Video Content Marketing: The Most Important Tool for Social Media Success
Social media marketing is an essential tool that can ensure you can reach your audience where they spend the most time online and foster engagement. However, it is vital that you know the suitable content types and how that content should be utilized on various platforms. Of all the options available in B2B marketing, B2C marketing, and other social media efforts, video content is one of the most powerful. It can be used in a myriad of different ways.
The Power of Video Content Marketing
If you’ve opened Facebook lately or spent any amount of time on Twitter, you’ve no doubt seen the explosion of video content firsthand. CISCO’s Visual Networking Index says, “By 2019, video content will be the driving factor behind 85% of search traffic in the US.” HubSpot points out that “43% of people want to see more video content from marketers”, as well as the fact that almost 52% of global marketing professionals feel that video content marketing offers the best ROI.
However, there are a few other important considerations here, particularly when it comes to B2B marketing. For instance, while mobile viewing is the most common with B2C marketing, business-related videos are generally watched on a PC or laptop (86% of them, actually). The best videos (top 5%) manage to retain over 3/4 of their viewers from the beginning to end, but the average retention for all video content marketing is 37%.
Video content marketing is vital for your success in social media, but how should you use this type of content on the various platforms out there? From Facebook to Instagram and everything in between, there are significant differences between the social platforms you use regularly. You cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach here.
Understanding How to Use Video Content in Social Media Marketing
Video content can and should play a central role in social media marketing on every platform your business utilizes. However, each platform has its unique use cases.
Facebook is the one platform that pretty much all B2B marketing campaigns should utilize. You can use your video content in several ways here. Test out Live Videos to get immediate engagement and replay capabilities, but don’t neglect regular news feed videos. Keep your video content short (two minutes or less is best in most cases, although you can go up to 45 minutes according to Facebook’s rules). With Facebook, strive to create some emotional connection with your audience, and you’ll notice more shares. Also, don’t neglect to include captions, as most videos on FB are watched with the volume off.
Instagram now supports Instagram Stories. These are generally short videos that can be used in a very similar way to Snapchat. You can create behind-the-scenes videos, short humorous videos, and more. Note that this is a relatively new feature, so few tried and true “rules” as yet.
Snapchat
Use Snapchat video like you would Instagram – create short videos that highlight your company’s culture, behind-the-scenes content, how-to content, and the like. Again, these should be relatively short (two minutes is pushing the limit).
The maximum length for video content on Twitter is just over two minutes, making sense given the platform’s focus on brevity. Focus on creating video content marketing that focuses on news and/or newsworthy aspects you want your audience to know about your product or service. Product announcements, very brief how-to guides, and the like can work well, too.
Interestingly, Pinterest can be used in your video content marketing plan. The platform has a native video player, and users can watch your video from a close-up of the pin. This means that you need to pin the video from the landing page where it’s located and choose the appropriate thumbnail. DIY and how-to content perform best on this network, as do tutorials.
YouTube
Yes, YouTube is considered social media, and it can be used in ways that other platforms cannot. Feel free to get creative here and post longer video content than you would on other sites, as YouTube is specifically geared for this type of content, and the user base expects it.
Ultimately, your social media marketing plan should hinge on using video content. It is the fastest-growing content type and can be used successfully in B2B marketing and B2C marketing. If you’re not harnessing its power, you’re definitely missing out on one of the most valuable tools at your disposal.
