Social Media is a great way to increase brand exposure, grow a dedicated following, and ultimately drive traffic towards your website. What is the best content to share? What is most engaging? That answer is simple: videos. The following tips are what I’ve discovered to bring success in online videos.
1. Keep it Short
When you analyze the audience retention rate on Facebook or YouTube, you’ll find that most viewers only stick around to watch the first 5 seconds of a video. This gives them enough time to decide if it’s worth their time. So as the content creator, you only have 5 seconds to convince them that your video is worth watching from start to finish. Keeping a video just under a minute is the best practice. A minute should be enough time for someone to convey a message without losing the audience’s attention.
2. Keep it Simple
Along with keeping the video short, make sure it isn’t complicated. The more that’s going on, the less likely the audience will be to stick around and try to decipher it. So showing the product or main topic of the video within the first few seconds is the best way to grab the viewers attention. Not only should the video content be simple, but the description and video title should also be kept short and concise. Let the audience know what the video is about but still leave a little mystery so they will want to find out more.
3. Use Subtitles
Part of making a great video is taking how your target audience will be viewing into consideration. I know that if I’m scrolling through a page online in public, I don’t want to play videos with sound. I still want to watch them but if the only way I can get the information is by turning the sound on then I will leave that video and look for an article instead. By including subtitles you make sure that your audience will be able to watch the message you have for them no matter what the circumstances might be.
4. End with a Branding Slide
At the end of the video include a slide that shows your logo and other important contact information. This is a good time to give a shoutout to all your other social media sites: Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. This slide acts as a conclusion to the video story. It helps point your audience to more ways they can keep up with your brand’s awesome content!
5. Promote! Promote! Promote!
After launching your video on one channel, continue promoting it through the rest of your online social channels. Be careful not to do this too often, though; you don’t want to bore your following with the same content.