Why You Need to Use Video Marketing for Social Media

No matter your business, video marketing is almost essential in the modern day. It is versatile, engaging, and excellent at promoting your brand in a memorable way to potentially tens of thousands of people.

This is especially true on social media, where short-form video content is continually and automatically pushed onto user feeds.

Read on to find out the ins and outs of using videos marketing for social media and the impact it could have on your business!

Why Video Marketing Is Important?

Gone are the days when video marketing was a complex, time-consuming, and expensive investment. Nowadays, it is accessible to everyone, and you don’t need tens of thousands of pounds worth of video equipment to tell a compelling, funny, or interesting story.

Plus, the last few years have demonstrated the incredible ongoing growth of short-form, user generated content through TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels,

10 years ago, a YouTube video from a popular channel or musician would often take several months or years to reach the 10-million-view mark. Of course this varied depending on several factors, but it is now not uncommon for YouTube shorts or TikTok videos from mid-sized or even new accounts to reach that number in just a few weeks or days.

The demand is very clearly there, with a 2024 HubSpot blog declaring that users are 52% more likely to share videos than other types of content, 75% of users watch short-form video on their mobile phones, and 89% of consumers want to see more videos from brands.

7 Tips for video marketing best practices

The aim of your videos should be to be seen and engaged with by your target audience. That means your total view count only tells half the story; if a hundred people see your video but no one likes, follows, or visits your website, what was the point? 

It is also worth remembering that social media algorithms are fluid and can be unforgiving in how they treat your content, so not every video will be a success. Make sure to learn as you go and adapt as the landscape changes around you!

There are a few steps you need to take to create compelling and successful social media videos that will help you grow your audience and reach. As the social media marketing experts, here’s what we suggest:

1.  Know Your Audience – Understanding who you most want to see your video and then interact with your page or website is the first stage in producing the content you need to succeed. If you create your video with those people in mind, it is more likely to engage them! Consider creating customer personas to get a better idea of who to target when you make your content.

2.  Know Your Platform – Different social media platforms have unique audiences and optimal video formats. Tailor your content to fit the platform. For instance, Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are ideal for quick, engaging clips, while a longer-form video is likely better suited for a standard YouTube video, a detailed LinkedIn post, or even hosted on your website. You could use your short videos to link out to the longer video for more information!

3.  Create Engaging Content – Focus on making your videos entertaining and informative, no matter the topic or type of video. Always use captivating thumbnails, compelling narratives, and high-quality visuals to attract and retain your audience, and it always helps to make your clips funny if possible. Additionally, be sure to post consistently as it can help retain your audience and maintain strong engagement levels.

4.  Leverage Trends and Hashtags – Stay current by incorporating trending topics and hashtags relevant to your brand or video topic. Consider creating content specifically for these new trends if you catch them during their prime, as this can help vastly increase your visibility and, if your content is good enough, your chances of going viral.

5.  Humanise Your Brand – Show behind-the-scenes content and personal stories to build a connection with your audience. Authenticity resonates well with viewers, and being transparent about your business, workers, and operations can help build trust between you and your audience. Shout about the things your business is doing well but credit those who make it happen!

6.  Optimise for Mobile – It is no secret that mobile browsing is only getting more common. As such, it is crucial to ensure your videos are mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of social media users access content via smartphones, and it can really help boost your brand reach. A 2024 Semrush blog demonstrated that, throughout 2023, mobile users accounted for 233% more unique website visits than those on desktop, however it was often the desktop users who were more engaged!

7.  Measure Performance – Use analytics tools to track the performance of your videos so that you can see which videos did well, which didn’t, and make changes to create more consistent and compelling content. Metrics like views, shares, comments, and watch time can provide insights into what has performed well and what might need changing in future.

Boost Your Social Media Success Today

Creating successful social media videos is an essential part of any modern marketing strategy. By understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and leveraging the latest platform features, your business can significantly enhance its online presence and attract more potential customers.

Ready to elevate your video marketing strategy? Get in touch with the experts at EDGE Creative. As a social media marketing agency, we specialise in crafting compelling content that resonates with your target audience and drives engagement.

Call our office on 0121 355 8092 or email info@edge-creative.com to find out how we can help your business thrive in the digital landscape!