The Social Video Revolution.
Gone are the days where social media meant sharing a written thought or a photo with a simple caption. The revolution started with YouTube back in 2005, and although it might have *seemed* like a slow burn, fast forward to 2021, there’s no question that video is the future of social media and digital marketing as a whole.
Recently, the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, shared that “video is driving an immense amount of growth online for all major platforms.” He also announced the platform was no longer predominately a photo-sharing app and was changing its focus to concentrate on four new areas, including creators, shopping, messaging and Reels (video).
Why is video so important?
Ever since the recent announcement, if you have logged into any social platform in the past few months, you may have been exposed to a video or Reel straight off the bat. You’ll find global brands, small businesses, influencers all vying for your attention via video content using trending audios, voiceovers, effects and more!
The reason being, video content typically performs best with most social algorithms, as it captures a viewer’s attention for longer. This might explain why videos on the ‘gram generate more reach and engagement than any other content type. The best part for brands? The greater reach = greater return on investment. Research has revealed that 88% of video marketers reported a positive ROI from video marketing campaigns and the results are constantly improving at an impressive rate.
Right now, businesses are using video to showcase their brand in unique and genuine ways by showing their audience who they are, what they stand for and how they differentiate from their competitors. Looking to create your own videos, you can film your social content directly on your phone and repurpose them across multiple platforms, ensuring your content reaches a wide audience!
One of the best growth hacks now on the ‘gram is Instagram Reels. If you’re familiar with TikTok, and Instagram’s IGTV, which launched in 2018, Reels are an extremely similar concept. Reels are the new video sharing option on Instagram, made up of 15 to 30-second videos put to music or voiceovers. You can create them on the platform using various tools to edit short snippets to tell a story.
There are a few common types of Reels, which can be anything from challenges, behind-the-scenes footage, educational content, product showcases and more. They offer an excellent opportunity for businesses to show a less picture-perfect side, which can be an incredible way to build genuine connections with your audience!
It performing Reels often fall in line with current trends on both Reels and Tiktok, which has turned Instagram into a much more fast-paced, video-focused platform. This, in turn, has heavily impacted organic reach and engagement for static content, as Instagram is still prioritising Reels as it’s their new feature. While Reel Insights are currently limited, so it’s difficult to ascertain the precise impact of Reels, it’s evident that Reels are much more widely distributed and therefore contribute to substantially higher post reach.
Not to mention, they’re a great way to create fun and engaging video content for your followers! We’ve created a few essential Reel tips below to make the most out of your content.
Top Reel Tips
- Do your research first to see what’s trending right now.
- Plan your reels. Our time-saving tip, batch your filming.
- Use trending audios or voiceovers.
- Make sure your footage is clear and well lit (invest in a tripod and light).
- Include closed captions.
- Keep your captions short and sweet.
- Always include hashtags.
- Be as creative as you like in line with your brand voice.
What does this mean for you? Whether you’re running a product-based business, service-based business, or you’re a solopreneur, Reels are the top-performing content on the ‘gram right now and are an essential part of your social media strategy.
What about Tiktok
If you’re an avid Tiktok user, you might be noticing, the videos you’re watching becoming longer and longer. This is because the app is embracing longer videos and have recently announced they are rolling out the option to create videos of up to 3 minutes long, taking on YouTube and IGTV. Previously, users were only able to create videos of up to 60 seconds after initially expanding from 15-second clips. If you’re familiar with the app, then you’ll know Tiktok is full of trends. Whether this is a trending dance, competition, voiceover or audio, it’s a great platform to show your brand personality and reach a Gen Z or Alpha audience.
The original and the best? YouTube.
One of the original (and definitely the most successful to date) video sharing platform in the social world, it is still equally important in reaching your desired audience, although the content strategy is very different. Did you know, every minute more than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube and that the platform has over 2 billion users? It is also the second-largest search engine after Google! It has become one of the best sources of communicating to a large group of audience, whether it is for providing information or watching programs. It’s a great way to showcase educational content for your particular brand!
As you can see, there are a multitude of social media platforms that you can utilize for your business, and they’re all important with unique qualities you can use to build a genuine connection with your consumers. The single defining feature for all of them in 2021? You guessed it, video. If you haven’t incorporated video in your social media content strategy yet, it’s time to start!
