Why should you share your video on social media?

Table of contents

Summary

Video is the king of content and we have said this many times. They bring with them many advantages, especially when shared on social media, increasingly populated and used as points of reference. Find out in this post why it is important to share videos on social platforms and what benefits came from them.

Video on social media: some data  

The evolution of social media and the launch of new platforms are changing how we communicate, transmit, and consume information. We’ve already talked about Mobile Video Advertising trends 2022.

In addition, new platforms such as TikTok and new features such as stories, which are now present on all social media channels, and reels, emphasize the importance of video on social media.  

Let’s look at some data: 

• 54% of marketers – more than half – say that video is the most valuable type of content for achieving social media marketing goals; 
• 93% of companies have acquired new customers through video on social media; 
• 26% of marketers highly value the format of stories on social (source: sproutsocial.com). 

Marketers, according to the data, seem very satisfied with the results that videos bring to their efforts. It is very important trying to avoid common mistakes, here 5 video marketing mistakes to avoid. But the importance of video on social media, in addition to marketers’ satisfaction, comes first of all from what users search for and want. Let’s look at some data to support this:  

• 85% of social media users want more video from brands; 
• People share video content twice as much as any other type of content (source: Wyzowl). 
• 58% of viewers will watch a video from a company in full if it lasts less than 60 seconds (source: Vidyard). 

It has long been undeniable that video, when used in the best possible way, can be the real winning weapon in your marketing strategy. But let’s go a little deeper. Why is it so important to publish video content on social media? We’ll look at that in the next few paragraphs.  

The importance of video on social media 

Why is it important to publish video content on one’s social platforms? What are the benefits that follow? Social media is not only for accumulating visibility, but it is certainly the first medium one thinks of if the goal is to broaden your brand’s horizons in terms of audience and reach.  

Below we will list a number of benefits that demonstrate the importance of video on social media. Let’s start with something very obvious.

Attracting attention  

Video is the perfect tool for attracting your audience. Unlike written text, it is more engaging, more interesting, and has faster usability. In short, it is much easier to consume.  

The video encapsulates three fundamental aspects: visual dynamism, audio, and brevity. A trio that is invincible. Video content allows you to be concise and, if done carefully, to capture viewers’ interest in the very first few seconds. We talked about the 5 challenges of video marketing. So the skill lies mostly in being able to condense the information you want to convey, into usable fragments, leaving viewers feeling like they want more. 

But why is it easy to attract attention with video? Let’s assume that social media algorithms sympathize with video content. The algorithm gives them enough of a boost to reach a large user base, and many views are naturally followed by many more, if we take into account the concept of “trending”.  

The more a video is trending, the more the platform will tend to make it appear on your feed. What does this mean? That once a video starts getting more engagement, it is boosted even more by the algorithm. 

In addition, an important aspect that should not be overlooked is Generation Z: This is a particularly difficult audience to reach outside of social media: 

• 62% of social media users from Generation Z say they use Instagram daily (source: Forbes); 
• Gen Z spend an average of 2 hours and 43 minutes per day on social media (source: Global Web Index); 

It also seems that most of this time is spent watching videos. This only emphasizes the need to make sure you’re using these platforms.  

Interconnection between social 

Let’s preface this by saying that the decision to use social platforms in your marketing strategy, should be an informed one.  

The choice of platforms depends on so many things: the type of business you have, the audience you want to reach, the type of communication you intend to use. In any case, whether you choose two or three, the big advantage is the ability to repurpose your video content across multiple platforms.  

This is a common trend among brands and influencers moving between Instagram Reels and TikTok. The same 9:16 format and similar intentions make these two platforms go hand in hand. Classic 16:9 videos, on the other hand, can easily be shared on IGTV, Facebook, and Linkedin, platforms that are better suited to slightly longer content. Again it’s up to each individual’s needs.  

Also, remember that the platforms are all interconnected, as are the people on them. Trends that run on one social media channel will slowly flow into the others as well. Of course, the interconnection between platforms must be done in a smart way. See what content performs best on each platform and adopt different strategies based on the results obtained. Social networks, as well as the audiences on them, diversify from platform to platform.  

On Linkedin you won’t find the same audience as on Instagram, just as on Facebook you won’t find the same TikTok audience. So if you want to use more than one channel, you should adapt your strategy according to the social you choose. A communication strategy that is the same for all platforms simply won’t be effective.

Search engine favorites 

Just as with content in text form, your video content must also be optimized for search engines. Social media channels are becoming more and more like search engines, so it is important to make your content relevant.  

Be sure to create catchy titles and descriptions for your video so that it will register in searches, and supplement them with the right hashtags.  

Remember that users search for videos not only for entertainment, but also for information. We have already mentioned that most search engines sympathize with videos and their presence on social media is another factor that favors organic ranking.  

Good optimization and a well thought out strategy support a positive ROI. Eighty-eight percent of video marketers are satisfied with the ROI they get from video marketing campaigns (source: Hubspot). And, according to research by Animoto, 91% of marketers – so an even higher percentage – are satisfied with the ROI of video marketing on social media. 

Make your brand recognizable 

When creating video content, you need to make yourself recognizable. Giving visibility to your logo and strategically using brand colors to make sure your audience remembers you.  

The quality of the videos is also important. Your content is a calling card; it says a lot about you. Poor audio and video quality, background noise, and other aspects that might turn the viewer’s nose up at you undermine your brand credibility. 

The importance of video on social media also stems from another factor: it’s the right place and context to tell a story. Videos trigger a human response, arouse emotions, and lead to greater engagement from viewers. And this is reflected in improved conversions and lead generation. 

Framing communication as a story helps build an emotional connection; through storytelling you can blend a message with entertaining, informative, emotional content. With these elements at work, the chance of customers paying attention is very likely to be high.  

It’s now easier than ever before to produce, edit, and share video content on social media. With video content, brands can show customers exactly who they are, what they stand for, and where they are headed. Brands can use video to show personality, reframe existing narratives, and even reposition themselves as a company. 

An immense amount of data 

Last but not least, there is another reason why social media is crucial in a marketing strategy: the huge amount of data it brings with it. Thanks to this data, we can learn a lot about our audience: preferences, habits etc. 

Engaged viewers can be taken on a user journey entirely determined by their viewing habits. For example, a viewer who has watched half of a video may receive targeted information or calls to action based on that. Viewers who have watched entire videos can be marketed to accordingly, and those who have previously abandoned videos can receive specific information designed to attract them. 

Video also provides an opportunity to test different narratives, tones, and styles with different audiences, focusing on the most effective communication for any target market. 

Different types of social media video 

We have talked at length about the importance of video on social media, the benefits of using them, and why you should include them in your video marketing strategy.  

We want to conclude this post by highlighting the most common videos on social media and the categories into which they are usually divided. 

• Brand videos: often seen in social campaigns, but also featured prominently on a brand’s web site; their purpose is to introduce the brand and to communicate their mission in a concise and vivid way, so much so that they succeed in grabbing the viewer’s attention.
• Live videos: these are very powerful for establishing trust with consumers and prospects. Popular especially on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, live videos can be shared at any time and can reach a huge number of consumers within minutes. Brands currently use live videos for everything from recipe demonstrations and fashion tips to Q&As and special announcements.  
• Video reviews: customer testimonials and reviews often play an important role in the purchasing decision. Brands can greatly increase conversion rates by creating authentic videos of rave reviews.  
• Video events: brands invest large amounts of energy, enthusiasm, and work into their live events, but obviously not everyone gets to experience these events firsthand. Videos of events are a great way to let those who couldn’t be there know exactly what they missed. 

Now that you know how to use video on social media, you have all the cards. What are you waiting for?