Tag: #SocialMediaVideos

Brand Video Content: Why Your Brand Should be Using Video Content on Social Media

INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN— BRAND VIDEO CONTENT RULES. 

Social Media platforms of all sizes are catering more and more to video creators. Just a few months ago Instagram, historically a photo sharing application, announced their move towards prioritizing video content. TikTok, an app completely dedicated to video content, has over a billion users and generated an estimated $1.9 billion in revenue in 2020 alone. When it come to a brand’s video content, here is why you should be using video content on social media. 

Here is three quick reasons why video is the current queen of content: 

1. Videos = Engagement. Let’s face it: there’s a hierarchy of how entertaining content can be. Video content on Instagram, Twitter, and almost all other platforms consistently receives the highest amount of engagement in the form of comments, shares, and likes. If you’re in marketing, you’ll know that often, engagement is an excellent indicator of conversation rates.  
2. It can be repurposed easily. This one’s for the finance team, because though the cost of video might scare them off initially, it’s some of the easiest content to ‘repackage’. Once you have your video, you can share it to multiple platforms simultaneously (for example, think of all the creators cross-posting content to Instagram Reels and TikTok, or from Instagram Stories to Pinterest Pins). You can also create snippets of the video for reuse across marketing channels. The greater the reach, the greater the return on investment. 
3. It appeals with many demographics. Of course Gen Z, one of the most digitally savvy audiences, are some of the primary consumers of video content because they have grown up with it. But you might be surprised to learn that millennials and Gen X’ers are also happily shopping and engaging via TikTok and Pinterest too. Similarly, millions of users seek out YouTube reviews or demos of a product they are interested in purchasing. Read more here regarding video tips & tricks.  

No matter the size of your company, the time to pivot to video content is now. 

But content marketers and business professionals will know that high-quality video content is not always cheap to create, nor is quality assured, especially if you’re new to the format.  You can capture video yourself but it is often low-quality.  You can hire professionals, but that is often expensive. 

Fortunately, there are solutions available: automated video content creation is now a reality.  Whether your goals are to grow your audience, promote specific products, or connect to new clients, Prontopia is the simple way to create, share, and schedule HD videos in less than a minute. 

When it comes to video creation and editing, whether you’re aiming for commercials or viral social media posts, the process of automation is all about making things easy for your business and your team. That’s why Prontopia also offers easy ways for you to create, schedule, and publish content, so you save time and money while also leveraging one of the more engaging content mediums on the market. 

Want to learn more?  Here are key video predictions in Video Marketing in 2022.

Get Started with Social Media Video Content: Do’s & Don’ts!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO USE VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Whether your goal is to garner likes, increase brand awareness, improve your engagement, or boost sales, video is an excellent tool. But how do you get started with social media video content?

Video is the perfect medium for social media. It allows you to provide both information and entertainment quickly and in a highly attractive way. High-quality videos with movement, transitions, text, and audio are top-performing social media content across the most popular platforms, from Facebook to Twitter. Other social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest also prioritize video content.

Long story short: if you’re not using video as part of your digital marketing strategy, now is the time to start.  Lights, Camera, Action!

Social Media Video Content: Do’s and Don’ts!

Because video is a carrier for so many content pillars, visual styles, and advertising opportunities, it’s crucial that you have a targeted approach. Don’t feel that you have to abandon your existing strategy, especially if you’re just getting started. Here are three quick Do’s and Don’ts to help you develop your method.

1. 
   

   Don’t Do All the Work Yourself.

Gone are the days of expensive studio rentals and pricey HD cameras. So don’t think that the only way to make professional videos is by renting a studio and hiring an expert. Instead, find a tool that can help you find clips based on the information you already have. Using keywords, style tags, and machine learning, Prontopia will identify relevant high-quality clips for you, and stitch them together.

2. 
   

   Do Aim for Consistency.

It’s tempting for marketers to want to see their videos get millions of views, and experience overnight, viral success. But the reality about video is that it’s most successful when you use it to build an engaged client base. Or use it to reach customers who are in your area and/or industry. You don’t need to aim for viral every time! Instead, re-focus on posting video consistently. Scheduling content in advance can help you do this—whether that means creating content in batches or using Prontopia to produce and schedule your videos for you. 

3. 
   

   Don’t Forget About Audio and Text.

While we often think of video as a dual visual and audio format, but these days, it’s a bit more complicated. Using trending audio on a social media platform can help get views. However, especially if you’re looking to post cross-platform, imagine watching your video from the user perspective: so often, we watch video without sound! Whether you’re in the doctor’s office or on your couch, there are many times we consume video without hearing the audio track at all. Instead of despairing, embrace this trend, and know that you can use both captioning and engaging text along with your audio. This will not only boost the accessibility of your video but allow it to be viewed successfully whether or not it can be heard.

Social Media Video Content: Make it Easier!

Finding a one-stop shop for video content sounds like a dream. But it is true: with Prontopia, you’re covered! With an automated system that learns from you, you can use simple keywords to find video content of all kinds. You can identify styles, fonts, and patterns that fit with your brand identity, and set videos to automatically post—as frequently as you like!  

Wherever you are with video content creation, Prontopia can be the next step forward. We make the process quick, effective, and high quality—just what you need to take your social media presence to the next level.

Learn more at prontopia.com or sign up for a free account to try it today!

Video Tips and Tricks for All Social Media Platforms

HOW TO OPTIMIZE VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA  

Whether you’re just starting out on social media, or you’re a veteran company with thousands of followers, optimizing content for each platform is an ever-evolving challenge. While applications continue to roll out new time limits, changes to their algorithms, and new features, staying engaged with optimization methods can help your video content reach the spotlight.  So what video tips and tricks can helps across social media platforms? 

As video continues to explode in popularity, social media platforms are in tough competition with each other. While photos, carousel posts, and text are still important parts of communicating with your audience, video is a chance to tell a story efficiently. So, grab your camera, and let’s dive into optimization!  

Video Tips and Tricks for Social Media

Here are four things to keep in mind when designing and creating your content. 

1) Have A Plan 

Video content doesn’t require you to throw out any of your existing branding or marketing strategy. You still need to think about your brand colors, your key message(s), and your audience. 

Whether it’s reach, sales, conversions, or just communication with customers, establishing a plan sooner rather than later is the way to go. Draw from your previous strategies, look at your highest-performing posts, and pull some data from the platforms you’re already on. What do people engage with the most? What seems to get the highest click through rate?  

In most cases, it’s important to include some kind of call to action (CTA), whether a hard or a soft sell. Sometimes ‘Order Now!’ will be appropriate, while other times, ‘Learn More’ might fit. But the idea of leading people to the next step along the journey is important even with public awareness campaigns. On any social media platform, the best content will tell a brand story, highlight an important moment, or show off industry knowledge—all of these are great places to start building a video marketing plan.  Garlic Media Group has a great blog related to this topic. 

2) Choose the Right Aspect Ratio 

For most platforms, a 16:9 (with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels) will serve you just fine. This is the standard aspect ratio that you would watch on YouTube or your home TV. This ratio is a great place to start.  

However, for the past few years, vertical video is on the rise, thanks to Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok. In addition, story functionality (vertical content only available for 24 hours) has been added to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. For vertical video, whether for a feed post—think Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, etc—as well as stories, it’s best to use a 9:16 aspect ratio. 

It’s also, of course, important to consider the destination of your content. If the majority of it is being consumed via mobile, a square (1:1) aspect ratio may be preferable, and more broadly applicable. A 1:1 aspect ratio can be ideal for social media platforms that play automatically in their feed, and perhaps more importantly, it’s unlikely that a video with a square ratio will be cropped automatically. 

Here are the quick & dirty reference points for best aspect ratios for each platform: 

• Instagram Feed Posts and Ads: 1:1 (Square)
• Instagram TV (IGTV), Reels, and Stories: 9:16 (Vertical), 4:5 Vertical, or 2:3 Vertical in a pinch 
• TikTok: 9:16 (Vertical)  
• Facebook In-Feed Ads: 16:9 (Landscape) or 1:1 (Square)
• Facebook Stories: 9:16 (Vertical) 
• Twitter: 1:1 (Square) 
• LinkedIn: 16:9, or 1:1 
• Snapchat: 9:16 (Vertical) 

3) Sound, Music, and Subtitles! 

There are always going to be times where consumers have the sound off, either on their TVs or smartphones. Other times, they might be scrolling or avidly watching, with full sound capabilities. Because as a creator you can’t count on either one, it’s important to think about both! 

Optimizing your videos to work well with and without sound isn’t as tricky as it sounds. You can use tools like background music (royalty free or a trending piece of audio), subtitles or closed captioning, simple text and branding, a personalized voiceover—or a combination of these. Using royalty-free music and a customized voiceover in combination can provide a professional vibe, while trending audio and quirky captioning can angle more towards comedic and viral content. Closed captions or subtitles can help not only with the situations where consumers have their volume off, but also extend the reach of your content to those who are hard of hearing. 

The biggest takeaway is: create your content to be viewed with sound available, but don’t count on it. Before posting, make sure to watch it back and ask yourself: Would this make sense without audio? If not—consider using another of the visual options mentioned above. 

4) Keep Time In Mind 

Time is a toughie—but we’ve got you covered. Content creators often struggle with a) keeping track of the limits for each platform as well as b) knowing what length of video performs the best overall. 

As social media apps—particularly the video capabilities of each one—evolve, the time limits might change frequently. Fortunately, there are a couple lengths that work well as standard units: six seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 60 seconds. 

Here are the current limits for several main social media platforms as a reference: 

• Instagram Feed Posts, Reels, and Stories: Maximum 60 seconds 
• Instagram TV (IGTV): Maximum 60 minutes 
• TikTok: Maximum 60 seconds 
• Facebook In-stream Ads: Maximum 15 seconds
• Facebook Stories: Maximum 60 seconds
• Twitter: Maximum 140 seconds  
• Snapchat: Maximum 60 seconds 

As you can see, the majority of platforms currently have an ultimate limit of one minute. However, you should also consider what people will actually watch.  In general, shorter is better! Having a hook, catchy audio, and a professional branded look are what will keep people watching, especially if the video is on the shorter side. 

Video length is something that is good to experiment with, because it relates so intimately to the type of content you’re producing. Announcing a sale would fit will in a short video but sharing industry knowledge would suit a longer clip. Play around with the pairings of content and time and analyze the results as you go. 

One Key Takeaway from our Video Tips & Tricks: Optimization Is A Journey 

You can ‘go deep’ into video creation, whether you’re filming your own footage or automating the whole process, and the good news is that there are many ways to succeed. Finding your brand video voice, working within the limitations of each platform, and establishing a consistent posting schedule will take you far. Iteration and optimization will help you produce the best result!

To learn more about automating the video creation and scheduling process, check out the free trial of Prontopia.  

VIDEO MARKETING IS EFFECTIVE BUT CAN BE COSTLY

Putting aside all the advice, all the lists of tips and tricks, and all the re-branding announcements, there is one very simple truth about online content: video rules.  But how do you jump on the video bandwagon and make effective videos without breaking the bank?

The last two years threw many plans into disarray, but one repercussion has been an even more intense demand for digital content. From information and news to funny dance videos, video content is even more firmly established as a popular form of digital media. 

Even if you’re not familiar with video as a creator, you’re likely familiar with it from the consumer point of view. Whether it’s a friendly-looking video of your family dentist or a clean-cut advertisement for a local real estate company, we remember and trust brands that we see producing high quality video. 

WHY VIDEO MARKETING

According to Statista, as of 2020 over 83% of all internet users in the US accessed digital video content. Even as early as 2015 and 2016, video marketing was taking off, and for good reason. Insivia reports that based on many metrics, video is impactful almost anywhere you use it: as a YouTube Ad, embedded in an email, on social media, or even in a training scenario. 

Video is highly engaging. It gets shared more frequently with others, and the information is also often retained more easily than if it was consumed via text originally. Long story short: if you automate the creation process, video has the potential to provide an amazing ROI. 

Some reports say that including video on a landing page can increase conversion by up to 80%. In the same vein, according to WordStream, marketers who use video grew revenue 49% faster than non-video users. 

These statistics are worth taking on board because they are about video in general, not about specific industries. Video can be impactful for small businesses owners as well as large enterprises. It’s still all about maintaining brand identity and marketing effectively. Every company, cross-industry and no matter the size, should be using video in their digital marketing strategy. 

If you weren’t convinced already, video is also becoming even more prioritized on all social media platforms, from Twitter to LinkedIn. Even Instagram announced that its algorithms would be more actively promoting reels (short videos) instead of still images. 

So, how can you jump on the video bandwagon?

TIPS FOR VIDEO MARKETING

Whether you’re looking to use video as a source of ad revenue, a chance to build customer trust, or just provide an update about your current stock levels, there’s an easy and cost-effective way to give video a shot.  

1. Don’t abandon your marketing plan. Think about who you want to talk to – your customers—and how you can connect to them. Your brand identity, your style, your brand colors and ‘vibe’, are still crucial parts of how you approach video, whether you’re using it to promote a one-time sale, or just remind clients of your hours.  
2. Use Prontopia to automate video creation! Add a few of the keywords associated with your brand, choose the duration, as well the style/theme you like, and plug in your text. A high-quality, fully tailorable video will be yours in just minutes. 
3. Schedule the video. With Prontopia, this step is seamless. You can connect your social media accounts, and schedule your video to post on each one, or just one, platform. You can also then set Prontopia to produce and publish additional videos as frequently as you want! 
4. Sit back, relax, and check out the analytics. As your videos go out, Prontopia will help you check out the data. You can see things like the engagement rate for each platform, which is invaluable data. Monitor, tweak, check back, and watch your results unfold! 

Digital marketing is a fast-moving and competitive field, but you can be ahead of the curve by automating your video content creation process. With your plan and Prontopia’s prowess, you’re off to a strong start already. 

Want to try it for free? Check it out here! 

If you’re involved in digital marketing at any level, you might be wondering what the new year has in store for video creation and sharing. Over the past two years, large companies and small businesses alike have embraced new approaches to their digital content.  One thing is for sure: video is here to stay, which is why we have developed a list of our predictions for video marketing in 2022.

Almost all social media platforms have expanded the availability of video creation resources, and there have been tweaks to the algorithms that drive a prioritization of video content. In 2022, Meta, the recently-rebranded parent company of Instagram and Facebook, will continue to prioritize video, and engage with smaller content creators by monetizing aspects of video content generation.

Here are five other predictions for video marketing in 2022

1. Video Rules the Roost

Prediction: In 2022, video will continue to be one of the most-consumed forms of digital content.While straightforward, video’s continued hold on consumers is fascinating, especially having experienced the changes to the digital landscape over the last 24 months. Video is taking over partially because of the expansive nature of social media and streaming services, but also because of the pandemic. Over the past two years there’s been a huge move to video content in terms of concerts, conferences, yoga classes, and everything in between. Consider the sheer availability of video. Every minute, YouTube users upload another twenty hours of video, and every day the site streams around 100 million videos. According to 99Firms, more than four billion video views take place on Facebook every day. With those kinds of statistics, it’s safe to say that video is here to stay in 2022.

2. ‘Live’ Is Here To Stay

Prediction: In 2022, live video will become even more mainstream. Live video—regardless of the platform—has emerged as an essential subcategory of video marketing. It’s a highly effective way for brands to connect with consumers, as well as for content creators of any kind to run classes, courses, and conferences. Crucially, while consumers prefer video content to other forms overall, they also engage at a much higher rate when the content is live.

Live video has also made a huge impact on Instagram and Twitter, as it offers more opportunities for celebrities, artists, and brands to get immediate attention, as well as collaborate between themselves.

3. Search-Optimized Videos

Prediction: In 2022, videos will become an increasingly important part of SEO strategy. SEO in blog posts and static social media posts is nothing new, but what about videos optimized for search? As you may have noticed in your everyday searches, videos are more likely to generate first-page rankings than other traditional SEO techniques. Brightedge reports that Google is now putting video snippets next to 26% of search results, and users are more likely to click them when they do.

Including relevant and accurate titles, video descriptions, and keeping things short can help you get your video to the top of the pile.

4. Shh… I’m Watching Something

Prediction: In 2022, videos should be optimized to be played on silent. Contrary to popular belief, most people watch mobile videos with no sound—even if there is an associated song or voiceover in the video that would augment the content. In fact, 85% of videos on Facebook are watched without sound. The statistics are similar for other video-heavy platforms like Instagram and TikTok, because people are watching videos on their smartphones everywhere they go. Whether they are sitting in a waiting room, scrolling before bed, or feeling bored during a meeting, it’s likely that there’s something they want to watch silently. In 2022, we will likely see many more marketers taking this into consideration, and using both closed captions and voiceover to make sure they cover all the bases.

5. Let AI Do the Work

Prediction: In 2022, AI Video creation will go mainstream. Over the past year, AI video creation has exploded in both quality and availability. Marketers have realized that creating high-definition, professional videos doesn’t have to be an expensive and time-consuming project. By automating video content creation, along with an existing marketing strategy, companies can increase the consistency and reliability of their posts, without sucking time and budget away from the rest of their marketing efforts.

“Video marketing is evolving every year and consumers are increasingly engaging with video content. Video content can be expensive to produce but with AI-generated content, that cost becomes negligible and it is incredibly fast to create. With AI-based video marketing tools, agencies and businesses can produce professional-quality content quickly and affordably.” — Will Feldman, Owner, Garlic Media

Make 2022 The Best Year Yet

Many brands are at a point where they recognize the efficacy of video marketing, regardless of the metrics they care most about. Video content has been repeatedly shown to prompt user engagement, deliver a high ROI, and cause high click-through rates. We predict that 2022 will see a continued prioritization of video, and the expansion of AI-generated material.

Thank you for reading our predictions for video marketing in 2022.

Please check out prontopia.com to learn more. And may 2022 be a great year for your video marketing efforts!