Video has been rising steadily in popularity across most social media platforms for years. Smart marketers are capitalizing on consumers’ love of video by adding more and more video-based content to their social media marketing strategies.

Let’s look at some of the top reasons to add video to your marketing strategy:

• The average consumer watches nearly 2 hours of video content each day- that’s over 8 billion videos a day on Facebook alone!
• Posts that contain video have a much higher rate of engagement than posts without.
• Video marketing boosts your conversion rate.
• Video allows you to form a deeper, more meaningful connection with your audience.
• Adding more video content can improve your SEO ranking.

Each platform is a little different when it comes to making the most of your video content and capturing the most views.

YouTube

When YouTube burst on the scene in 2005, nobody would have predicted how important it would become for businesses- it was mostly just a place for people to post their own stupid human tricks. But now, it’s become a marketing giant.

• YouTube’s algorithm values watch time more than number of views, so the longer you can get people to watch your videos, the more viewers you’ll actually get.
• Start with an attention-getting headline and thumbnail image.
• Try using a teaser for your video’s main attraction as your intro to grab users’ interest and keep them watching.
• Use your YouTube analytics feature to discover the most popular time for your target audience to log in so you can increase the chances of your video being seen.

Facebook

Facebook has over 2 billion users and like I told you earlier, they’re watching around 8 billion videos each day. Your focus here needs to be user experience.

• The types of videos that get the most engagement on Facebook are inspirational, funny, or useful.
• The vast majority of viewers are logging in on a mobile device, so you MUST optimize your content to be mobile-friendly.
• Viewers prefer vertical videos to landscape format, and short videos get more complete views that longer ones.
• 85% of Facebook users watch videos without sound, so don’t forget the captions.

Instagram

Instagram is truly a brand’s best friend because it’s the platform where users are most open to connecting with businesses and brands that they love.

• If you have lots of how-to tutorials to share, Instagram is your best bet, because tutorials are the most popular videos on the platform.
• You can attract more views by creating videos that are short, easy to follow, and eye-catching.
• You can also boost your engagement by adding hashtags and stickers

TikTok

In the past it’s been more of a Gen Z playground, but its popularity has SOARED over the past year, and it cannot be ignored- especially if your target audience includes millennials and Gen Z.

• Your focus should be on increasing brand awareness and trust.
• Create a profile that is consistent with your other social media profiles and create content that reflects your brand’s vibe and voice.
• Use TikTok to enhance your brand awareness by encouraging followers to participate in branded hashtag challenges to show off your products, or by sharing customer testimonials in praise of your brand.

To learn more about adding video content to your marketing strategy, tune in to this week’s episode of Building Your Empire with SophieZo.