Confused About Video Content? Here’s How to Come Through on Social Media

We all know how powerful video content is across all platforms on the internet. Social media feeds are bursting with it. YouTube, Vimeo, and other minor avenues are literally exploding with video every day. That just goes to say how your brand or business should be taking advantage of it now.

Sure, you know about these videos online, how they catch your attention, how it keeps you entertained and stuck to your damn screen. But there’s a slight problem—what kind of video goes well with your brand? I mean, imagine a cake shop or restaurant doing the annoying vlogger bullshit for their content on social media. It could work, but it doesn’t go with how you want to come across. Take it a step inappropriately further and you might have a Logan Paul situation on your hands. That would suck major ass.

Often, our clients ask us about the best type of video they can use for their ad campaign or social media promo run. It’s the same question that we get every single meeting—will this *insert video concept here* work? What we’d usually do is evaluate their image and brand to see if it would work for them or not. More often than not, we end up with an even better video material than the previously floated idea.

So, if you’re confused about what type of video you should be putting out there for your audience, dive right in and see what you can adapt to your strategy.

Go Live!

People are suckers for live video streaming. According to a May 2018 survey conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, “67% of consumers globally have streamed live video content and 52 percent of that group prefer free, ad-supported live streaming over subscription and à la carte services.” That’s a massive growth in live video enthusiasts. And not only that, about 47% of consumers have increased their live streaming compared to 2017 data. This also shows that more people are joining the live streaming parade now than ever.

However, there’s a catch—you have to have a significant following on social media for it to work wonders. After all, live videos are useful for short announcements, product reviews, and the like. Short live videos can help you build constant engagement with your audience while long-form live videos will enable you to talk with them directly (through Q&A’s, discussions about a certain topic, etc.)

It’s important to note that when live streaming, you have to have a well-thought-out plan. This includes the equipment you’ll use (your phone is fine, but come on, let’s up the ante here), the days that you’ll go live and the software and tools you’ll need.

Teach Them How To Do Shit

Video tutorials, in my opinion, will always stay relevant. This might just be the right type of video content that could help you break the internet (okay, maybe not break it, but at least put a dent on it). These tutorial videos can be directly related to the products and services that you offer, or can even be other topics related to your niche or industry.

Keep the video tutorials clear, educational, and of course, entertaining. It has to hit the right points and deliver a clear-cut message without having to drone on for the sake of video length. If it needs to be over 10 minutes, then go for it. But if you can condense everything in bite-sized points well under 5 minutes, then you’ve got video tutorial gold.

Check out this cool tutorial on how you can create better-looking Instagram Stories from Tyler Stalman:

Tell Them What Stuff Are About

Information is something that everyone needs every damn day. With all the constant knowledge being put out, it could be easy to get lost in its maze. But if you have the right kind of information about a certain topic or issue, it would be beneficial for your brand to come up with informational videos that add value to your immediate audience.

But here’s the thing, informational videos are bland. It’s like sitting in a class with Miss Finster droning on about the second World War. Fuck that. Make your informational videos valuable enough for your viewer to want to share it. This is where your creativity would need to go full-throttle.

College Humor’s awesome take on a boring informational video would make you go crazy. Also, check out the clock. Why is it going backward goddamnit?!

Do a BTS (not the band)!

Alright, alright, please stop doing that fucking finger heart thing. Although we love them, we’re not talking about Nam-joon and his seven-man crew. We’re talking real-life behind the scenes. In any film with a blooper reel for its credits, you can be sure that you’d stick through it because seeing these actors fuck up on camera is widely entertaining. The same goes for offering your audience a glimpse of how you do what you do behind the scenes.

What makes your spaghetti so delicious? Show them what goes on when you prepare it (saving the secrets, of course). This could also double as a tutorial video in the long run. Going with behind the scenes videos could help you build that subtle trust with the consumer. It builds authenticity and shows them that you are genuinely doing this because you care.

Here’s a BTS-informational video of how Hollywood people do sound for movies.

Let the Audience Do the Talking

When push comes to shove, and you still want something fresher than the Prince of Bel-Air, you can break borders and have your immediate audience generate the video for you. You can ask them to create high-quality video for your campaign, adding in your branding or hashtag when the final product is submitted. But of course, video is art, and it needs to be well-compensated.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT have them make their video “just for exposure” or a “shoutout.” It doesn’t work that way. That’s disrespectful and an opportunitst bullshit. You have to build a good relationship with your audience for them to exert enough effort into the video that they will create for you. Give proper attribution, provide monetary compensation, or award them a prize from your brand through contest and giveaways.

Audience-generated videos are also a key way for you to find out the pulse directly from them. Your data about what they want isn’t coming from a third-party agency but from the consumers themselves.

Globe Studios does one of the best audience-generated video materials. They even have their own Awards Night to show how much they appreciate the entries!