No matter if your business is B2B or B2C, I would bet my last dollar that you are forever wanting to increase brand awareness and ultimately, conversions. This is the task that most of us will rarely if ever, have the ability to cross off of our to-do lists. It’s ok, though. Before you get flustered, overwhelmed, or begin to question, “What do I do?” We are here to help reel you in and guide you through the hopeful process of getting started with social media video marketing.
Social Media Video Marketing
It’s pretty much understood all across the globe that if you are a brand of any kind, social media is the new Yellow Pages. Instead of grabbing that big ol’ book of contacts that was once delivered to our doorstep, when consumers want to learn about a new business, many will look to Instagram, Facebook, and of course, Google to find out whether a company meets their standards. It’s tough though, for a company to stand out from the crowd which means now more than ever, content marketing is an unavoidable tactic to use in order to grow your business. So what are the steps to take? Are you supposed to be on all the platforms (Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube, and the list goes on)? There’s a lot to consider. Let’s get started with some points that should be priorities.
Social Media Awareness
I bet you’re wondering what your priority should be when it comes to marketing initiatives. Should it be SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, video marketing? Should you just wrap it all into one brand awareness strategy of sorts? The truth is absolutely, yes. Building brand awareness on social media is one of the best ways to generate likes, follows, loves, and loyal customers. Social media provides you with tools to thrust your brand message to strangers that should know you, and it only costs when you are in need of content that may be beyond your scope of understanding and capabilities. I am always asked by people, “How do I know what kind of content to put out on my social media?” First, let’s tackle a few myths.
- You need thousands of followers to build a business. False.
- You have to post daily in order to get solid engagement. Not true.
- Audiences only want to see viral-worthy content on your social media feeds. Nope.
- You need an influencer or someone interesting to represent your brand. No Ma’am, you don’t.
All of these myths will discourage you from performing at all. Let me share some truths I have learned about consumers and social media.
- Consumers are smart
- Consumers want authentic content from brands and businesses
- Your story, team, and brand are the influencer
- Viral-worthy content isn’t lasting and is often impossible to predict
- Your tone, communication, and image should be consistent with your brand at all times
- Video trumps all other content!
Hopefully, the above points will help you take the first step in building out your social media marketing strategy. More than anything, don’t hop on any bandwagons just because it seems to be working for others. It is more pertinent to study where your target audience is and develop a content strategy that matches your audience’s interests. Once you figure this out, the ideal platform for your business will reveal itself to you. Below is a list of popular social media platforms to choose from.
Tiktok is certainly trendy, but that does not mean you must use it to get your brand to the place you want it to be. Tiktok is best for brief videos in 15-sec intervals that can be woven together to create a video no longer than 60 seconds long. With Tiktok, you need to make your point every 15 secs. If you are providing direction about your brand, Tiktok could be a tool to use, but you should also think about using the popular Tiktok methods in your own videos to be shared on other platforms. The short video concept with text and humor could be worthwhile to conceptualize.
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, making this platform one that we should all be on. Simply put, if you have any video content at all, upload it here. Make sure you have a brief description of your brand, the appropriate tags listed, and captions to help with SEO.
Instagram stats continue to crush expectations. With 500 million users viewing stories daily, you should most definitely incorporate stories on your profile. The goal with stories is to offer up live inside content to keep your followers intrigued. Posts on your feed should be relevant to your target audience and they should share the 3 E’s. Ask yourself, is it engaging, educational, and entertaining? If so post it, and make whatever you post consistent so your profile page feels cohesive.
Facebook videos get more clicks than images. People like to be entertained and video certainly helps to do just that. So, decide if your audience is on Facebook and post blog content with video included. Create short video ads about your business, or work with an ad-based company to create a sales funnel that includes video content that is informative, entertaining, and especially engaging.
Twitter is the #1 social network in Japan. See…if your business is primarily doing work in Japan or wanting to attract consumers in Japan, this is a prime example of knowing where your audience is. 82% of B2B businesses use Twitter. I say, use Twitter when you have short, catchy text to share to be complemented with an engaging video.
Linkedin has a not-too-shabby number of 722 million users and is the most trusted social media platform. The professional aspect of Linkedin is attractive as you begin your marketing initiatives in the B2B space. With videos having generated over 300 million views in just one year, it is highly recommended that you begin to share your professional video content and brand storytelling on Linkedin.
In order to discover the best platform for your brand or business, I recommend you sit down with your team to determine which will be easiest for you to use, be the most consistent for your audience, and will not take you too far out of your comfort zone. As mentioned above, consumers are smart, so if things feel forced, the audience will pick up on the vibe, and in turn, will exit stage left.
Video for Social Media Marketing
Data shows video increases conversions tremendously. More than ever before, having relevant video content on your social media feeds can create results that you can be proud of. When you define the best social platforms for you to use, it is then important to consider the type of video content you would like to share for your brand. Just make sure whatever video you create for social you are mindful of the length as social media platforms have specifications of how long your video should be.
Research Your Competitors
One of the best ways to establish the type of video content you want to share on your social media platforms is to take some time to research your competitors. Make a list of your competitors on a notepad and leave space for notes on your likes and dislikes of each of their social feeds on your chosen platform. This method is all about measuring what your competitors are doing in order to determine how to differentiate yourself from them to authentically stand out. Most likely, you will be inspired, maybe even a little annoyed, but either way, taking this step will make room for you to be creative, and mold a narrative that is fitting to you and will allure your audience. This is the fun part!
Lastly, one of my most favorite recommendations…
Hire a marketing expert
If you don’t already have someone in your business focused on marketing alone, maybe it is a great time for you to start looking for an expert in the marketing arena. Many don’t realize marketing is a full-time, ongoing, ever-evolving role that is pivotal to a company’s success. When you have the funds to hire a marketing expert to help build consistency in your communication, get to hiring!! This person will develop your marketing initiatives, SEO strategy, social media communication, and most importantly, they will for sure allow for your company to grow. It’s time for you to not only build awareness and conversions but your stress should be alleviated so you can focus on the business stuff that matters to you. Not to mention, the stuff YOU are good at. The point is when you decide to hire a marketing expert, let them know your goals, allow them the room to be creative, and get prepared to see some results!
To learn more about Bottle Rocket Media, check out our work, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin, and when you are ready to share your video vision, let’s work together to create your next video production project.
