Social Media Marketing

Why You Should Include Video In Your Social Media Plans

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When it comes to social media, videos are a super important tool for engagement and content creation, helping you achieve goals in your social media plan in style. When creating your social media plan or social media marketing strategy, it’s key to include video content as a priority across platforms. 

What does social media video marketing do for your brand? What video features and platforms can you use? Below are the answers to any social media video questions you might have so just keep scrolling!

The Importance of Social Media Video Use: In Stats

As a social media expert, it’s always important to do your research on social and digital trends and keep an ear on the ground for approaches that can enhance your social media. Analytics, stats, numbers, insights – any data that helps you with better decision matters. 

Here are a few 2021 stats to guide you on the importance of social media video content: 

  • Just over 80% of businesses utilize video marketing methods.- HubSpot
  • Weekly, 78% of people consume online videos and 55% consume them daily. –HubSpot
  • YouTube users watch over one billion hours of video content daily. –YouTube
  • YouTube follows Google as the most popular website. –Alexa
  • 72% of consumers prefer learning about a product or a service via video.-HubSpot
  • Users are 1.5x more likely to view videos on their phones. –Facebook
  • 60% of people prefer to watch videos online than to watch TV. –Google

Types Of Social Media Videos

These stats show the importance and popularity of social media videos as a marketing tool. They also point to an increased use of video and an increased variety of platforms that prioritize video content. As a brand or business, you have different options for the kinds of video content you can create and which platforms you can share them on, too. 

When thinking about what kinds of videos to post, you have two broad categories to choose from: long-form vs short-form video

Short-form videos are easy to digest, snappy content clips often shared on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories and feed, and even Twitter. These are fantastic for improving clickthrough rates and video completion rates. Short-form videos have also become a popular advertising option, particularly with the use of short ad clips on various social media platforms like YouTube. 

Long-form videos, on the other hand, are ideal for information-sharing, and storytelling. These social media videos provide a greater opportunity for engagement and detail. However, the difficulty arises in keeping viewers engaged all the way to the end of the video. The key with long-form is to set clear goals for the video and use those to measure success rather than just looking at click and completion data. You can share long-form videos via Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook, IGTV, Daily Motion, and more. 

A bonus video type that grows more popular by the day is social media live chats. These are like video calls or chats that are open to a public audience. Although the video generally doesn’t stay on your profile, these chats can be a fantastic opportunity for engagement!

Filming social media video content on phone

5 Reasons Why You Should Include Video In Your Social Media Plans

Better Metrics

It might just sound like a social media myth but you can actually get more exposure and engagement for video content online. 

Most mixed-media platform algorithms (like Instagram for example) prioritize video content. This is because a video captures user attention for a longer span, keeping them on the platform just a bit longer. As a result of this engagement, the algorithm is then more likely to keep boosting that post. So, video content results in more engagement on different platforms. 

Audiences & Users Love It

One thing that’s clear from video engagement is that social media audiences love videos!

Video has grown exceptionally in the past couple of years, and even more so with the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Facebook and Instagram, for example, noted a 40% hike in use as a result of the pandemic. Audiences turned to video for entertainment, distraction, and even for communication. 

Social media video content has developed into an effective and essential technique for user engagement. 

Sticks Around Longer

Video content also tends to stay around longer. Video prompts higher engagements, interactions, and shares, which means it travels in the digital space longer. Thus, it can show up in content ‘For You’, ‘Suggested’, or Explore pages long after it was initially posted. 

Suited To Various Platforms

Although making social media video content can seem like a grueling and resource-heavy task, it can actually become a cost-effective way to keep content consistent and expand your reach. One video, for example, can be shared across a variety of platforms. You can also use clips or short-form teasers to redirect viewers to a longer video on a different platform. 

Playing with video lengths and editing tools can turn the same footage into numerous bits of content with very little effort. Consider GIFs and clips taken from longer videos and how they become their own posts. Another bonus is that there are tons of video editing tools and sites that you can use to reuse video content free of charge! 

Boosts Sales & Conversions

Let’s consider this Hubspot stat again: 72% of consumers prefer learning about a product or a service via video. This means that using video is a more effective way of getting buyers interested in your products and potentially making a purchase. Video enables brands to display their products and services more dynamically. 

Camera for vlogging and filming

Lights, Camera, Action!

Brands and businesses can make the mistake of running away from video content creation because it seems like a lot of work. But clearly, the benefits make this content tool a must for social media success. 

Video is certainly a hit with audiences and it boosts engagement, conversions, and the reach and longevity of your content. Integrate and schedule video posts into your content plan today!

And don’t forget – Preppr is always here to help you schedule your videos and plan your content in advance.

Account Manager | Contentellect - Intelligent Content Creation

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