Nick BuchheitGone are the days when simply posting a status update or a tweet constituted an effective social media strategy. In the early days, that was often enough to create buzz and drive your audience to your website or landing page.
Now, though, videos on social media are one of the most effective ways to reach potential clients. Whether through channels like Meta, Google, or LinkedIn, billions of users exist on these platforms, and marketers know it. Tailoring your social media marketing strategy to the kinds of posts that do well on each is one of the only ways to rise above the scrum.
We’re breaking down some of the best ways to use video effectively in your social media marketing strategy. Getting the most out of your organic and paid efforts isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort!
Benefits of Social Media Video Marketing
When you’re running a modern business, social media is an integral part of your marketing strategy. More than just running ads, most platforms give you access to a suite of powerful tools that allow you to target your audience. Depending on the platform, you can focus on broad categories like location or get down in the weeds with things like job title or relationship status.
Incorporating video brings a level of connection that other media can’t. Users feel like you’re speaking directly to them, something other forms of media simply can’t do.
From an SEO perspective, the right videos can tick all of the boxes that you might try to solve through blogs and articles: educate, entertain, and add value. They’re effective at sharing information that viewers remember, up to 95%! Compare that to 10% for written content, and you can clearly see that video is more effective at educating your audience.
Viewers are great, but without conversions, you won’t see a good ROI from your creative assets. On average, a good CTA paired with a video converts 380% more than other methods. It’s a worthwhile tool to include in your social media marketing strategy.
More than anything, social media users are seeking authentic personal connections. Including video in your brand strategy helps them feel like they’re seeing the real people who make your company great. Only video can humanize your brand effectively in a short period of time.
How Do You Incorporate Video into a Social Media Strategy?
A well-rounded social media marketing strategy should include different media types for different platforms and messages. Video isn’t the best choice in every scenario, and making goals for your content can help you decide when to deploy it.
Set goals for social media video marketing
Video is especially good at connecting with viewers quickly and memorably. Even video ads on platforms like YouTube and Instagram can stop the scroll long enough to make an impression.
Reach new customers
If your brand is trying to reach new customers, consider native video ads on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram. Algorithms on these platforms make sure that viewers who show an interest in your brand see your ads often enough to pique their interest.
Generate buzz
Launching a new initiative or product into a marketplace that’s not ready or aware usually spells disaster. To create anticipation, generate buzz for your launches with informative and engaging video content.
Drive conversions
As previously mentioned, the right call to action in a video is more than 380% more likely to inspire action than other media types. On average, viewers spend seven hours with your content before they’re willing to make a decision. Video can reduce that time by up to 86%. So, when driving conversion matters, including video in your strategy is a necessity.
Educate customers
Video content is effective across the buyer’s journey to educate viewers about your brand or product. Whether introducing viewers to your brand, demonstrating how a product works, or giving a behind-the-scenes tour of your production facility, viewers hold on to what they learn.
Inspire evangelism
When viewers become customers, they’re more likely to be vocal about your brand than before. Sharability online is one of the key factors making social media video marketing an effective strategy for increasing your brand’s reach. High-quality, original content that adds value to your customers is more likely to be shared.
Know your audience
Creating engaging video content begins with understanding your audience and knowing where they spend time online. Gen Z viewers are more likely to be on TikTok or Instagram, and spending resources there makes sense if they’re your target. But if you’re targeting Gen Z customers on Facebook, you’re wasting your money!
Look at who engages with your content
The best way to know who your audience is is to look at the data. A good marketing department or agency can help you see who engages with your content. Even though you might have an idea of your ideal customer, the data doesn’t lie. The answer might surprise you!
Make a plan, but be flexible
As you create your social media video marketing strategy, planning ahead is important. Working with a video production agency requires some planning, but the quality is worth the extra time. Trends change, though, and your content plan should be responsive to that. It’s impossible to anticipate world events that could make your content more relevant. Be prepared to shift your calendar or postpone a campaign to stay current.
Choose your platforms and tailor content for each
Making the most of your content involves knowing where your audience is on social media platforms. Additionally, while there’s some overlap between them, platforms tend to focus on certain types of video content.
For the best results, consider these tips!
Short-form brand videos and user-generated content are best featured in the Reels section of your page. Facebook includes a carousel of videos that play just a few seconds as a preview and can catch your viewer’s attention. They have to click on them in order to play the full video, so you’re getting intentional engagement rather than passive watching.
Going live is another way to capture views on Facebook, especially if you pair the video with a live event.
Like Facebook, Instagram’s Reels and Stories are a popular platform feature. By contrast, Instagram shares visual content, so high-quality videos have more of an impact. You can create Highlights as part of your brand account that collect Reels into categories your customers may find useful.
YouTube
YouTube is the second most popular search engine on the web, and most users are looking for informative content. Capitalize on this by posting informative and instructive videos about your brand or products.
Shorter videos that feature shareable clips or moments are great for increasing the number of referral views you get. When viewers feel that something is either entertaining or adds value to their lives, they’re more likely to share.
TikTok
One of the best ways to humanize your brand is through participating in TikTok challenges or dance videos. When done authentically, intimidating concepts can feel more approachable.
Humor always wins. If YouTube is for learning, content on TikTok is focused on entertainment. Short, funny videos are the name of the game!
While LinkedIn has fewer users than other platforms, users are usually business or industry experts. For B2B content, there’s no better platform. Advertising webinars or sharing corporate videos through this channel is an effective way to reach high-level decision-makers. Focus on thought leadership content to inspire viewers to become followers.
Business and marketing-focused interviews and podcasts play well on LinkedIn because they can focus on granular topics relevant to a small segment. You might not have the same reach on LinkedIn that you would on Instagram or YouTube, but the views are more likely to convert.
Conclusion
Creating a winning social media marketing strategy involves a lot of moving parts. One of the most effective parts of your strategy can be high-quality, relevant video content. Viewers are more likely to learn, be delighted, share, and convert.
Most brands and companies can develop ideas, but creating video content is another story. For that, turning to the professionals can make all the difference. Covalent is an industry leader in social media video creation, and we’re here to help you make the most of your marketing dollars. We have the experience and expertise to help you discover new ways to incorporate video into your social media marketing plan. Our team can help take concepts and turn them into powerful and effective videos to drive conversions and build an authentic connection with your audience.
Learn how Covalent can help today.