Those last two seconds you used to read the title? That’s it. There it was. You have less time than that to grab a social media user’s attention as they scroll through their feed.
Making the most of these micro-moments matters. So, your content needs to work… hard. Video content is not only a reliable digital marketing workhorse, but sure to become one of your favorite marketing tools.
Here’s why video is so effective on social media
Video content is key in driving awareness and has an expansive audience.
As a matter of fact, more people are consuming more video than ever.
- Nearly 2 billion users view YouTube videos1 monthly – that’s nearly 1/3 of ALL online users.
- The number of eyeballs in YouTube is trumped only by Facebook where monthly active users tip the scale at 2.5 billion viewers1.
- What’s more – social posts with video content average 48 percent2 more views than other types of social post. That’s powerful.
Video content is more effective at engaging users than text or images
- Viewers retain 95 percent3 of a messages when it’s delivered through video, while they only retain about 10 percent of the things they read.
- Perhaps one factor influencing message retention is that consumers are 12 times4 more likely to share video content versus text and image content combined and thereby more frequently re-experiencing it with their chosen recipient/s.
Search engines like video
Video helps you obtain more frequent AND more meaningful user engagement. Because you’re delivering quality experiences for consumers, the search engines notice.
While the algorithm remains a mystery, Google has been known to reward what it perceives as quality content in its organic search results.
- An average user spends 88 percent5 more time on a website with video content.
- Further, a website with video content is 53 times3 more likely to reach the Google’s first page of natural results.
Video supports lead generation
For your business, that means customers are more likely to convert (e.g., purchase, book an appointment, call) after having engaged with video content. As a matter of fact:
- 72 percent2 of users prefer learning about a product through video
- 64 percent2 of consumers will purchase after watching branded videos on social platforms.
It’s worth noting that video content can help make your brand a social media powerhouse; it works best when combined in with a variety of content types. In other words, there’s room in a content strategy for text, image and link posts.
Getting Started
When you’re ready to roll out your next video – and particularly if you’re just starting out, it’s smart to take a test-and-learn approach.
Figure out what types of videos might be best for the information you’re trying to convey and how you want to position your business. Consider:
- Vlogs (video blogs)
- Tutorials
- Testimonials
- Live streaming
- Interviews
- Ads
Just remember, time is precious.
We mentioned you have less than two seconds to capture someone’s attention in a social feed. Even if you caught their attention, it’s unlikely they’ll give you five minutes of their time. Aim for two-minute videos on social media.
While great visuals seem obvious, high quality audio is important. Slapping just any soundtrack and/or voiceover to your file simply will not do. Great audio grabs (and keeps) a user’s attention, reinforces your brand identity and delivers memorable – and often informative, value.
It’s worth mentioning that the majority of Facebook videos (85 percent) are viewed with the sound off, but more than half of all Instagram stories are experienced with the sound on6.
Bottom-line
Video content is social media marketing table stakes. Consumers not only want it. They expect it.
Mobile video consumption increases by more than 100 percent each year3, putting consumer demand for video content is on a trajectory to hit 82 percent of all internet traffic by 20217.
Where are you in your video content journey? Just getting started? Let’s talk!
1 Statista
2 Hubspot
3 Insivia
4 G2 Crowd
5 Oberloa
6 Instagram
7 Cisco
Special thanks to Biteable’s 55 video marketing statistics for 2020 for pulling together so much valuable information!