How important is video content in social media today? Some would say that it’s absolutely everything, even building a successful social media marketing campaign solely around video. In fact, it has become so huge these past few years that Cisco estimates that video will make up 82% of internet traffic by 2022.
In today’s guide, we’re going to talk about why you should explore video and how you can get started with production.
The Importance of Video and Getting Started
There are three key reasons why video has become increasingly important in digital marketing:
- It’s simply popular. Video gets more sharing and engagement on social media compared to other types of content.
- Videos appeal to the most hyper-active age group of people on the internet. These are the users that are in their teens, twenties, and early thirties.
- Major social media sites have native features that allow you to share videos easily. There’s also a wealth of tools and tutorials that make video production easier than it was before.
Perhaps the most important reason to get behind video content is that your competitors are probably already using it.
Video is likely to become even more important in the future, so if you’re not using it now, it’s time to get started.
A good place to start is to observe your own social media activity. Have you watched any videos on social media in the last few weeks? What were they and why did you watch them? These will give you some ideas on the type of videos that you can produce yourself.
For many businesses just getting started with video content, it’s hard to imagine what to create. Here are some ideas for videos that you can produce yourself:
Answer a Question or Solve a Problem
Take a common question or problem your customers face that your expertise can solve, and then talk about the solution in front of the camera. This is especially handy for businesses that perform services like cleaning or repair work. You can actually show your audience how to do it!
Get in Front of the Camera and Talk
“Vlogs” or “video blogs” are simple but extremely popular on the internet. Try going on YouTube and you’ll see tons of influencers and experts who have created these types of videos.
Vlogs are the type of content where a person simply sits in front of the camera and talks. Take a topic that’s of interest to your audience and discuss it in a quick video of not more than a few minutes. To maximize engagement, ask your audiences to comment on their opinions or reactions to your video.
Behind the Scenes
Take your audience behind the scenes in your business or industry to show them a side they don’t usually get to see. Here are some ideas for behind the scenes videos:
- Show how your products are made
- Introduce or feature your employees
- Take a tour of the office
These are just a few simple ideas to get you started. You can also read our Five Tips for Social Video Optimization to help you out with some of the technical aspects. And if you want to deep dive into video production and marketing, check out this definitive guide from Backlinko.
Remember that video production doesn’t have to be complex. In fact, short simple videos are the most shared on social media. And don’t forget to keep track of your metrics because this will help you narrow down what type of video content is engaging for your audiences.
Need help or advice on video marketing? Reach out to me for a free consult!
Photo by Harrison Kugler on Unsplash
