Social media videos are an easy way to spice up your social channels. With more and more businesses using videos to promote their brand, services, and products on social media, these videos attract more eyeballs and generate better engagement. 

If you’re planning to create some social media videos for your business, make sure you use these tips to create the best ones for your social channels.

Why Should You Post Videos on Social Media?

If you’re looking for a way to increase your brand’s exposure and gain new customers, consider posting videos on social media.

Videos are an excellent way to engage with your audience, especially if you are trying to promote a specific product or service. They can also help you establish yourself as an expert in your field by showing off your knowledge and expertise.

You can also use videos for business development. If you’re looking for investors or new partners, putting together short videos explaining what you do could be just the thing you need to get people interested in what you do.

10 Tips for More Video Engagement

     1. Begin With A Strategy

Before you even think about shooting a video, developing a strategy is essential. What is your goal for the video? Is it to increase engagement, get more followers or views on social media, or maybe both? 

A strategy helps guide your production process and keeps you focused. It can also help keep you motivated. If you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve before shooting, then there’s no doubt that achieving those goals will be much easier.

     2. Keep Your videos short and sweet

It’s essential to keep your videos short, as no one will watch a long video when they can just skim through the first few seconds of it. 

When this isn’t always possible, keep your content to around a minute; anything longer than that is asking for trouble. If you must make a longer video, break up sections with an engaging subject change (for example, use different locations or types of footage) so you don’t bore your viewers by doing the same thing over and over.

     3. Make the First Few Seconds Really Stand Out

The first few seconds of a video are critical to engaging viewers and making them want to continue watching. To make your content stand out, you should:

• Introduce the topic of the video clearly and quickly.
• Have an engaging opening shot.
• Start with something funny or interesting that grabs attention right away.

     4. If There’s Talking, Include Subtitles

Subtitles can help your audience understand your meaning in terms of language and culture. If you’re producing a video intended to be consumed by people who speak a different language or have hearing loss, subtitles should be a prominent part of the creative process. 

In fact, it’s not uncommon for even those with perfect hearing to watch videos with subtitles when they want to catch up on something quickly or don’t want background noise interfering with their viewing experience. 

And subtitles are necessary if you plan on using this content as part of an educational program or course material.

     5. Aim for Natural Lighting

The best light to use is the sun or any other naturally occurring light source. This can be anything from a window to a lamp on the table next to you. 

Use reflectors and diffusers if necessary. If your subject is too far from the available lighting source, you can use reflectors like whiteboards and umbrellas (or even sheets!) to bounce some of that light onto them and fill out their features more effectively.

Alternately, diffusers will soften harsh direct sunlight so that shadows aren’t as noticeable on skin tones or clothing colors.

     6. Consider Using an External Microphone

If you want your audio to sound good, you must position the microphone close to your mouth. If possible, use a microphone stand to be at the same level as your mouth when speaking.

A pop filter (a thin device that attaches to the front of most microphones) will protect your microphone from getting clogged up with saliva and other small particles.

And finally, consider buying a noise-canceling microphone if you plan on recording in crowded areas or while in motion. This can help eliminate background sounds such as nearby traffic or people talking loudly around you.

     7. If You Must Use Music, Make Sure You’re Allowed To

If you plan to use music in your videos, make sure the platform allows it. Some, like Facebook and YouTube, do; others don’t, as a matter of policy. When you doubt whether you can legally use a particular piece of music in your video, check out the terms of service for the platform where you plan to post it first.

Before choosing which songs you will feature in your videos, ask yourself two questions: “Is this song appropriate for my audience?” and “Does this song convey the message I want to deliver?”

     8. Focus on the Story

One of the best things you can do when creating social media videos is to focus on telling a good story. This goes beyond ensuring that your video has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It means ensuring that your story is exciting and compelling enough to keep people engaged until the end.

When thinking about what makes a great story, consider why someone would want to watch it first. What does it offer? What value does it provide? Once you know what makes your story memorable, use that as an inspiration for creating engaging social media videos that will keep people coming back for more.

     9. End With a Call-To-Action

What do you want viewers to do after watching your video? If you don’t have a CTA, then it’s unlikely that people will take any action after watching your video. 

Make sure your CTA is clear and easy to find so that viewers know what they should do after watching your video.

    10. Optimize for Different Channels

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media videos. Different platforms have different rules and best practices, so it’s essential to understand how each platform works before you get started.

For example, on Facebook and Instagram, the title field is more important than any other piece of metadata. You should use this space to tell viewers what your video is about so that they can decide whether they want to watch it. 

On Twitter, hashtags are key: use relevant hashtags when possible, but don’t overdo it. You don’t want your tweet to get lost in a sea of tweets with too many hashtags.

And on YouTube, you can optimize your videos by using relevant tags and keywords that will help people find your content through search engines like Google.