1. Plan Your Social Media Video Marketing Strategy In Advance

It shouldn't surprise you that the #1 tip is to strategize or plan your social media video marketing strategy. Planning is vital in order to develop a good story, so you need to prioritize this step. Planning your video marketing strategy in advance will allow you to develop effective content and make your campaign that much more successful.

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What exactly is involved in the planning stage? At Parralux, we help with audience research, compiling ideas, content planning, and budget distribution. Producing a high-quality video is no easy task, but we make planning a lot easier.

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2. Tell a Compelling Story

Thoughtful storytelling that invokes powerful emotions is in the heart of every successful social media video. Stories are important because they awaken deep emotions in people, and that's exactly what you want to do with your audience.

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According to researcher Paul J. Zak from the Harvard Business Review, great stories release oxytocin — a chemical that leads to a "bonding" experience — which is exactly what you should pursue with your followers. When you form a powerful connection with your audience, everything else comes naturally.

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If you want to achieve great results with your videos, work on your storytelling. Proper storytelling will take your videos to a next level, bringing your brand even better results.

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3. Use the Time Wisely

 

In 2015, Time magazine cited a study published by Microsoft that shows our attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. It claims people lose concentration after about 8 seconds, and you can bet that number is even lower now as the year 2019 approaches. 

Social media shortened our attention spans and now, as advertisers, we are mere seconds away from our audience deciding to move on from our content.

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That's why you have to use the first few seconds of your social media video wisely — they're supposed to capture viewers' attention and encourage them to watch the video until the end.

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Make sure that your video intro is especially captivating! It should leave people with a sense of curiosity as to what could happen next. 

Also, pay special attention to the introduction from the very beginning of your video creation process - it will help you to create powerful video content that drives results. 

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4. Focus on the Quality of Your Social Media Video

 

It goes without saying that quality matters over quantity— and it's no different when it comes to social media and videos. 

As mentioned before, grabbing your audience's attention is crucial, but keeping it is even more important. You want the people to fully consume your videos, and the only way to get them to do that is to create a social media video that's packed with high-quality content.

When it comes to videos, the number one rule is: quality over quantity. Things like going viral don't happen with low-quality videos, so it's important to focus on this step. And we aren't just talking about video quality (1080p), it's about the overall message — storytelling, wit, and purpose. 

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Instagram’s “Stories Are Everywhere” shows us that the videos can be fun, simple and high-quality. The creators highlighted the everyday moments with short Instagram Stories by combining different events and creativity. Their purpose was to promote the app’s Stories feature, and they did a great job by showing instead of telling. Because many brands are trying to push content without investing any time into it, even a small effort can successfully put you ahead of the game.

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5. Keep Your Video Content Short

This point ties in perfectly with the section above: keeping it short by removing all excess parts is the first step towards a high-quality video. With attention span going downhill, it's essential for your videos to be filled only with relevant and engaging content, without any fillers.

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Most people don't have time to watch your 10-minute social media video. They are there to consume short and quick information that can be explored deeper if necessary. That's why your videos should be used only as a "hook" to capture the attention, share a message, and get your viewers to follow-up on it.

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Try to make your videos as short as possible, cutting all unnecessary parts and keeping only the most relevant and highest-quality content for your social media page.

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6. Use Subtitles

 

Subtitles make a considerable difference in videos - and not only for the foreign viewers whose native language is not English or those hard of hearing. Yes, such people will always be a part of your audience, but subtitles will make a huge difference for your native audience, too.

The biggest benefit of subtitles is that they make the video easier to consume. You are also going to get a lot of appreciation from all the non-native English speakers as well as hearing impaired users.

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Another huge reason why you should use subtitles in your video content is related to the way videos autoplay on social media. 

For example, Facebook videos automatically start on mute - this means you don't have a chance to grab the attention of your audience with powerful words unless they turn on the sound. Subtitles will help you get your message across, whether the video is muted or not.

 

7. Use Animations

One of the most recent (and powerful!) trends in social media video marketing is the use of animations. You have likely come across one of those animated videos that caught your attention and explained the topic in a straightforward way. Animated videos are becoming more and more popular and they are likely going to dominate in 2019.

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What makes animated videos so great is their ability to take complex topics and visualize them in a clear, informative, and engaging way. 

For example, Facebook’s animated video clearly shows how important it is to support a friend in need and take part in suicide prevention. The video presents different ways how people can help and which tools they can use.

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Through a clever use of animations, you can spice up your videos and make them more appealing to the viewers.

 

8. Consider Your Platform of Choice

Picking the right social media platform can largely contribute to your video's success. Each social media platform has different video requirements - something you should keep in mind when building your social media video marketing strategy.

 

For example, if you're going to post your video on Instagram, you need to make sure it is within the platform's 60 seconds video length limit. Facebook, on the other hand, allows videos that are up to 240 minutes long, which shows that you'll occasionally have to re-adjust your videos to fit the standards of a specific platform.

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The important takeaway here is this: always think about the platform before you begin your video creation process. Also, keep your videos short and sweet.

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9. Include a Call-to-Action

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The last tip for your social media video success is to include a call-to-action. Although social media is all about driving conversions, many brands still fail at this simple step. A great video is pointless if it doesn't include a powerful call-to-action helping to meet your business objectives. Remember that your CTA shouldn't be too sales-focused and that it needs to point your audience towards converting.

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Our best work comes from collaborating. We listen first, ask the right questions, and put egos aside. Spend five minutes talking to any one of us and you’ll see...

 

We are dynamic. We are inspired. We are Parralux.