Video is huge on social media. Devices have high speed internet and wifi connections that make it easy to watch wherever we are. Have you started including video in your digital marketing plan? This week we’re looking at ways you can begin to include social media video marketing in your strategy. It’s easier than you think.

Why Do You Need Video Marketing?

In a little over a year, video marketing will drive 85% of search traffic (Cisco). It’s already the most popular type of ad. Many small brands are afraid to move toward video because they are worried about the cost, but there are many easy ways to quickly implement video into your marketing plan.

Three Ways To Implement Video Content Marketing

With a cell phone and social media account it’s easy to quickly add video into your queue. Here are the three easiest ways, including tips.

Product Demos

Go live on Facebook or Instagram to introduce a new product. These videos are best when the item is shown being used. But it can’t be just a simple demo. It has to be fun and engaging. . A perfect example is BlendTec. The company, that makes blenders, has a series of videos asking the questions, “Will it blend?” and then answering it with video.

They’ve capitalized not just on video but also engagement by having their audience suggest what to blend.

Demonstrate The Value of Your Service

Video isn’t just for showing off products. It’s also for showing off the service you offer. Remember, one of the most important things about marketing is psychology. And the biggest psychological driver in marketing? Causal relationships: showing people the why. Present your service in a way that shows why people need it. One way to do this is by illustrating how your service fixes a problem.

Scottish copywriting service Purple Feather does this, while evoking emotion, in their powerful ad that shows some people have a knack for saying the same thing in a way that increases success. This heartfelt ad gives you the feels while essentially sending the message: good copy generates conversions. But notice that they never once talk about what they do.

How To Videos

From makeup tutorials to recipes, people love a how to video. They can be quick, like this 6 second vine about putting in a backsplash:

Or a longer video showing how to make something delicious:
The sky’s the limit when it comes to how to videos so think outside of the box. If you make spatulas you can still do recipe videos – just feature your spatulas in them.

Slick Vs. Simple

When it comes to marketing video production there are times when your videos should be high quality and beautifully produced. But there’s plenty of times when you don’t need to spend days in post production. Here are some guidelines.

Slick	Simple
Commercials	Breaking news
Interviews	Behind the scenes
Trailers	Fireside chats
How To Videos & Tutorials	Drawings/Kudos

Eight Tips To Make Your Video Marketing Content Great

Now that you have some ideas for incorporating video, here are ten tips to get videos up and engaging your audience.

1. Be mindful of lighting. Natural lighting from above or in front of your subject (behind the camera) is best. Backlit subjects often appear too dark resulting in users clicking off.
2. Limit Distractions. If you’re going live, pop a note on the door or send an email out to others in your office letting them know that you’ll be recording and prefer to not be disturbed. If you’re recording video that can be edited, think about the space and limit audible and visible distractions. Yes, that means you should clean up your work surface.
3. White backgrounds work best. There’s a reason everyone from lifestyle bloggers to baristas have lots of white on their Insta flatlays – it makes things pop and draws attention to your focus 100%. No matter what you’re shooting, whether it’s live or pre-recorded and edited, strive to get a clean, white background.
4. Use tools every time. Even when producing a live video consider an external mic and using a tripod. Clear audio and a steady shot give everything a professional look.
5. Go horizontal. Have you watched videos that have blurred or black bars on the edges? That happens when people shoot vertically or in portrait. Go vertical (landscape) to maximize the space and avoid distracting edges.
6. Keep it short and sweet. Videos should be short to get and keep attention. Aim for under 3 minutes.
7. If you can produce it, produce it. Lives are great but a short video that is pre-recorded allows you to edit. Often the beginning of a video will have the speaker adjusting, or a few false starts. You can still interact with your audience via comments when you air, so consider implementing short, produced videos to increase their production value.
8. Text helps. Captions or other on screen text keeps users engaged. If you’re introducing a new product via live, consider a frame with the product name. Captions help people who have to watch without sound or are watching in a noisy place like the subway.

About Storyboarding

Storyboarding is a technique will improve every video you make – even live videos! The idea is to create an outline as your guide. The video can still be organic but storyboarding will help you keep to your message and purpose.

Say you’re going live with a new product. Consider what you want to highlight and the best way to show off the product. List the different camera positions and things you’ll want to show in frame and plan them out ahead of time. Storyboards should also include notes about what you’re going to say. Even if it’s not a full script, make sure to jot down a talking points. This will result in cohesion between what your audience is seeing and hearing – engaging them even more.

The other reason storyboarding is important is because it helps you build a narrative. Studies have shown that people like people driven stories – and yes, that can happen in a live. Just think about it ahead of time and build the live around the central story.

Ready To Start Implementing Video?

Build video into your social media marketing plan for Q1 with one live and one produced video planned for the quarter. Take time to plan out the best purpose and plan for each and then start producing. These tips provide an excellent place to start.