9 Tips to Produce an Effective Social Marketing Video

To market your services to new audiences, you’ll have to test what is the best medium to deliver your message.  In this article I will share with you some insights on how to produce an effective social marketing video to raise awareness, and, ultimately, find more customers.  It’s worth noting that I use AB testing in my clients’ campaigns.  AB Testing is used in online marketing to test how small differences in your message can influence behavior.  On Facebook, you can test different audiences, placements, delivery optimization, products sets, and creative and you can then choose the combination that is performing better for your desired objectives.

Here are my 9 tips to produce effective social marketing video.

1. Decide and plan where your video will play and what’s its purpose.

Every video you create should have a purpose, be that awareness, leads, or any other goal. You may use it for a personal introduction, product demonstrations, testimonials, inbound marketing, online ads, even employee training. For example this is a demo reel for a new client. He is a keynote speaker and author who is looking to video to expand his reach and ultimately get more bookings.

2. Post your videos on a video-hosting site such as YouTube, Vimeo, or directly into LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Just keep in mind the video layout sizes, formats, and duration.  Instagram videos work best if no longer than 15 seconds. For example: this is a video teaser for America’s #1 Customer Service Conference.

3. Craft the words first.

Every movie, every play, every song, has one common denominator: they start with words.  Write legibly a script of exactly what you’ll say – or your talent will act- and read it out loud so you can hear the cadence.  Record it and play it back until you get your tone right.

4. Explore User Generated Content (UGC).

UGC ads get 4X higher click-throughs than traditional ads (Shortstack).  That means you can grab your phone, a cheap tripod, record yourself and created as great, if not better, impact than with a professionally created video.

5. Create custom thumbnails.

This is the image that people see if the video doesn’t auto-play.  A custom thumbnail can be designed to capture your audience’s attention more effectively.

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6. Optimize your video for SEO.

What search optimization keywords do you presently use on your website and in your online marketing materials? Incorporate those same words and phrases into the video’s title, metadata and elsewhere.

7. Try Live Videos.

Facebook says its users spend 3x longer watching live video than video that’s no longer live (OptinMonster).  Remember to promote the event before you broadcast and when you’re live engage with the audience.  It is this personal touch that makes these videos much entertaining and personal.

8. Entertain.

Video marketers achieve a 54% increase in brand awareness, and while it’s no easy task to create the types of videos that attract attention from your target audience, mastering this engaging medium will help you accomplish your marketing goals.

9. Engage influencers.

Influencer marketing is a popular strategy to raise awareness and ultimately drive sales.  Here’s a video I edited for a non-profit called House of Peru and we had the privilege of working with Peruvian influencers like Dr. Vet Pancho Cavero – TV personality; Sofia Mulanovich – world surfing league champion; and Gonzalo Torres -syndicated radio personality.

About the Author

David Wagner is the Lead Consultant at 1marketingidea LLC.  1marketingidea is a San Diego digital marketing consulting firm that specializes in social media marketing, websites, email marketing, video marketing, and event marketing.