So, you’ve spent weeks conceptualising some genius video content, and several days of intense filming and editing, and you’re finally done with the perfect video for social media – or so you think. Before you hang up your hat and expect to see the views shoot up, you have to remember that producing the video is only the first step.
All your efforts would go to waste if there was no one to watch your video. And getting viewers to find your video – and stop to watch it – requires deliberate action as well. As some stats go, any post on Facebook has only 1.7 seconds to capture the user’s attention before they scroll past. So, don’t let your post get lost in the swamp of countless other content!
With just a little bit of thoughtfulness, you can make your videos much more social media-friendly, and more appealing to your audience. Let’s take a look at some of these little tips and tricks you can use to optimise your social media video productions!
Keep It Simple
We live in a world of information overload. Your video post is only one out of hundreds, thousands, and millions of others floating around the internet. Coupled with short attention spans and busy audiences, there’s literally no time to lose if you want to grab someone’s attention.
Simple, to-the-point messaging is key for social media videos. Ideally, your video should grip your audience within the first 5 seconds, and give them something to look forward to in the rest of the video. Avoid complex or conflicting messages which may confuse the viewer. Instead, opt for storytelling that people can grasp easily without having to rack their brains or turn on their full concentration mode.
Outline Objectives In Your Video Proposals
On the note of quotes, making the objectives of your video project clear to video companies will also better inform us on the quote we set. Some important details to include are your target audience and the video’s key message (e.g. a call to action). With these pieces of information, video companies can make more specific proposals and suitable quotes that will suit your expectations.
Your goals and objectives determine the backbone of the video, and knowing this right off the bat will greatly expedite the ideation process. When production companies are clear of the results you expect, they can focus their attention on helping you reach your goals, which is a win-win situation for all.
Enquire About Revision PoliciesÂ
It’s the same for any type of creative work – opinions can and will differ, and revisions are often part and parcel of the process. What’s important to you is how this video production house is going to treat the creative process.
Some companies state upfront their revision policies, while others are more secretive about it. It’s always good to make things clear from the start, so that there won’t be any unhappiness or disputes once the project is underway. To put it another way, this helps both parties ensure they don’t waste each other’s time.
Watch It Muted
Most social media platforms have videos automatically muted until the user turns on the volume. What this means is that many viewers are actually watching your social media videos on ‘silent mode’!
When you think about that, you have to consider how your video looks like without any sound. Are there subtitles that help with understanding the video message, even when the volume is muted? Would a title banner be helpful in signalling your video content before diving in proper?
It also goes without saying that the visuals are super important in delivering the right tone, subject matter, and branding. If you want your video to catch your audiences mid-scroll, these are things you need to consider.
The Best Format
Format might seem like a matter of convenience or constraint, but it can also have an effect on how viewers perceive your video. 1:1 videos are all the rage – they appear ‘bigger’ on one’s mobile screen than landscape videos, have that trendy Instagram look, and according to one study by Buffer Social, are superior to landscape videos in terms of engagement, views, and completion rates.
Vertical video are the format of choice for platforms like Instagram Stories, but are also highly favoured as they maximise the full space on mobile devices and don’t require your audience to flip their phone to watch it. In fact, a study by Mediabrix found that less than 30% of mobile users will turn their phones to watch a horizontal video ad on social media.
Yet, don’t ditch the landscape videos just yet! In some contexts, landscape videos can work well for your brand due to the more cinematographic look. If your ads are to be placed on video-streaming sites like Youtube – where people are likely to be watching in landscape mode already – a horizontal orientation might be advantageous for you.
At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but you need to know how to use each format to your advantage.
Level Up Your Social Media Video Marketing
You might have noticed that these tips are best taken into account during the conceptualisation phase itself. By no means should they be an afterthought, put together in post-production.
In addition to optimising your videos, there is still so much more to learn about effectively advertising your videos online. From the right platform to post them, to the nitty-gritty details of paid advertising, knowing how to get your videos to work for you isn’t always going to be a breeze. Thankfully, you have agencies that specialise in video marketing to help you.
Our team at Gram don’t just comprise experts in video production in Singapore, but also experts in video advertising and marketing. Need help in marketing your brand through video? Get in touch with us for a discussion!
