Though it’s great to get the video views, what you really want is to be able to retain your audience throughout the video itself. Data suggests that each “view” a video gets on social media comprises around three seconds of actual watch time, on average. Not much, if you ask us. Ideally, what you want is for people to stop scrolling past your video marketing content and watch more of it. After all, creating video content isn’t cheap.
But how do you achieve this? How can you incentivize people to pause and watch your content instead of scrolling straight past? Check out these ideas.
Think Mobile First
With the ever-increasingly ubiquity of mobile devices, it’s essential for small businesses to prioritize video content to be consumed on mobile, not desktop. Mobile is inherently more shareable and a more common way for people to access social media platforms. Going mobile first in terms of video involves incorporating humor, educating your customers, and keeping videos short – perhaps as little as 10 seconds.
Create Videos That Thrill With The Sound Off
Many Facebook users choose to turn video sound off in the settings. Because of this, video marketers must create videos that engage, even with the sound off. Doing video right on social media, therefore, involves creating visually exciting content that encourages users to turn on the sound and delve a little deeper. Ideally, your video should thrill with the sound off and delight even more with the sound on.
Incorporate Captions
Because many people will watch your videos with the sound off, captions can be a great way to boost engagement. But be careful, though – not all captioning methods are created equal. Savvy marketers know that it is always preferable to use bespoke captioning rather than automatic closed captioning services. Although the artificial intelligence that drives close captioning methods is improving all the time, it’s far from perfect, and may not accurately reflect your message (or even worse, make amateur mistakes which confuse customers).
Keep Text Brief
If you plan on using text in your videos, keep it brief. Focus on communicating only the salient points (especially important on Twitter and Instagram) and then provide interested customers with a link so that they can find out more. Include just enough text to convey the message. Avoid confusing jargon and stay focused on solving customer problems and pushing through pain points.
Fill The Screen
If you want to grab the attention of users, the best method is to take up as much real estate as possible. The 16:9 video format takes up the smallest amount of space on a typical mobile screen. 1:1 takes up a little more, and 9:16, a vertical format, takes up the most space on the news feed and gives you options for placement,
If you want to find out how to do video right on social media, then get in touch with Pivotal New Media today. With us, you can get an education on how to incorporate video into your marketing strategy.
