I doubt I need to tell you this, but video content is BIG and its popularity is growing every year.
There are more than 4 billion video watches on Facebook every day. According to this source, 500 million viewers watch 100 million hours of video content on Facebook daily. (YansMedia)
That's a staggering figure!
But it's not surprising really, video is easy to consume and producing video content can help you boost business growth as your videos attract, educate, and convert more people from prospects into leads and sales.
80% of marketers confirmed that video helped increase sales. (Wyzowl)
The great thing about video content marketing is that it’s becoming easier to do effectively, if you’ve got a mobile, you’re ready to go! You don’t need video recording or editing skills, so don’t let this hold you back.
In fact, some of the best performing videos are recorded ‘in the moment’, they're effective because they are relatable and they resonate with people.
Video content marketing
I’m often encouraging my clients to use video in their Facebook ad campaigns, so in the essence of practise what you preach, I put my inner introvert aside (easier said than done) and I ran a very short experiment using video on my social media platforms.
My usual content strategy is to share text posts, graphics, articles and imagery with only the occasional video. So instead, for five days I posted a video each day on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to see how the content performed.
Here are my findings from 5 days of video (you can watch the final video here), including what was good and what didn't go so well [NB: for a true marketing test, I’d recommend a longer trial to collect a good amount of data].
Reach on the posts was lower than usual. This wasn’t entirely unexpected as unlike YouTube, none of the platforms I posted on are 'video first' platforms, which means video doesn't always get prioritised by the algorithm.
Some other possible reasons why the videos didn’t perform as well as my usual content;
I didn’t make the videos on the platforms, I pre-recorded my videos and uploaded them each day. It's likely that recording on-platform would be the preferred method.
I didn’t use subtitles, which will have stopped some people from watching if they had their sound turned off.
The positive outcomes!
Engagement on the posts was better quality and the videos received much longer more detailed comments. People were able to connect with the message and were interested in starting a conversation.
In summary, I believe that using video helps you to get your message across more easily. As you may have experience with text-only posts, written content can quite easily be misinterpreted or taken in the wrong tone.
Another advantage is that it creates a connection, people can get to know you much faster, which in my mind is a huge plus for small businesses operating remotely. Video is more engaging, it triggers emotional responses and is likely to stay in your memory longer.
Video Facebook Ads
So with the benefits of video in mind, it makes sense to also use video in your Facebook advertising efforts too.
Video ads allow you to promote your service or product with ease, you can create video ads from Ads Manager or boost a post that includes a video from your Facebook Page. Video ads will show in a number of different placements across both Facebook and Instagram, including the recent addition of ads in Reels.
Following the Apple iOS changes at the start of the year, a lot has changed. Performance has changed, reporting has changed, strategies and ads that you were using before may no longer work.
However, engagement and actions that happen on the platform are a reliable source of data and are more important than ever.
Why not choose a video that has performed well on your Facebook page and has got lots of engagement, and run it as an ad to reach more people?
You can also use video views to create some warm audiences to retarget.
If you’re already using ads to drive traffic to a landing page, you might also be interested to know that;
Incorporating video on a landing page can boost conversions by 80% or more. (Adelie Studios)
So if you’re not using video, it’s time to add it to your content strategy!
Video content that you can create
Introduction to your business let your audience know a bit more about you, why you started your business or how you can help them.
How-to videos address your client’s pain points or answer the questions that you always get asked.
Vlogs (video blog) about to write your latest blog? Why not turn the content into a video instead?
Tutorials if you have a longer, more meaty subject, you could create a video and go into more detail. Video is an effective way of demonstrating complex subjects.
Video testimonials ask your clients if they would be willing to record a short video, these are super powerful when used with Facebook ads. Your client can talk about what it was like to work with you and the results you achieved.
Live streams going ‘live’ is the fastest way for your audience to get to know you. It’s more engaging than prerecorded video and is often prioritised by the algorithm.
Tips and tricks share helpful tips that will save your viewers a heap of time in not having to figure it out for themselves.
Are you using video or is it something you’d like to do more of?
Let me know!
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