We’ve officially entered an era in which video marketing is no longer optional. It may be the single most effective strategy for small businesses to build visibility, enhance engagement, and elicit an emotional response from their audience – all at the same time.

It’s an obviously popular medium, to the point where SmallBizTrends predicts that by 2019, video will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic worldwide.

 

There’s a reason why 87 percent of marketers today think video content is an important component of their overall strategy: it not only works, but it works really well. Not only does 85 percent of the Internet population in the United States watch videos online, but it’s also a particularly popular medium among teenagers.

People between the ages of 25 and 34 spend 40 percent of their best way to promote YouTube Videos online time watching video content of some type.

 

Video isn’t only for show. It is quite effective

However, the difference between a successful video marketing effort and a failed video marketing campaign is sometimes rather wide.

There are a few crucial things to keep in mind if you want to get the most of your video marketing efforts as a small business owner.

 

The Facts on Video Marketing for Social Media

One of the reasons why video marketing is so significant in today’s world is the way it connects with another of today’s biggest trends: social networking. Consider the following statistics to demonstrate this:

Contrary to one study, a whopping 82 percent of Twitter users claim they actively like watching video content on the platform.

According to another survey, 45 percent of Facebook users watch more than one hour of video per week.

Even YouTube, which is technically a social network due to its social sharing feature and the manner in which it interfaces with other services like Google+, has over a billion members, accounting for more than a third of all Internet users.

To that end, in a single month, more video content being created and uploaded to the Internet than all of the major television networks in the United States have produced in the previous three decades combined.

So, when it comes to deciding which social media networks to use to share your video content – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and so on – the answer is a resounding yes to all of them. Even so, there are a few things you should keep in mind in order to get the most out of your efforts.

 

Always keep in mind that no two social media platforms are alike. They all have their own benefits and peculiarities, and you can only take advantage of them and use them to your advantage if you keep these elements in mind while generating and uploading video content.

 

Always keep in mind that no two social media platforms are alike.

A person visiting Facebook, for example, is seeking for a totally different experience than someone visiting Twitter – which is why most people have numerous social accounts in the first place. There would be one clear winner in terms of popularity if all networks were the same – and there isn’t, and there isn’t likely to be.

 

You Should Try These 4 Twitter Videos Right Now

 

Twitter users, for example, prefer shorter, more frequent bursts of information. This experience should be reflected in the type of video material you generate. If “brevity is the soul of wit,” then brevity is also the key to your video marketing success in this industry.

Keep in mind that 90 percent of Twitter video views occur on mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet when it comes to Twitter in particular. When you realise that 92% of these viewers are also likely to share material, your job becomes clear: every video you create and upload on Twitter best look great on a tiny smartphone screen.

 

Mobile devices account for 90% of all Twitter video views

Facebook, on the other hand, is a completely different species. Not only can you make your Facebook videos a little longer (something in the five-minute range is usually good for pre-recorded content), but Facebook is also the epicentre of another key trend these days: live video content.

Not only has the popularity of live streaming video material on Facebook increased by 330 percent since its launch in 2016, but Facebook Live videos are also watched three times longer than non-live videos. If you’re searching for a way to not only capture but also hold someone’s attention for as long as possible, Facebook Live is the way to go.

Hot topic: Pinterest video: the ultimate guide

The Ultimate Pinterest Video Guide

Other networks, too, have their own peculiarities. YouTube is ideal for uploading any form of video content – regardless of duration – and linking it to other channels. Keep in mind that Instagram and Pinterest users prefer pictures and tend to be female, so keep that in mind.

Always start with what their specific audience is searching for, regardless of the channel you’re utilising, and work your way back to the type of material you need to develop to suit those demands.

 

What You Should Know About Making Your Own Videos

When it comes to making your own video content, the good news is that it is now more affordable and effective than ever before. Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus, for example, can shoot native 4K video and is the type of device you’re most likely already using. You are no longer required to purchase professional-grade video camera equipment.

However, you’ll want to invest in a few accessories to assist your videos look as polished as possible. To help keep such movies as solid as possible, you’ll need a tripod, for example. Whether you’re using a smartphone or a video camera, this is true.

To ensure that your films sound as excellent as possible, you’ll also want to invest in audio recording equipment, particularly cordless mics that you may use to mike your subjects directly.

With Wave.video, you can make compelling marketing videos.

An online video editor that is simple to use

There are a number of amazing editing alternatives available, such as Wave.video, that allow you to edit professional-grade videos that are geared for social media right from your laptop or desktop computer. Other free options, like as iMovie, can be found in places like the iTunes App Store.

 

Conclusion

Because video marketing is always changing, you’ll want to keep an eye on what others are doing to stay on top of the current trends. There are other examples of small business videos (like this one, or this one, or this one…) that have achieved incredible online success, all of which you may learn from.

Don’t get us wrong: video marketing isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, it will only grow in popularity as time passes. Increasing your efforts today could spell the difference between a good and a fantastic marketing campaign in the future.