Social Media Video: Top Platforms and Best Practices
Embrace Video for Your Brand
Spurred by technological advances and consumers’ insatiable demand, social media platforms have rushed to embrace new applications for digital video. But for brands looking to maximize results from social video, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. Key to success is understanding why people use different platforms, and knowing the best practices for each.
With this in mind, let’s look at four of the top platforms for social video, and useful tips for getting the most from each:
Facebook
Despite a scandal-plagued 2018, Facebook is still the world’s top social platform, making it an obvious destination for video marketing. Just remember, people log onto Facebook for news, entertainment, and to stay connected with friends and family. So, you’ll get more mileage from personable, humanizing content than from overt selling appeals.
More tips for Facebook:
- Don’t forget graphics and subtitles. 85 percent of Facebook videos are watched with the sound off.
- Uploading your videos directly to Facebook will boost their visibility, while allowing you to take advantage of Facebook’s analytics tools.
Twitter
Offering impressive reach and portability, Twitter is an optimal platform for bite-sized content tailored to mobile users on the go, and your video strategy should keep this in mind. While Twitter does support videos up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds in length, it’s a good idea to keep your videos considerably shorter than this.
More tips for Twitter:
- A focus on brevity demands clear, consistent branding. Reinforce this brand consistency by featuring your logo, brand typography, and other clear visual markers throughout your videos.
- People turn to Twitter to stay on top of things – so keep your videos topical and timely. Advertise special deals, new offerings, and so on.
- As with Facebook, many Twitter users view videos without sound. So, don’t forget the captions!
Instagram
It began as a platform for sharing photos, but Instagram has undertaken an aggressive strategy of incorporating video content, contributing to its seemingly unstoppable surge. Instagram’s appeal lies in its simplicity, so don’t try to do too much with your videos. Instead, execute on a simple, memorable concept for each video.
More tips for Instagram:
- While you’re allotted up to thirty hashtags per post, don’t get carried away – it’s best to stick to ten or less.
- Don’t make your viewers read too much. Brief captions are okay, but remember, it’s engaging visual content that has made Instagram such a juggernaut.
YouTube
As a platform wholly devoted to video, it’s no surprise that YouTube boasts more video views than any other platform. And because it’s wholly devoted to video, it’s suited for a much wider range of content than other platforms, giving content creators more leeway to publish longer videos, or more overtly commercial content.
More tips for YouTube:
- It’s a good idea to stick to a schedule, so subscribers know when to expect fresh content.
- Don’t be shy about directly engaging viewers to like your video, subscribe to your channel, or leave comments.
- Be sure to enable video embedding, so that people can share your content more easily.
Need a hand with your social video strategy? Contact Rosie’s Creative today. Remember, with us, your first consultation is always free.