Social video is more important than ever. As of November 2015, Facebook’s daily video views are over 8 billion per day (doubled from just April of 2015), and we can count on even more growth in 2016. But it’s increasingly becoming a crowded platform — how can your brand stand out in a newsfeed saturated by cat vids and awards show .gifs?
Follow these 5 tips to give your next video a viral leg up, and you could have the next ‘Friends Furever’ on your hands:
Find A Unique Angle
If everyone is going left, go right. Find a way to produce your video with a cutting edge angle that no one has thought of before. Add your original voice. Don’t just show your audience a video, show them your passion for the topic. It should go without saying, but a good video starts with a good idea.
Get There First
In an age where everyone can immediately shoot and upload video with their smartphone, being the first to post about a story not only makes you the de facto authority, it also increases how far and wide your video is viewed and shared.
*If you can’t get there first, check your analytics to determine your audience’s peak usage time and post then. It’s no use putting out your social video at 3AM if all your followers are asleep.
Hook ‘Em
It is no secret in the industry that if you don’t grab your audience’s attention right away, they’re immediately onto the next — especially in the Facebook newsfeed, where you only get a moment to catch a user’s attention before they scroll past. Make your social video intro both punchy and attention-grabbing within the first 1 to 5 seconds, and choose a compelling thumbnail. This will get them to watch, which is the biggest hurdle for creators.
Use Great Share Copy
An often overlooked way to increase video views isn’t even in the video — it’s the text above the video. Get your audience pumped to watch your video by posing a question, or putting the video in context. Avoid generic announcements like, “New Video!” No need for gimmicky link-bait; to excel in today’s internet economy, you should treat your audience like the internet-savvy users they are.
Keep Your Social Video Short and Sweet
The average internet user will look at a video’s runtime before they click ‘play.’ Understand the immediacy of viral content and push for shorter videos. The shorter and sweeter they are, the more people who will watch them, and the more lasting impression they make on your audience.
Ultimately, the key to making strong social videos that don’t get lost in the newsfeed is to marry a good idea with the best practices highlighted above so keep them in mind when making your next video.
