Enhance Your Social Media Presence With Engaging Videos: Best Practices

In this article, you’ll learn:

According to Wyzowl's State of Video Marketing 2023, 91% of businesses use videos as a marketing tool. In today's B2B landscape, video content isn't just a valuable addition; it's essential for meaningful engagement.

Video content has the power to elucidate complex ideas, showcase product capabilities, and cultivate trust. However, not all videos on social media seize the viewer's attention. Only those with a compelling narrative, genuine emotion, and unique perspective stand above the rest.

Thus, with so much content, it's becoming increasingly crucial for brands to make engaging videos. This article will delve into the best practices for creating compelling video content for social media, ensuring your efforts stand out and resonate with your target audience.

Here are the five video formats that consistently captivate social media audiences, driving both engagement and meaningful interactions:

Tutorials & How-to Guides

People constantly search for quick, digestible solutions to their problems on social media. Tutorial and how-to videos tap into this demand by providing clear, step-by-step answers, making learning more accessible than ever. The rising trend of DIY culture, coupled with instant problem-solving satisfaction, has further fueled the popularity of these videos on social media. With the help of user-friendly online video editor tools, creators can enhance the quality and engagement of their tutorial content, ensuring it stands out in a crowded digital landscape.

Take Sephora, for example. The famous beauty brand frequently shares makeup tutorials on Instagram that showcase their products and empower viewers with new beauty techniques.

The result of these videos? They serve dual purposes: educating the audience while subtly promoting products or services.

Testimonials & User Reviews

You know that feeling when a friend flaunts a product, and you think, "I've gotta try that too?". That's the magic of testimonials and user reviews. When you see someone like you loving a product or service, it just hits differently. It feels more genuine, relatable, and credible.

91% of 18-34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations! This trust on social media translates into videos of real users giving candid feedback.

Brands like Airbnb are cashing in on this trend. They've mastered this by showcasing actual hosts and travelers sharing their stories.

Their videos are not just about a place to stay but about memories, connections, and authentic experiences.

Behind-the-Scenes Footage

In our age of filters, curated feeds, and polished images, we all crave something genuine on social media. We're eager to see the unscripted, the messy, and the candid. Behind-the-scenes footage offers precisely that.

Think about it. When a brand shares a glimpse of its day-to-day operations or the bloopers from a product shoot, it feels more relatable and approachable. It humanizes brands, showing real people and processes behind every product or event.

Moreover, BTS content taps into our natural curiosity. We all love understanding processes and seeing how things evolve from ideas to tangible products.

Lush Cosmetics is a great brand example of leveraging this trend.

The brand consistently shares its behind-the-scenes glimpses to showcase its handmade product-making process. By doing so, they emphasize their dedication to transparency and fortify the trust of their consumers.

Product Unboxings & Reviews

Product unboxing videos give us a first-hand look at a product, and who doesn't love a good reveal? A study by Google found that 1 in 5 consumers had watched an unboxing video, and 62% of them do so for researching a product.

Unboxing videos demystify a product, offering a tangible, hands-on preview of a product. It’s a great way to experience the touch and feel of a product that is often missing in the online shopping experience.

Take Samsung, for example. Their flagship phone launches have led to many unboxing videos showcasing the sleek design and features.

Just like Samsung, many brands capitalize on this trend by finding Instagram influencers, as these influencers can provide genuine and impactful unboxing clips to their vast audiences.

These clips aren't just fun; they let you virtually "touch" and feel a product. It's like window shopping but with an extra dose of excitement.

Live Streams & Q&A Sessions

A report revealed that 80% of consumers would rather watch a live video from a brand than read a blog. Live streams and Q&A sessions have taken off on social media because they offer direct, unfiltered interaction between brands and audiences. It's a two-way street, fostering real-time engagement and feedback.

Nike, for instance, frequently hosts live streams and Q&A sessions with athletes, bridging the gap between fans and their sports idols.

These live sessions feel authentic, spontaneous, and incredibly engaging.

Exciting videos can elevate brand visibility, foster loyalty, and drive genuine interactions. Here are the top six strategies that can transform your social media videos from mere content to captivating stories:

Leverage Silent Storytelling

People watch up to 85% of Facebook videos on mute, showing a surprising statistic! Many people prefer their content on mute, whether in public spaces or sneaking a peek during a meeting.

To cater to this audience and ensure your videos are watched and remembered, you must focus on telling your story visually. Use captivating imagery, expressive characters, dynamic visuals, or playful animation to make your videos attractive. And remember the text. Clear, bold subtitles or short text overlays can convey your message without uttering words.

For inspiration, look at BuzzFeed's Tasty videos. They've aced the silent video game using text overlays, making their cooking tutorials super engaging even without a hint of sound.

When done correctly, silent videos can be just as, if not more, impactful than videos with sound. It's all about ensuring that even when your video is silent, its message is loud and clear.

Engage Early

With our attention spans shrinking (some say it's down to 8 seconds, shorter than a goldfish!), it's crucial to hook viewers right from the start with your videos. Whether discussing a small business phone service or unveiling a new product, you must engage. If your videos don't intrigue, surprise, or resonate in the first few seconds, your audience will already be scrolling to the next thing. That's the harsh reality.

Thus, it’s crucial to engage early with your social media videos. And here are some tips to make the first few seconds of your videos count:

Start Strong: Dive into the heart of your message or use a compelling visual. No long intros; get to the good stuff.
Engage Emotionally: Use humor, surprise, or curiosity to make those first moments unforgettable.
Clear Value Proposition: Let viewers know why they should stick around. Are you solving a problem?

In short, think of the start of your video as your elevator pitch. You've got a short time, so make every second count and leave viewers wanting more!

Authenticity Over Polish

Authentic videos build an immediate bond. They feel more human, more natural, and ironically, stand out in their simplicity. Video authenticity is less about what you show than how you deliver it.

To tap into the trend of authenticity, embrace the concept of spontaneity. While a rough outline can guide you, letting natural, unplanned moments shine through can make all the difference in your videos. Even if there's a slight hiccup or things don't go as planned, don't rush to cut it out. These moments often add character and make the content feel genuine.

You can also consider live sessions where you interact with the audience in real time. It's raw, honest, and offers direct engagement. And the best part? You don't need a fanciest setup for this; sometimes, capturing the essence of a moment through a simple smartphone is all it takes.

Consistent Branding

Consistency in branding, be it through a distinct intro, outro, or even a subtle watermark, forms a pattern. Our brains love patterns, and they're comforting and familiar. And when audiences see that standard cue, they immediately think of your brand, amplifying brand recall.

Take Nextiva, for example. Their approach to video branding stands out as a remarkable display of consistency and identity. Every detail in their tutorial videos is carefully curated to leave a lasting impression. From the tailored thumbnails to the blue backdrop, the background music, the unmistakable logo placement, and the cup featuring their brand, Nextiva ensures that its identity shines through in every frame, all of which leave the exact "Nextiva feeling".

Such is the power of consistent video branding. It’s like leaving a signature, ensuring your audience knows where the art originated.

Invest In Professional Editing

You might have great footage, a compelling story, and even a killer soundtrack. But without the finesse of quality editing, it might be another good video, not a great one.Understanding the key elements and intricacies outlined in a video production RFP makes sure that your brand's vision aligns with the chosen production team, fostering a collaborative effort that brings your creative ideas to life.

Professional editing is more than just technical know-how. It's also an understanding of storytelling, pacing, and aesthetics. It ensures your story flows smoothly, guiding the viewer from one point to the next, leaving no room for distractions.

That’s why investing in professional video editing software is a smart move. Tools like Movavi Video Editor, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Magix Video Pro X offer various features that can help produce refined content. Dive into tutorials, explore the functionalities, and in no time, you'll see your videos transforming.

Use Catchy CTAs

Consider those viral ad videos we often see on social media. By the end, a clear, compelling CTA usually urges viewers to "Learn More" or "Shop the Collection." That works because a well-placed CTA is the logical next step after a brilliantly executed video asking viewers to take action.

Check out this video by GoPro, for instance. Instead of a traditional ad, they rolled out a video shot entirely with their latest camera model. The video took us everywhere - underwater, high up in the air, and to places with excellent camera angles. It felt more like watching a fun movie than an ad.

And the cherry on top? They pop up a 'Subscribe' button at the end to persuade users to watch more of such fantastic content.

Some things to remember when crafting compelling CTAs for your videos are:

Be Direct: Your viewers shouldn't have to guess. If you want them to sign up, check out a new product, or simply visit your website, tell them outright.
Make it Pop: Whether through vibrant colors, catchy phrases, or animated buttons, ensure your CTA stands out in the video.
Align with Content: If you've just showcased a product, your CTA could be 'Buy Now.' Tailor it based on the content's context.

Final Thoughts

Videos tell stories, evoke emotions, and, most importantly, humanize the brand. Investing in captivating video content is more than just a strategy; it's the linchpin for brands aiming to forge memorable connections, narrate their tales, and stand out in the crowded digital landscape.

However, as brands increasingly rely on videos to tell their stories, managing these digital assets can become daunting. That's where streamlined solutions like Pics.io video asset management come into play.

It's not just about storing videos; it's about efficiently organizing, accessing, and deploying them and other file formats. This tool ensures that while brands focus on crafting compelling video narratives, the backend storage and organization are taken care of seamlessly.

Did you enjoy this article? Give Pics.io a try — or book a demo with us, and we'll be happy to answer any of your questions.

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