It’s no secret that video content dominates on social media. According to Buffer, online videos will account for more than 80% of all consumer internet traffic by 2020 and, every day, more than 8 billion videos (100 million hours) are watched on Facebook.
Businesses big and small should be embracing video content as Facebook continues to change their algorithm to put more value on video rather than photo or article posts.
With so much emphasis being put on mobile content and on video, there are a few key things you need to know before you get started.
Video Length is Key For Engagement
Videos rule engagement, and the length of the video will determine how much, or how little, interaction the video post receives.
Shorter videos attract more attention than longer ones. Clips with the most interactions, views, and engagements are 60-90 seconds in length. If your video is less than 60 seconds, it should at least hit the 31-second mark; videos less than 30 seconds will see the least amount of interactions on Facebook.
Live video’s popularity is growing as well, and more people are found to watch live videos longer than regular videos. Where regular videos should be at least 30 seconds and less than 6 minutes, live videos that are 15 minutes or more will see the most engagement.
Video Created for Mobile
When videos are created for mobile, they are usually shorter in length and introduce the brand quickly (in the first few seconds of the video). Users are not likely to want to watch a long video on their mobile device, so videos created for mobile should reflect that. Short videos that can be watched on a mobile device on-the-go are going to stand out on social media.
Further, mobile videos do not have to be professionally produced. Customers appreciate authenticity, so when brands show their “humanity,” they are more likely to get engagement. These videos can be shot on a mobile device without fancy, expensive equipment.
Video viewed on mobile isn’t always played with sound, so be sure to add closed captions to capture spoken dialogue.
Videos for Ads vs Videos for Posts
Recently, Facebook published a study that surveyed video viewers and discovered that ads created for mobile video stood out on Facebook and Instagram and performed better. But to be an effective ad, videos need to grab the user’s attention within the first 2-3 seconds and have a total length of no more than 20 seconds.
Facebook has an ad objective that is specifically for video views, which allows Facebook to show the video to users who they identify as likely to watch the video, thus increasing the reach of your video campaign.
For more tips on creating video ads, check out this article from Social Media Examiner.
Getting Started
The next time you are at your office or place of work, take out your smartphone and make a quick video of what is going on around you. Get into the habit of recording as many moments from your day as possible, from showing your employees hard at work to documenting the process of designing or creating your product. These videos will be timeless and perfect to use on social media.
With the state of video on social media, it is critical that you include it in your 2018 social media strategy.