Did you know that the average millennial watches 3 hours of videos per day? The popularity of videos is increasing and marketers are taking notice.
If you wish to leverage the benefits of this new trend, put on your thinking caps, get your laptops ready and create/curate brilliant videos.
7 videos your followers will love to share online
Using the right video can help you generate the best results for your video marketing campaign. Here are 7 types of videos that are adored by social media users and which will receive the highest engagement:
- Concept/theory explanation videos
There are a lot of theories out there and too few people who understand them. One of the most successful and most-shared videos is theory/concept explanation videos. From legal regulations to technology and art to foreign languages, there are many topics you can cover in theory explanation videos.
SciShow’s highly-interactive videos are a great example of how to use theory explanation videos to increase engagement.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kubGCSj5y3k ]
- How-to/instructional videos
Instructional tutorial videos are extremely share-worthy because they actually create an impact in the viewer’s lives. These videos make things simple for viewers and provide actionable tips that the audience can use in their lives.
Howdini is a great example of a channel that creates easy-to-follow videos on a wide range of topics.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joBmbh0AGSQ ]
- Video montages
Video montages are highly-engaging. They allow viewers to see what happens behind-the-scenes of their favourite brands, TV shows and events. They are extremely easy to make and they add a very personal feel to your marketing efforts. Video montages also work great as tributes.
The Oscars 90 Years of Cinema video montage is a great example of how videos can be used to enthral audiences.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuC2r8OMt0c ]
- Videos of current affairs
One of the most share-worthy videos you could post on social media is one that’s about the most recent global events. Current affairs can capture people’s attention like no other videos can. Take the example of ‘Incel’, an ideology that’s taking control of young American men and which is one of the prime causes of internal terrorism in the United States.
This video by The Washington Post explains what incel is, beautifully.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SX5YnHhDs4 ]
- Interview videos
Interview videos account for some of the most shared videos online. People love to get the inside scoop on others. When the interviewee is a politician or a celebrity; the desire to watch interview videos increases. If your brand is a clothing brand, you can consider sharing interview videos of famous designers, models or celebrities. Your social media followers will love you for it.
This rare interview opportunity with the Emperor of the fashion world, Karl Lagerfeld, gives fashion-lovers an insight into the little-known legendary designer.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qS5WY3JEkg ]
- Employee/customer-centric videos
If there’s one thing that audiences love to know, it’s how a brand treats its customers and employees. A great way to showcase your goodness and market your products/services is to create a video based on your customers’ testimonials or achievements and videos on how you repay your employees for the hard work they put in.
Coca-Cola’s Christmas special, The Last Customer, is a brilliant example of an employee-centric marketing video.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-oVg_Ga4Ks ]
This next video, Happiness Machine, shows how Coca-Cola truly shares happiness amongst its customers.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U ]
- Fan-made videos
A great way to honour your followers and customers is to actively promote the videos they have created. Not only will this make them feel valued, but it will increase the chances of video sharing. When your customers share fan-made videos with their friends, they present you with an opportunity to interact with other target markets.
This fan-made video entitled Batman vs It/Pennywise shows how creative followers can be and the great potential they have in generating social media engagement.
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlWaXiJVwYI ]
Tips to create video magic on social media
Now that you know the types of videos you can share on social media, let’s take a look at how to make them more share-worthy. Here are our top 10 tips for making your videos absolutely irresistible to your social media audience:
- Be a square
When it comes to video format, research shows that square-shaped videos receive 78% higher engagement compared to landscape videos. This is predominantly due to the popularity of mobile social media apps. In order to leverage the smaller screens of cellphones, marketers will be better-placed using square videos.
- Implement stunning thumbnails and enticing teasers
A custom thumbnail created with a thumbnail maker for your video provides an alluring insight into what your video is about. Additionally, teasers in the form of mysterious social media posts can keep viewers on tenterhooks for your upcoming video.
- Captions and titles are essential
Did you know that more than 85% of videos on social media come without an audio? This can ruin the experience for viewers. A great way to make your videos more accessible is to add captions and titles describing what the video is about.
- Allow viewers to ‘Tap for sound’
One of Facebook’s 2018 updates is access to its brand new, high-quality audio repository, Sound Collection. It would be a shame not to allow your viewers to enjoy the lilting melodies and superior-quality background tracks that you’ll get to use soon. Include a ‘Tap for sound’ button in the video and generate more views.
- Don’t get sidetracked
If there’s one thing that YouTube influencers Link Neal and Rhett Mclaughlin believe in, it’s the power of a ‘focused’ video. A piece of advice that the Good Mythical Morning duo give us is to keep all videos focused on just one point of discussion. Talk about one thing and make it memorable.
- Go native
Studies show that native videos drive 1.9X more likes, 2.5X more replies and 2.8X more shares on social media, compared to videos that are shared from another link. When publishing a video on social media, remember to publish directly on the platform and not share it through your blog/website.
- Create/curate platform-specific videos
The most popular videos on Twitter are 140 seconds in length, while the ones that fared best on Facebook and Instagram were between 30 and 60 seconds. It’s important to understand audience psyche on each platform before deciding on video features and elements. In video marketing, engagement is impacted by the nature of the social media platform.
- Add a CTA in your video
Videos create a high sensory impact, often promoting sales. This makes videos the best places to advertise your business. Make sure you add a verified phone number, email ID and office address in the video to encourage people to contact you.
- Tag other people, pages and videos in your post
Say you’re in the interior design business. A great way to get more viewers to see a video of your services is to tag a popular TV star who’s recently had a house renovation done. You will not only be able to draw parallels between the quality of work you offer and the work the star had done, but you’ll also attract the attention of other target markets who aren’t your own.
- Choose live over static
Research by Facebook shows 78% of users spend 3X more time watching live streamed videos. They are also 10X more likely to comment on live-streamed videos than static ones. If you want your videos to be engaged with by everyone, make sure you live-stream it during high-traffic hours. Trust us, these videos will be shared in no time.