Discover effective strategies for using video to maintain transparency and connection during challenging times, including the latest insights and current life situations.
The secrets to creating engaging videos
How do you keep your viewers glued to your video? What tools or strategies should your business implement to increase the engagement of your video? An engaging video is one of the key reasons why viewers stay focused on a video that has grabbed their attention. It’s one of the reasons why metrics such as click-through rate increase because something about that video persuades them to learn more about the company’s products or services. If you’re wondering why you need engaging videos and how to implement them into your strategy, stay tuned for some tips.
If you want your video watched, your video has to be relevant to your audience. The topic has to be relatable, solve your audience’s problem, and be interesting to your audience. If the content is not relatable, then it is less likely to be watched by your target audience. Even if the content is relatable, make sure it is told with a storyline, eye-catching thumbnails and graphics, titles, and descriptions to show your audience your video is relatable to them. It’s good to know your audience and diversify the type of videos you’re creating so that they are a mix of informative and entertaining videos.
There are two strategies to making engaging videos. The first strategy is the active strategy. This strategy gives your audience a task to interact with your video. Some active strategies are to plan how they’re going to engage, interact, connect, and follow through with the article. This type of strategy works well when you’re educating your audience on a certain topic. For example, you’ll need to plan how you’ll teach them the material, how they’ll interact with the video through a survey or quiz, how they’ll continue to learn about this topic, and ask them to show you their results.
The next strategy is the passive strategy. This strategy relies on storytelling to grab the audience and share a message about your products, brand story, or business. For this strategy, talk with your audience in a conversational tone; as if they were your friend. This further increases the relationship and trust with your audience. You also have the opportunity to evoke emotion by being humorous, and energetic. Include jokes, B-roll, music, animation, heartfelt messages, and any emotion that will help push your message through. However, know when to include certain emotions and humor into your videos. Implement any of these strategies, passive or active, to create engaging videos for your business.
Credit by: Matt Pierce Making Engaging Video
Best 5 Videos For Business & Brands 2021
In this video, you'll learn the top and best 5 videos that brands, businesses, and companies should make to grow.
Brands and businesses need video content these days to grow online. It doesn't necessarily mean just social media videos either. I discuss other types of videos you can use internally to train your employees, delight your customers, and convince prospects. I know this after working with multiple brands and companies, and it always comes down to these 5 types of videos that we always create.
These are basically the 5 essential videos you need as a business to grow your brand online and offline.
Watch the whole video and you'll learn everything you need to create the most crucial videos for any business.
Here's what experts have to say about these video marketing trends
Do you need ideas on how to optimize your videos and increase conversions from your videos? Video consumption is rapidly increasing, and companies have taken advantage of this growth by uploading engaging content via social media platforms. Marketers have seen the value videos have in their business and have invested more resources into videos for their content strategy. The following trends and tips are here for you to consider putting into your own video marketing strategy.
The world has had to adjust in how we perform our daily tasks, and shopping is one of those tasks. As companies continue to evolve, videos are taking center stage on social media. More platforms have released features with videos and augmented reality has helped customers interact with the products without physically touching them.
If you’re looking for content ideas, lean into your customers! User-generated content is extremely influential and beneficial for you and your audience. Customers love seeing customer reviews and testimonials. It not only builds trust, but it’s also authentic and helps you understand your customers more. To ensure you post relevant user-generated content, perform market research and social listening tactics. Invest in a video content strategy to increase your sales and conversions. Monitor the platforms your target audience frequents the most, keep updated with the ongoing trends, and post engaging videos your audience will love.
Credit: Gabrielle Wright Video marketing trends to cut through the noise in 2021
Media is the Dominant Format
“We need to improve people’s understanding of how media gets made so that they understand who is this message being said to and for what reason?”
In this clip from episode 42 of our podcast, Michael Tringe discusses how not understanding media literacy can leave people unaware of the messages behind the viewed media. Michael is the co-founder and CEO of CreatorUp, a digital media marketplace specializing in video content creation and training for their global clients.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts as we discuss more about digital media literacy, how brands need to have a YouTube presence, and the importance of live-streaming in 2021.
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts here: Relevance Of Digital Platforms In The Current Situation, How To Utilize Live Streaming, And The Importance Of Being Digital Media Literate
Thumbnails and Covers
Need inspiration on thumbnail covers? Thumbnails are the glimpse of your video viewers see as they scroll in their feed. Research which thumbnails do best in your industry, video type, and social media platform as you choose your thumbnail. In this clip from our video content course, we reveal how to select a thumbnail and cover image and offer suggestions on choosing a relevant high-quality photo as your cover photo.
Succeed in Video Marketing Following This Guide
How often do you approach videos as you're browsing the web? Have those videos taught you something new, introduced you to a new brand, or gave you a behind-the-scenes of a company? That's the beauty of video. Videos entertain, inspire, and inform users, engaging them to learn more about the company outside the products and services they offer. If you haven't quite figured out your video content marketing strategy and need some pointers, continue reading this guide on using video marketing for your business.
Videos have been increasingly popular over the years, with more and more businesses using videos to reach their target audience. If you haven't branched into the world of marketing yet, you're going to need to with 81% of businesses implementing videos into their content strategy according to HubSpot. As you create or modify your content strategy, figure out the purpose of the video you want to convey. There are different types of videos; explainer, interviews, product reviews, and live videos; you can use them for that goal. For example, if you would like more viewers to see and know about your products, enlisting the support of an influencer for a product review gains access to their viewers and lets you know what viewers think about your product or service. Once you establish and film the video, decide which platforms or pages on your website you want your video displayed. Include a CTA at the end of your video and optimize the video for the viewers watching on different platforms and devices.
Now, let's get into some of the reasons why implementing video marketing is important for your business. There is a projected increase of over 80% of traffic containing videos by 2021. As many businesses are uploading videos and telling their stories, to stay with the competition, post authentic-driven videos that share your story through live or animated videos, as examples. Creating these authentic and engaging videos lets your viewers know who you and your brand are and eventually help drive conversion rates. According to Social Media Today, 90% of consumers say watching a video helps them in deciding to buy a product. Videos are an accessible and versatile content medium that lets your viewers learn something from you, whether it's educational, entertaining, or truly inspiring.
Credit: Written by Digital Marketing Institute THE IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO MARKETING
Read This First Before Creating a Video Marketing Strategy
Technology continues to rise, with marketers implementing strategies that work best for their company. One of these strategies is video marketing. About 76% of businesses who use this strategy recorded an increase in traffic due to video and 78% of people watch online videos every week, according to Report42. So what can you do with video marketing? Well, if you’ve got an idea in mind for a video for your company, then you’re one step closer to your video marketing strategy.
As you create a video marketing strategy, focus on the purpose of the video, who it’s going to, and how you’ll measure the success of the video. For starters, your target audience plays a special role in your videos. Create a buyer persona that specifies what the audience needs, wants, and has questions about. Not only will this help you create content that is catered to them but will also give you plenty of ideas. The next step is to define your video marketing goals. Setting measurable clear goals such as increasing brand awareness or an email list, will guide you and hold you accountable when reviewing the video outcomes.
During the planning stage of your strategy, you need to think about if you plan on spending any money on video creation. Your budget depends greatly on the type of videos you want to create and your video schedule frequency. It’s important to consider whether the video and the content fall in line with your customer buyer journey, whether you choose to create a demo, how-to, animated, or combination video. Consider the ultimate reason why you’re creating videos. If you’re creating videos as part of a campaign or as part of a regular content strategy, then decide if hiring a video production team, freelancing, or creating videos yourself is ideal for your strategy. Overall, choose a video type that aligns with your budget, business, and target audience.
Once the video is uploaded, it’s time to measure your video’s performance. Keep these metrics in mind as you review your own metrics:engagement rate, view count, likes and comments, and conversion growth.Reviewing these key metrics will help you determine if you need to adjust your strategy to meet your business goals. For more useful statistics on how video marketing is essential for your business,view the article below. The cats out of the bag when it comes to this video marketing strategy. Now it’s up to you to d’s out of the bag when it comes to this video marketing strategy. Now it’s up to you to decide what you want to do with it.
Credit: Written by Mila Bera 6 key tips to consider when creating a video marketing strategy [Infographic]
Elevate Your Videos Professionally Following This Beginner Guide
How do you make your videos stand out? Are you new to creating videos and are thinking about retreating to when you never had videos in your content strategy? Don’t give up hope yet! Our guide goes through all the components necessary to make professional videos without needing professional equipment.
No need to purchase a new camera! Use your cellphone or borrow/rent a camera as you get used to creating videos. Before you pick up a camera and start recording, know that the content in your video matters more than the video itself. Plan out your script and include your target audience’s persona in your plan and how you want to edit the video. What do you want to convey to your audience? Have these in mind before hitting record.
Now that you know the target of your video, it’s time to pick your video's location: indoors or outdoors. If you choose to film indoors, you have the option to film behind a real background, such as an office space or behind a solid background, like a green screen. If you choose to film outdoors, film in an area that does not have a lot of noise. Either way, film in lighting that is natural, soft, and not harsh on you or your subject. Choose the background that is consistent and suits your type of video best.
It may take you more time in post-production to edit out what you don’t want in the video. To save you time, film in short segments. Make a note in your planning stage of these segments, that way you’ll know when to start and stop your video. While you’re experimenting with video cuts, experiment with how you film; which can ease the transition to the next segment and change the emotion! Now you’re ready to upload your professional video to various social media sites and your website following the specific video specifications! For more tips on how to create professional videos, click the link below!
Credit: Written by Peri Elmokadem 8 Beginner Tips for Making Professional-Looking Videos
Video Marketing on Instagram: Reasons Will Convince You
Instagram is a platform that many people, business owners, and creatives alike, can utilize to increase their brand equity on the platform. Is your Instagram lacking videos that showcase you and your company? Curious what the outcome may be if you decide to upload a video? Video marketing is vital to include in your strategy, especially on a photo and video display platform like Instagram, and here are reasons why you need videos hosted on Instagram.
Your social media presence is very important to maintain. Instagram is the platform to help you and your company get the awareness you desire! According to Facebook, users spend about 20% of their time on the Explore tab on Instagram. That is a considerable amount of time and shows that users are looking for new content and brands to engage with. This is also a great opportunity to make your videos seen on the Explore tab. Consumers are even more likely to browse a company’s social media accounts, with 32% of them viewing social media before viewing their website, in an Animoto survey.
Videos are also seen as a favorable form of content for consumers as they tend to purchase more products or services from brands after watching a video on social media over a photo, text, or link. They are an excellent alternative for those who don’t have a lot of photos on their feed as it showcases more of their offerings to viewers. To increase your reach on your videos, include relevant hashtags, geolocation, or tagging others in your caption. Don’t just stop at posting videos on your feed! Try uploading a video to Instagram Stories, video ads, or IGTV! 47% of viewers enjoy watching Instagram Stories ads, and 70% watched a branded IGTV video, according to an Animoto survey. Include Instagram to your video marketing strategy and seek the opportunity for your business needs.
Credit: Written by: Becky Brooks 5 Reasons to Use Video Marketing on Instagram
Know the Reason why Millennials Love Watching Videos
Does your target market feature Millenials? Are you wondering how to reach them through video marketing? The methods and strategies of marketing have drastically improved in a way that strives to understand the customer on a personalized buying journey. If your target market features Generation Y or Millennials, you’ll want to understand why they are so attached to videos, and how you as a small business owner or creative, can leverage this knowledge for your own video content strategy.
Before you start to create engaging content for millennials, you’ll need to understand their purchasing behavior and why fellow marketers are targeting this generation. Members of the younger generation are watching more videos through streaming services and social media. According to this article, millennials spend at least one hour a day watching videos. About 84% of millennials follow brands on Facebook, and they are more likely to purchase a product after watching a video than someone born in a later generation, according to a Mashable article. Adjust your current marketing strategy and feature your company’s products and services on platforms your target market will be on. Be wary about how your content is portrayed to young people. As millennials are people who have grown up in the digital boom, they are used to avoiding advertisements that are inauthentic.
Overall, if you want to reach a millennial who loves watching videos and sharing them with their network, you’re going to want to create authentic, thought-provoking, engaging videos that demonstrate your products and services and company well. They want to be entertained and informed! For more tips on how to target and understand millennials, the article has more interesting facts and statistics below!
Credit: Written by Shaq Abboud Why Are Millennials So Attracted To Video Marketing?
Lights! Camera! Action! What Else Should You Include in Your YouTube Videos?
Having difficulty maintaining an audience to watch your YouTube videos? If you are uploading videos on this platform, it is especially important to include information that makes your video discoverable and interesting to an outside viewer. Confused about where to start? We’ve got the basic information and tips to include to help you upload your videos to YouTube. We explain what the keywords, thumbnails, categories, end cards, descriptions, and titles have on your videos’ audience engagement and reach.
Uploading videos to YouTube requires more than just simply selecting the file. There are multiple steps that will dramatically help you to reach your target audience and upload more efficiently, and we’re here to help you with some of the basics.
First of all, videos can actually be uploaded from both computers and mobile devices. On mobile, you can upload videos you have on your camera roll, or film something to directly upload.
There are various elements that will help you reach your audience, these being titles, descriptions, categories, and keywords. Titles may seem self-explanatory, but are incredibly instrumental in a user’s decision to click on your video or not. Descriptions will normally have a short paragraph describing your video and may include links to things such as your website or other videos. Keywords are words associated with your video that you can include in the upload process. These can be researched using tools such as Google Adwords and will help users find your video when searching phrases that include your keywords. Lastly, categories are what your video roughly falls into, such as music, gaming, or comedy. Only one category can be chosen, however, so pick what category your video fits into best if it would work with several.
Thumbnails, along with titles, will be the first thing that users see about your video, and so are extremely important. Thumbnails should have an aspect ratio of 16x9, and ideally a resolution of 720p.
Lastly, end cards can be added to the last little bit of your video. These can direct users, with only one click, to subscribe to your channel, another one of your videos, playlists, another user’s channel, or even your website. These can be great to keep the user engaged with your content after watching your video.
How to Upload Videos to Facebook
Facebook videos are known for reaching a large number of people. So why not create your own video and upload it to your Facebook page or profile? Don’t know how? Stay tuned, we’ve got an incredible guide that offers tips and information surrounding uploading videos onto the platform. This video touches on uploading on Instagram through Facebook and on the available aspect ratios, file sizes, and maximum run time you should know to post effectively on the platform!
When it comes to uploading videos to social media platforms, Facebook is certainly on the easier side. However, there are still a few pointers that will help you boost your efficiency and effectiveness when uploading. That’s exactly what we’re here to help you with.
Videos are uploaded alongside a post, which will be a description of your video, company, etc to pull users into watching your video.
Unlike Instagram, Facebook is fully available on both computers and mobile devices, and the process of uploading videos is the same on both platforms.
Facebook videos have multiple technical requirements. They should be MP4 files, under a file size of 10GB and a run time of 240 minutes, or 4 hours. They also should be ideally a resolution of 1080P, for videos with aspect ratios of 16:9.
There are 3 aspect ratios available for Facebook videos: 16:9, or “landscape”, 1:1, or “square” and 9:16, or portrait. Both native Facebook videos and ads use all 3 of these aspect ratios. Collections ads, however, only use 16:9 and 1:1, and carousel ads use only 1:1.
Lastly, you can connect your Facebook and Instagram accounts to allow simultaneous uploads between the two platforms. This can be very helpful in reducing time if you run multiple social media pages.
Video Uploading Tips: Instagram Edition
New to posting videos on Instagram? Looking for video uploading rules or strategies to implement so your videos don’t look cut off in your profile? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with our video that goes into the basic tips into uploading videos on Instagram. We explain the certain aspect ratios, resolution sizes, as well as the recommended device needed to upload videos onto the platform. Know all the components of uploading to Instagram, and soon your videos will be IG ready!
Instagram is probably one of, if not the most confusing platforms to upload videos to. With what seems like a million different aspect ratios and rules, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re here to provide you with the basics and have you racking up views and likes in no time.
First of all, there are two types of videos on Instagram: regular videos, which are under 60 seconds, and IGTV videos, which are over 60 seconds. Each of the two types of videos has two aspect ratios. Regular videos can have aspect ratios of either 1.9:1 or 4:5, while IGTV can have videos with aspect ratios of either 16:9 or 9:16. IGTV videos, on top of being over 60 seconds in length, have to be both an MP4 file and under a 3.6 GB file size.
IGTV videos, similar to YouTube, have thumbnails, which is a picture that users see before viewing the video. These thumbnails have a totally different aspect ratio of 1:1.55. The minimum resolution of them can be 492 x 792 pixels, but Instagram recommends a resolution of 1240 x 1920 pixels.
While Instagram can be used on both mobile devices and computers, it is very limited on computers. The only videos you can upload from computers are IGTV videos, not regular videos. Keep this in mind when you need to upload regular videos.
Lastly, you can connect your Instagram and Facebook accounts to allow simultaneous uploads between the two platforms. This can be very helpful in reducing time if you run multiple social media pages.
Modify Your Social Media Videos To Fit On All Platforms
Make platform specific videos, not just one video for all channels.
Have you ever seen a video online that’s been uploaded to all social media platforms, but is the same video across the board? It’s suddenly cut off at 1-minute on Instagram, it isn’t formatted correctly for vertical, or doesn’t have a proper endscreen on YouTube.
You should know how videos should be properly edited and uploaded for each platform to optimize your engagement and traffic. Know the aspect ratios, customize thumbnails, study optimal lengths, and read up on the best specifications for each platform.
And remember our CTA, that’s always important.
Discover the Top Free Video Editing Software
Filmed an amazing video and are looking for video editing software to edit on? Why should you have to spend money on an expensive video editing software, when you can edit on quality apps and software for free? This article offers you 24 of the best free video editing software for desktops and mobile devices! The desktop editing software lists a range of desktop software perfect for beginners and advanced video editors. Most of the software included in this list have a pro or paid version; however, the features in the free version should be enough for your video editing. Most of the software is compatible with Windows, Apple, and Linux systems. If you’re editing on the go, the video editing apps, available on iOS and Android, also have features and functions to help you edit and share easily. There are also apps designed specifically to edit videos on Instagram. Each editing software has a pros and cons list, as well as a notable features section to help you further in your downloading decision. The software you used to edit will make your videos stand out on your website, social media, or marketing campaign!
Credit: Tom Wells 24 Best Free Video Editing Software Programs in 2020
Comprehensive Twitter Image Sizes Guideline
Do you have the right Twitter image sizes? This article mentions the updates made to the platform and shows the differences between them by showing graphics as examples. It covers the images sizes for the Twitter avatar/profile picture, header/banner, tweet, and linked images. The article also lists the sizes and the author’s recommendations for promoted tweets (ads), summary cards, and which file sizes and types you can post on Twitter. The author also describes how to create Twitter cards and moments, and post on mobile to accommodate your audience. Some key takeaways are making your profile picture at a 1:1 aspect ratio at 400x400 pixels, banner sizes are at a 3:1 aspect ratio at 1500x500 pixels, tweeted images are at an aspect ratio 16:9 at a minimum of 600x335 pixels, previewed link images are at an image size of 1.91:1 and more included. Twitter accepts landscape and square images and JPEG, GIF, and PNG formats, but not GIF on banner images. No need to have your images cropped when you update them with these specifications.
Credit: Louise Myers Twitter Image Size and Specs: This Is All You Need to Know
The Complete Social Media Video Size Guideline
Is your video formatting giving you trouble? Are you finding it hard to update your social media video content strategy without knowing if your video meets the platforms’ video specifications? Video content is constantly being shared and uploaded across multiple platforms through different formats. A consumer or viewer must view your video without any technical problems on your end. You’ll learn which most up-to-date video dimensions, aspect ratios, and character limits are for each type of video and the purpose behind each one. Knowing what the video specs are before uploading will make you feel prepared in choosing which video ad type for Facebook or the preferred length of a video ad on LinkedIn, for example. If updated video specs come up, this article doesn’t stop at providing the video specs for major platforms. It also includes an up-to-date Google Doc link, for reference, that lists the social media platforms and their specific video specs. This article goes over the video guidelines for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter.
Credit: Written by Alex York Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs
Here's Your Guide for Uploading Videos on Twitter
Are you a small business owner or a rising creative looking to share your videos and content on Twitter? Well, Twitter is here to help with this article that details four ways to post videos on its platform! Those four ways are to record/share, import, upload, or go live. You can record, edit, and share videos through the Twitter app. You can record a video by tapping on the camera icon on the app and by tapping the Tweet or Add button when you're ready to post and share it. If you already have a video created, then tap the Tweet and camera icons to select your video, and trim it to your desired length. Keep in mind that the maximum video length is 2 minutes and 20 seconds. If your video is on your computer, click on the Tweet button, open your files, write your message, and hit the Tweet button. Also, note that uploads from the computer must be in a supported format and must have a file size of 512MB or less. If your video is over the maximum file size, you can trim it to meet the maximum video length. This helpful article offers additional video help such as autoplaying videos, watching live videos, and closed captioning.
Credit: Written by Twitter Help How to share and watch videos on Twitter - Twitter Help Center
Upload Videos to Facebook Easily with These Steps
Are you excited to share the videos you took to your friends and customers but need help posting them on Facebook? You can post videos directly on Facebook by uploading them through your computer or on your phone using the Facebook app! If you’d like to post videos using the computer, the first step is to click on “Add Photo/ Video” in the share box on the home page or timeline. Then you can choose the video from your files. After the video is uploaded, you can add a description, thumbnail, privacy settings, or tags before posting. Open or install the Facebook app if your videos are saved on your phone to post from there. You don’t need to transport your video file from your phone to your computer! Using the app, click on the “Photo” option at the top of your News Feed. Then choose your video, view the preview, add a description, location, or tags, and tap the blue pencil icon at the bottom of the preview to post. Please note that processing a video may take a while before it is posted on Facebook. You will be notified when the video is posted.
Credit: Written by Carolyn Abram How to Upload Video to Facebook