Why Small Businesses should embrace Video for their Social Media Marketing

Social media is a powerful, yet inexpensive marketing tool that mustn’t be overlooked by small businesses. Large businesses recognise the integral role social media plays in marketing and aggressively incorporate this in their marketing strategy. It is not without good reason, as not only does social media enhance brand awareness, it also provides an excellent platform for businesses to engage their customers and prospects. One important element in social media is video, which has grown in popularity in recent times.

How Crucial could video be in Social Media Marketing?

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words. So, imagine the true worth of a compelling video! In today's digital era, video is especially relevant and effectively drives the internet. Across various social media platforms, there’s been a growing increase in video content views and shares over the years. This is evident from the facts presented in a Score infographic, which show that four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video ad for a product, rather than read about it. The findings also show that 71% of consumers end up making a purchase after viewing a video.

Therefore, incorporating video in social media marketing is a smart move for all organisations, including small businesses. More and more brands are beginning to recognise the benefits it presents in terms of connecting with the audience. Today, 60% of businesses are actively using video marketing on social media.

Video is effective in grabbing the attention of millennials, who make up a large percentage of consumers online, thus rousing their interest. More than ever before, social media users are drawn to video content - especially on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Between 2016 and 2017, there has been a 258% and 99% increase in the viewing of branded videos on Facebook and YouTube respectively.

For small businesses that are yet unaware of video’s significance as an integral part of today’s social networking lifestyle, it’s critical to take a closer look at these findings:

● Videos are more likely to reach and engage audiences on Facebook. Notably, live videos receive 10 times more comments than regular videos.

● It’s six times more likely for a video tweet to be retweeted than a photo tweet. 93% of videos on Twitter are accessed ‘on the go’ via mobile devices.

● In terms of ‘likes’ and ‘comments’, video content generates the most user response on Instagram - just as on Linkedln, where users are 20 times more likely to share video content than any other type of content on that platform.

● After watching a video ad on Pinterest, users are 2.6 times more likely to make a purchase.

● Over the past three years, branded video views on social media have almost doubled.

How can Small Businesses take advantage of Video in Social Media Marketing?

Regardless the size or niche of any business today, failing to utilise social media video marketing would mean missing out on considerable sales opportunities.

With the use of video, businesses can better connect with the growing number of social media users on an emotional level. This is very important for consumer conversion, brand loyalty and advocacy.

Users can easily engage with video content on social media once certain standards are met. Businesses need to create the sort of content that would prompt the audience to take notice and develop an affinity towards the advertised brand, product or service. Here’s how:

● Create video content users will find valuable and pitch them a relevant offer: Informative video is the easiest and most effective way of gathering a huge following to market a brand or product. Viewers will consider the brand to be an expert in its field. When a product or service is now offered in that regard, it would be seen as a solution to a tangible concern.

● Make the videos short and impactful: A viewer might lose interest if the video isn’t brief and straight to the point. To achieve the best results, there are recommended time frames for social media video:

? YouTube videos: 2 minutes

? Facebook videos: 1 minute

? Twitter videos: 45 seconds

? Instagram videos: 26 seconds

● Incorporate graphics: Videos create a long-lasting impression on viewers. Therefore, incorporating memorable graphics into the video will make it even more interesting and engaging.

● Don’t forget to add a ‘Call-to-Action’: a ’Call-to-Action’ at the end of a video will motivate the viewer to take a step towards becoming a client or customer. Crucially, it is the most important part of any ad campaign, so be sure to make it sound urgent. Viewers are known to respond more readily when they feel a sense of urgency towards an offer.

Luke Cairns

Hightower Video

www.hightower.video