Should I be creating more video content for Social Media?

In the biggest shift in social media since Facebook took out Myspace, Instagram has shifted from a photo-sharing app to a video-based content platform. And while they have not explicitly expressed this change, the evidence is clear.

So the question remains, should I be creating more video content for my business on social media? The simple answer is: yes. But first, let’s determine the value of video content and whether it aligns with your business goals. 

In this article, we’ll look at the exponential rise in engagement of video content and the importance of creating a video content strategy for your business. We’ll also share some of our favourite tips for video content creation for your business. All without blowing out your marketing budget. 

Note: this article focuses primarily on Instagram since it is still one of the leading digital marketing platforms across many demographics and industries. 

Images are dead on IG… sort of.  

Instagram’s director, Adam Mosseri posted a video addressing the recent changes to the platform: “We’re going to continue to support photos… I do believe more and more of Instagram is going to become video over time.” 

For anyone posting Reels on a consistent basis, you’ve most likely noticed a surge in engagement and reach. Content scheduling platform, later.com for example, saw a 500% increase in engagement following the introduction of IG Reels. WOW. Later.com posted a case study on IG creator Olivia Noceda. Olivia managed to grow her account by 60K (a 75% increase in follower growth) within 6 months of exclusively posting reels. 

While the numbers don’t lie we certainly aren’t recommending you only post Reels from now on. Images still have their place and should be continued to be posted as single-image posts and carousels in conjunction with video posts. 

How social media can help your business. 

For many businesses, building brand awareness and reaching new audiences is the primary goal of social media. For many service-based or high-ticketed items, you might not see a direct correlation between social media and conversions. But that doesn’t mean you should discredit the power of social media marketing. Every interaction on social media builds trust and establishes expertise with your existing and potential customers. 

If you’re looking for a way to reach new audiences while nurturing your existing audience with content they find valuable, videos should be a priority for you.  

How to successfully create content with value for social media (and not strip all your resources while doing it)

1. Discover your content focus

Ask yourself:

1. Want does my audience want answers to?
2. Find entertaining?
3. Makes them feel empowered/engaged?

 Hacks to get you started:

• Look at your SEO analytics to easily discover search terms people are looking for before landing on your website. If your business already provides a lot of informational content (blog posts, etc), you’ll find many search terms framed as questions.
• Customer service/care teams are a heavily underutilised resource. They can receive many in-bound questions daily. Are there any common questions that pop up? Make a list of these and answer them in your video content!
• Use your community as part of your content strategy. Sharing content from your customers (also known as user-generated content) is a sure way to build trust and credibility. 

2. Create your content schedule

Knowing how much time you’ll have to spend on video content will heavily influence how often you’ll be posting. 

Create bulk content. Take some time to write out your scripts beforehand then block out half a day to record all of your videos at once. Allow time for mistakes and retakes, especially if you’re new to this. 

3. It doesn’t need to be high-production for you to start! 

The great thing about social media video marketing is that expensive lights and a quality microphone won’t get you the views – quality content will! We recommend skipping the fancy filter (unless it’s part of your branding) and distracting visual effects. Ensure your content is accessible by using features such as captions and descriptive text. 

4. Keep it short! 

Sprout Social suggests the most engaging type of in-feed content is short-form video content. 

Source: Sprout Social 

The average attention span is only 2 seconds on social media so keeping your content short and precise will have the greatest impact. If there’s something you want to share that’s too in-depth to be covered in a 30-second video, consider splitting it up across a series of videos. This leaves your audience wanting more and can be extra motivation to convert them into a follower.

5. Don’t jump on every trend you see. 

While leveraging a trendy song or video theme is a clever way to boost your reach, only include trending content when it’s relevant to your business. 

6. When in doubt use photos

If you’re stuck on ideas (or are camera shy), try editing a few images together with a trending song playing over the top. Doing this will water two plants with one hose. Creating videos from photo content is a great way to maximise reach using an Instagram-friendly format. See an example here. 

Brands that are killing the video game on social media

1. Auricle Ear Seeds (12.1k)  – eCommerce 

Acupuncture, but make it cute. Auricle has amassed a cult following since its launch. They use a saucy mix of educational, user-generated and aesthetic content that appeals to their audience. 

1. Leaf Mowing and Gardens (711 followers) – Service-based brand

Who knew watching someone mow could be so satisfying? Leaf Mowing and Gardens aren’t doing anything extraordinary here. They’re just doing what they do best and sharing it online. They post helpful gardening tips and give you a behind-the-scenes look into the day-to-day of their business. 

1. Total Fitouts (3,605 followers) – B2B Company

Social media has cemented its place when it comes to B2B content marketing. Total fitouts does a fantastic job at creating content that showcases its services and previous work. Doing so means they’ll be front of mind when it comes to customers needing their service. 

Conclusion

Creating a video for your company’s social media strategy may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! You only need some planning and creativity to exhibit what makes your company unique.