By Yam Regev
Source: Social Media Today
Facebook has always been a visual medium. After all, it began as a digital look book before it was overtaken by friends and families sharing images of their youthful indiscretions and later their kids’ embarrassing moments. But lately, the platform has turned its attention from still photos to video. If you ask most marketers which content dominates on Facebook, they’ll tell you its video.
Sharing insights from BuzzSumo’s study of over 777 million Facebook posts, Buffer’s Brian Peters writes that “when it comes to taking your Facebook strategy to the next level, there’s no better way to do so than through video content.” Peters reports that “1% of the top 500 posts on Facebook in 2018 were videos.” Video posts also generate an average of 59% more engagement than other post types, he adds.
Do some types of video work better than others on Facebook? Yes says Elaine Bennett at Hot in Social Media. She writes that “Facebook Live has 10 times greater reach than all other forms of Facebook content” and earns 6 times more interactions than pre-recorded video.
So whether you share video in an ad, an organic post or by live streaming, your brand can benefit from sharing video content on Facebook.
In this article, I’m going to reveal some of the best Facebook video marketing tips shared by contributors on the Zest Content Stream. So, get ready to upskill your video marketing talent with these 10 expert tips.
Ten expert tips for using Facebook Video to market your brand
1. Limit your videos to between 15 and 90 seconds in length.
After 90 seconds your engagement levels take a sharp drop says Joe Forte in “Beating the Algorithm: 11 Essential Facebook Video Secrets.” Fifteen seconds should be your maximum for video ads, Iconic Genuis’ James Marques told Elise Dopson at Databox.
There are some exceptions to the ‘keep it short and sweet’ rule, Newswhip’s Katherine Ellis points out that if Facebook users find video really worth watching–like Lady Gaga’s NFL halftime show which was nearly 15 minutes long–they don’t care how long it is.
2. Hook your viewers by getting straight to the point.
Offering further advice to Dopson for her article, “The Best Facebook Ad Content for Driving Awareness & Sales,” Joe Sloan says, hook ‘em fast. Your video ad needs to grab the viewer’s attention in the first 5-seconds.
How can you engage your viewers quickly?
For longer videos, Joe Forte recommends opening with a synopsis that “tells your audience what they will learn by watching your video.” Keep your introduction clear and concise and be sure to leave your audience wanting more.