In their video marketing campaign, one thing that many marketers do is simply create one video, and repost it on all the various social media sites. While this is not wrong, it is not the best way, either.
Firstly, there’s the issue of format. Did you know that square videos are watched 35% more frequently than landscape ones on Facebook? That’s because most users browse Facebook on mobile, and few are willing to turn their phone to watch a landscape video. For this reason, vertical videos actually outdo square formats! Vertical videos have 6-9 times more engagement than square videos, and 13.8% more visibility.
However, vertical videos would hardly make sense on Youtube, where most videos are horizontal. That’s why it pays to have your video in various formats to best suit the platform you are targeting.
Aside from technical differences between the platforms, the different audiences and browsing habits will affect the best type of video for each platform. Because of this, one particular video type for a specific social media platform might not work as well for another platform.
So, what are the best type of videos for each channel? Here are some ideas to get you started on refining your social media video marketing strategy!
One of the biggest and oldest social media platforms that is still active today, Facebook has remained relevant due to its ability to adapt and keep up with the times. While most formats of video content do well on Facebook, there are a few types of content that do better than others, like interviews, audience question and answers, and product reveals.
One of the biggest reasons why these videos do well on Facebook is due to the reach that the platform has. On Facebook, it is possible to ask the audience to actively participate during live videos. This makes it perfect for Q&As and interviews, where the audience feels that they are engaging with the people behind the video and can look to join in. You can also create events and publicise them ahead of time to drum up excitement and viewership for livestream reveals.
Instagram is one of the most user-friendly platforms and favours photos and videos as its content choice. Compared to Facebook, it has a more casual vibe, with an emphasis on ephemeral videos through the stories or live stories function.
Product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes content, as well as user-generated videos do well on Instagram. It is also suitable for bonding with your audience and sharing relevant, original, and high-quality content, while building up a community of fans.
Twitter has come a long way since its 140-character tweet days. Nowadays, video is a big thing even on Twitter, and tweets with videos see 10 times more engagement than posts without.
Question and answer videos on Twitter are a nice way to add a personal touch to your followers’ queries. Entertaining sketches or even meme-able moments are popularly shared as well, and can generate a lot of buzz for your brand.
TikTok
For the last 2 years, TikTok has dominated the video content space, and should not be neglected in your digital marketing strategy. The best video content on TikTok is to go with the trend. As new trends surge in popularity on the app, you can take advantage of the updates that come with new special effects and filters. Thus, users often participate in these new trends, complete with hashtags.
As a brand, by participating in these trends, it can make your business look hip and cool – a good thing if your brand is geared towards a younger audience. It is also important to ensure that trend participation doesn’t go against what the company stands for. Your videos can even be informational and entertaining at the same time!
Youtube
One of the ‘OG’ video-sharing site and top social media site, Youtube needs no introduction. Because it’s become the go-to place for people specifically wanting to watch videos, it has one of the widest diversity of content, from vlogs and livestreams to product demos and reviews.
Surveys put Youtube as the 2nd most used search engine after Google. This means that many users are going directly to Youtube to find videos to answer their queries! Thus, guides, instructionals, and tutorials are great for Youtube.
Conclusion
Social media video production should not be taken lightly. Many professional careers and livelihoods have been built on one’s ability to produce content that goes viral on social media. As a brand, it is essential that you know which platforms are best for the content that you want to share. If you don’t, then take the time to brainstorm with your marketing team.
If you like, you can also rope in a video production agency to advice you on this! With our experience in creating social media videos, we believe we can provide valuable guidance on how to showcase your brand on the various platforms through video.
