage is to close the sale and convert potential customers into customers. You can use videos to promote your product or service, offer discounts or free trials, or provide customer support.
Think about where your objectives will fit in the various steps of the buyer’s journey as you brainstorm content for your social media video marketing strategy. You can increase the effectiveness of your video content’s calls to action by first establishing your objectives and then determining the funnel stage.
3. Choose the Platform to Market Your Content
Every major social media platform now supports some kind of video content, so there’s plenty of room to work it into your strategy.
Beginning with channels where you already have an established audience is a good idea if you’re new to using videos. For consumers and businesses alike, the most promising social media platforms to watch in the coming year are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Start your video marketing strategy with any of these.
4. Select the Type of Video
The first step in a successful video marketing campaign is choosing the type of video that represents your brand best. It doesn’t have to be like everyone else’s; the key is to align it with your objectives.
You can opt for short-form videos, which are under 10 minutes and ideal for social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. They reach a large audience quickly and foster engagement.
Alternatively, long-form videos, lasting 10 minutes or more, suit platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Netflix. They allow for in-depth storytelling and building stronger viewer relationships.
Customers value genuine social media content, with testimonials and less polished videos attracting interest. Authenticity is crucial for audience satisfaction.
5. Organize Content Creation
You can save both time and money with a well-thought-out strategy for creating content. For instance, video production requires a strategy, which can be laid out in a spreadsheet or on paper.
Think about your production and post-production choices. While you can always outsource the service entirely, you can also handle everything on your own by considering everything that goes into making a good video.
Here is a checklist to ponder:
- Choosing Necessary Props and Equipment
- Scripting
- Script Revision
- Storyboarding
- Preparation of the set for filming
- Talent scouting
- Choosing your filming location(s) and times with the help of available daylight
- The editing team
- Identifying who will be responsible for signing off at each stage
- Verifying that the music and other media you’re using have the required permissions
- Ensure compliance with specific social media algorithms
As you go through the content plan, you might come across some areas that need tweaking or realize that you missed a few things, especially if this is your first time creating a detailed video content plan.
6. Set a Release Date and Advertise the Videos
Once the video has been produced, it is ready to be scheduled and promoted.
Avoid viewing social media videos as one-and-done content. Depending on your social commitments, a single professionally made video could be shared across multiple platforms over the course of a month. You could tweet about it multiple times. Live streams require consistent promotion to guarantee a large audience shows up at the right time.
Multiple videos could be made from a single film shoot. Clips could be used for advertising or combined to form new videos. When promoting videos, think on a grand scale.
Here are some reasons why setting a release date and advertising your videos is important for social media video marketing:
Building Anticipation: Setting a release date for your videos gives your audience something to look forward to. This can help to build anticipation and excitement, which can lead to more views and engagement when your videos are finally released.
Reaching a Wider Audience: Advertising your videos can help you reach a wider audience. This is especially important if you are targeting a specific audience with your videos. By advertising your videos, you can ensure that they are seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in them.
Driving Traffic to Your Website or Social Media Pages: Advertising your videos can also help to drive traffic to your website or social media pages. This is because when people click on your video ads, they will be taken to the page where your video is hosted. This can help you to increase brand awareness and generate leads.
7. Incorporate Analytics, Metrics, and CTAs
Analysis, the final phase of any strategy, is the most crucial. You can’t judge a video’s success without first checking its metrics – including the number of views, retweets, favorites, and responses.
A crucial step in increasing viewer engagement and getting viewers to take desired actions is the addition of CTAs (Calls-to-Action) to videos. Start by picking the most relevant ones to increase subscriptions, website visits, or purchases.
These CTAs should be placed tactfully throughout the videos. Best performing placement is either during gripping situations or near the end. The CTAs must be clearly visible, non-invasive, and easy to spot. Use A/B testing to find the most effective CTAs and then optimize, accordingly.
If you look at the analytics, you can see which of these did the best. You can see how well your videos have done over time and how they stack up against content on other channels.
Conclusion
Mastering the art and science of social media video marketing requires more than just hitting the record button. It demands a thoughtful and strategic approach that considers every aspect of the process. By following the strategies outlined in this blog post, you have the power to take your social media presence to new heights.
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Statistics References:
[1] Statista
[2] Sprout Social