Content marketing, digital marketing, and influencer marketing...today all of these are tied in one way or another to social media marketing. Social media video is not only one of the most versatile types of content you can use for your brand’s marketing campaigns–it's also a major opportunity for growing your business.
Are you considering creating your social media videos yourself instead of hiring a social media video agency? In this post, we’re going to share 12 tips on how to create amazing social media videos that will outshine competitors and keep people watching–and sharing!
4 best types of social media videos for your company
There are several different video types that you can create and publish for social media, and this impacts which social channels you should share your content on.
When it comes to building a top content strategy, picking the right social media channel is critical because it determines which types of people and potential customers you’re more likely to reach.
1. Stories
Stories are short-form videos that disappear 24 hours after being published. Snapchat pioneered this feature back in 2013 and over the years, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn have all followed suit with their own versions of Stories. This is a great format for driving audience engagement with interactive features like polls and questions.
2. Short-form videos
On TikTok and Instagram Reels, the most popular videos typically span between 15-60 seconds long. Short-form videos as a general rule always run under 10 minutes. This format is perfect for short creative storytelling, and works especially well for content like explainer videos and tutorials too.
3. Long-form videos
Long-form social media video production can run up to 30 minutes or more, making it a less common format on social media which mostly prioritizes short, snackable content. These videos are ideal for longer storytelling or content like short films, webinars, online courses, Q&A sessions, and can be shared on Instagram (through IGTV), YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
4. Live streams
Live streams are unedited videos streamed in real-time. There is little to no editing of footage involved because the content is published immediately. However, thorough preparation is necessary and there is little room for error since editing is not really an option. Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn all have live video streaming capabilities, so you don’t have to worry about perfecting your editing process!
Looking to level up your social media game and attract more people to your feed?
Looking to level up your social media game? PlayPlay's platform is the ultimate solution to create social media videos. Whether it's for LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, or any other platform.
How to create engaging social media videos
Follow these 12 tips to ensure you’re creating the best social media videos for your audience.
1. Write a script, even for short videos
A simple rule to remember: every video should have a script. This is an essential step to laying out the groundwork for your video and you’ll save time in the shooting phase by writing out exactly what should happen in each scene (whether there’s dialogue or not).
2. Make the first few seconds really stand out
Social media influencers and content creators know this well – no matter what industry or niche you’re in, there is competition. There are more than 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute. That means your content needs to grab your audience's attention almost instantly–and get them to click in just a few seconds.
Film the right intro
Make sure your intro quickly gives the viewer an idea of what they can expect from the rest of the video. For example, for a video interview you could begin with a key quote or a striking key figure. Alternatively, you can provide timestamps in the video description so viewers can skip to the parts that are most pertinent to them. Discover our online free intro maker and start engaging your audience !
3. Don’t create videos just for ‘sales’
Videos should always serve a purpose to users, whether that’s educating, informing, or entertaining. An increasing number of consumers want to connect with the brands they buy from on a deeper level–and they pay attention to brand communications to see if your values and mission align with their beliefs.
Audiences search for content every day that helps them in their daily lives, and they’re drawn to entertaining easy-to-consume formats like branded social media videos.
Make sure your company’s editorial planning mixes various video types (e.g. interviews, tutorials, explainer videos, etc.) to address different audiences and their unique needs.
4. Focus on the storytelling
No matter what message you’re trying to communicate to audiences, good storytelling is the key to a memorable video. Take the time to flesh out a compelling storyboard with characters or scenarios that your target audience can connect with and care about. You don’t want users to just hear your message–you want them to listen and remember it.
5. Jazz up your video’s aesthetics
Like with all good marketing materials, make sure your videos follow your brand's design guidelines and strategy to stay consistent in look and feel (colors, fonts, etc). This also makes brand recall easier for consumers.
To strengthen your marketing strategy, create a little variety in your social media video content! Use different design elements such as transitions, motion design, graphics and text overlays to highlight your videos’ key messages.
And don’t worry–you don’t need a professional motion design artist to achieve this. You can easily experiment with different design templates and dynamic effects with an easy-to-use online editor and social media video maker like PlayPlay.
6. Use optimum set up: mics, tripod, lights
So you’ve got a great script and storyboard...but don’t forget about the quality of your video footage. Make sure your video production meets professional standards and upholds your brand reputation.
Before filming, make sure all equipment is set up correctly before hitting “record”. Test your lights, microphones, camera, props, etc…to make sure you’re getting top quality audio, music, and lighting while you’re shooting. This will save you time from reshooting or fixing issues in post-production - whether it be sound, lighting, or image quality.
7. Keep the length short
Are you wondering about your social media video length or how long your video should be? You’re busy, and your viewers are too. Studies show that users’ engagement drops sharply after the 2 minute mark. So unless you’re creating long form video content, try to keep your video length under that benchmark. The main goal is to capture and keep users’ attention long enough to see your video’s key messaging and remember it. Short, simple, and creative content does just that.
8. Optimize for different mediums with consistency
Every social media platform has their own technical video specs that creators need to follow for optimal content performance. Manually reformatting or creating new video files from scratch for each and every social channel can be a time-consuming and tedious process.
We recommend using an online video editor tool like PlayPlay to format your videos with the perfect specs for each social platform in just a click. PlayPlay also ensures that your videos will have the same branding and style across the board, thanks to its 'branding presets' feature.
9. Add music to your videos
Music sets the energy of your video, so it’s important to choose music that not only complements, but enhances the desired tone of your video. Be aware of lyrics too–even if the melody is on point, inappropriate or irrelevant lyrics can distract users from the key messaging of your video.
Include the right audio for your videos!
PlayPlay Pro Tip Music licensing can make it expensive to use copyrighted songs in your videos. PlayPlay’s video maker tool gives you access to royalty-free stock music so you can stay focused on your video creation and not worry about the legal stuff.
10. Add subtitles to your videos
A U.S. survey by Verizon and Publicis Media showed that a staggering 93% of American consumers preferred to watch video without sound on their mobile devices. This goes to show how critical it is for brands and creators to add social media video subtitles to ensure it’s accessible to all audiences, including the hearing impaired.
To prove this point even further, the same study revealed that 80% of American consumers are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available.
11. Always include a call-to-action
No effective marketing video is complete without a solid CTA (call-to-action) at the end. Choose a CTA that matches the objective of your marketing video, and make sure it’s easy to understand and perform.
Some great CTAs to try: download gated content, share the video with your network, subscribe for more content, visit a website, or book a demo.
In addition to making the CTA copy concise, it’s a good idea to make the design attention-grabbing as well so users don’t miss this step. Consider using motion design, bright colors, or animation to highlight the final CTA.
12. Always repurpose existing content
This is a great strategy to increase your marketing ROI. Each time you create a piece of content (for example, an ebook, a blog post, or a customer testimonial, etc...), reformat it as an awesome video for your social media strategy.
Make the most of your marketing efforts by reformatting these videos as evergreen content, giving it a longer lifespan on social media and other marketing channels. Repurposing your existing content into videos is a sustainable strategy to increase your high-impact marketing assets with less budget.
Choose the right social media tools for consistency
Use a social media tool like Hootsuite to organize and schedule out your social media calendar. You can efficiently repurpose your content by publishing your videos across different social channels with unique copy and media–all from one place.
If you want a more complete list of social media marketing tools, read our article.
Create your next social media video with PlayPlay
With these 12 new marketing tips in mind, why not put them into action by using a great video creation platform that will create the most engaging content for your audience?
Companies have a lot to say, and their audiences expect video content.
PlayPlay is the video creation platform that empowers Marketing and Communication teams to transform any message into engaging video stories.
With our powerful and intuitive products, top AI technologies, and our focus on enterprise storytelling, we've enabled over 3,000 companies to make video their main form of communication.
Inspiring CSR initiatives, authentic employee interviews, valuable industry insights... bring all your stories to life with video.
With PlayPlay, you can also crop and resize your videos, so they are sure to fit the formats of your chosen platforms. Making one video and sharing it on all your social media channels has never been easier!
Try PlayPlay free for 7 days. You can also book a demo with a PlayPlay specialist today!
Here are the 7 best tips for your social media video creation process:
- Identify your target audience and their preferred platforms
- Set clear objectives
- Keep your posts concise and engaging
- Add a clear CTA
- Use high-quality visuals
- Add music or audio to your videos
- Use captions and subtitles
When it comes to social media videos, keeping them short and sweet usually works best. Sure, longer videos can do great on YouTube or during live streams, but most social platforms prefer bite-sized video content.
The most engaging types of posts on social media are short-form videos, images, and live videos. Making sure you’re producing this type of content ensures you’ll grab your audience’s attention and show them posts they are likely to be interested in.
While there are many social media platforms to choose from, the top 3 ones are YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram! YouTube has the highest monthly organic traffic rate, with over 79 billion visits. Facebook has over 17 billion visits in monthly organic traffic, and Instagram is the third most popular - boasting 10 billion visits in monthly organic traffic.
So, make sure to post your content on these platforms to maximize audience reach and engage more people.
You should aim to post at least once a day for optimal engagement levels. Posting once a day keeps your content and feed fresh without overwhelming people! This also ensures your audience will see at least a few of your posts per week, in case they missed one of your posts on any given weekday.
In general, you should post between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. This is considered a social media posting sweet spot because posts shared in the late afternoon tend to do very well. People will be more likely to see your posts when they’re taking a break from work in the afternoon or have finished their work day in the evening.
Melissa Francois
Head of Global Content & Comms
With over 10 years of experience in the wild world of SaaS, Melissa cares about building great brand stories and driving community engagement through engaging content. Off the clock, she enjoys long walks and a pint in a cozy country pub.
