7 Things Not to Do With Social Video

Video content on social media is booming. Facebook is reporting over 8 billion daily video views, YouTube’s watch time is rising 60% year over year, and Periscope users are consuming over 40 years worth of videos per day. With traditional broadcast mediums in decline, adapting to the social video model is critical.

Check out these seven things not to do when creating your videos, and get a head start on your social video success.

#1: Ignore the no-sound experience

An increasing amount of social video is consumed on mobile devices, many of which do not have the sound enabled. Because hey, no one wants to be that person on the bus, waiting in the line for groceries, or attempting to stealth-check FB while in a meeting from hell. If you’re not including subtitles, or otherwise making your content compelling without sound, you’ve already lost. You’re just one more piece of content in a never-ending feed of delights and distractions.

#2: Focus on selling

Even if the core aim of your video is to introduce and sell a product, you need to be careful about how you position your content. People on social media are not looking for an infomercial, and launching into a sales pitch isn’t going to win you many views. So how do you get your product out there, and still appeal to users on social media? Tell a fun story, be entertaining, and use humor!

The Squatty Potty is a great example of a product video that got some serious social love. At over 16 million views on YouTube alone, the Squatty Potty video reached a ridiculous number of potential customers. It also created a… let’s just say ‘memorable’ experience in the process. How? With an ice-cream pooping unicorn and a humor-first approach to storytelling.

#3: Create a feature-length film

As we’ve previously discussed, you have less than 10 seconds to capture the attention of your audience. That splashy 30-second intro you love? Cut it. If your video is more than a few minutes in length, you better be certain that the first minute of content is so good that people will make a point to stick around.

Imagine the person watching your video is waiting for the bus and they’re halfway through your video when the bus pulls up. Did they see what they needed to see in that first minute? Or was your story so compelling that they’ll come back to it when they get home? If not, rethink your strategy.

#4: Fail to disclose paid endorsements

If you are selling products or doing business in the United States, you must disclose any paid endorsements in your videos. Even if your company is located internationally, it still falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if you’re selling into the U.S. market.

The disclosure needs to occur within the video itself, and cannot be relegated to the accompanying text description. If you’re receiving payment for endorsing anything within the video, just make sure to be up front and honest about it.

Why not risk it? Well, for one it’s unethical and if your viewers find out about it (and they will) you’ve poisoned your social status as an honest business. Secondly, FTC fines are no laughing matter. Can your business afford the fees and collateral damage to your brand when you fail to disclose paid endorsements?

Learn more about endorsements and the FTC here.

#5: Disregard your audience

It’s as simple as this: make sure you’re making your video for your audience, rather than yourself.

This is doubly important to remember when creating social video content. Making a video for a Twitter audience is not the same as making a video for a Facebook audience, or a Tumblr audience, or an Instagram audience. Make sure you understand who your audience is, and adapt your content strategy to work for them.

#6: Take too long

Creating a video to tap into a current trend or meme? You’d better get it out there, FAST. You have a very limited window in which your video will still be relevant. Remember, sometimes getting a timely video out is more important than polish. Learn where you can make compromises, and when you should just to cut your losses and move on. Nothing reeks of desperation more than a brand latching onto a trend that’s already well past its prime.

#7: Forget that it’s social

Social video is social! While traditional content models focused on a broadcast method, social video allows you an unprecedented opportunity to tap into your audience directly! Don’t forget to use this to your advantage, and to build your content in a way that supports those objectives.

Have you:

• Included your social channels at the end of every video, and in the description text?
• Requested feedback either directly, or by including a relevant hashtag?
• Created an opportunity for a dialog with your viewers?
• Asked your audience to share your video?
• Asked your viewers to subscribe?
• Thanked your viewers for watching?

And more! Just keep in mind that social video is inherently a social experience. Relax, create great content, adapt based on feedback, and enjoy the process!

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Why Machine Learning Will Dominate Video Marketing

In today’s digital landscape, marketers are increasingly using video to connect with consumers. A whopping 93% of marketers are already using video and 70% of marketers plan to increase their video marketing budgets. With that in mind, it’s already time to think ahead of just using video in marketing efforts, it’s time to think about how to use video more effectively. Now that video creation has become accessible to everyone, through DIY video creation tools, more and more brands are flocking to video. Consumers alike prefer watching video to reading text and are more likely to purchase a product after seeing a demo video. What brands need to attempt to do now is increase video engagement levels.

What is Machine Learning

Machine learning is a hot buzzword that refers to an artificial intelligence (AI) that is similar to data mining in that the computer system searches through data to look for patterns. Where machine learning differs is that it takes these patterns to “learn” and adjust programs accordingly, without the need of human intervention. A great example of machine learning is Facebook’s News Feed. When a user Likes or Comments on a Friend’s wall, the program learns to show the user more of that friend’s content.

How Does Machine Learning Relate to Video

Machine learning can enhance video engagement levels because it can identify what audience responds to what type of content. In essence, machine learning can be used to identify which demographics engage with which type and which part of video content. It also tracks and analyzes video comments and shares, and in the process it learns what drives people to watch this video and which audiences have the highest engagement levels.

Furthermore, machine learning can identify which objects in the video that users respond to more and predict future video watching habits. What people watch can predict what they will watch in the future as well. A great example of this is when Netflix analyzes our viewing habits and offers suggestions on titles they predict we will enjoy.

What This Means for Brands

Machine learning is revolutionizing the way brands market through video. Video content creators and marketers alike can have a new way of understanding what the consumers watches and responds to in videos. They can know what consumers find more appealing and want to watch. Machine learning can identify patterns and create predictions for what consumers will want to watch, which can help marketers get ahead of video trends to capture their consumer’s attention.

Using this type of programmatic analysis is soon going to be vital to any video marketing strategy. It will not be enough that a brand simply uses video; they will be expected to analyze and predict user behavior, anticipating video trends for the future as well.

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Why Periscope Is the Next Big Thing in Social Media

With more brands emphasizing the importance of a solid presence on media platforms like Facebook and YouTube, this article predicts that the next big marketing frontier is the Periscope app.

As social media becomes less of an afterthought among brands and more of an essential ingredient in the marketing mix, it is increasingly difficult to stand out on these online channels.

There is only so much attention from consumers and customers to go around, and the social streams are overflowing with content in all shapes and sizes.

So unless you want to be like the wallflower at the dance, being boring is not an option on social media. There are simply no excuses for not sharing a deep repertoire of content on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and everywhere else your audience is hanging out online. 

If your customers and prospects are spending time on Pinterest, Vine, SnapChat, YouTube, Tumblr, and Instagram, you need to establish your own solid presence there. Industry events and developments, company updates and corporate culture, promotions, offers, news and opinions - what you share is important, but sometimes where and how you share it is of even greater significance. Be there or be square. 

That's where Periscope enters the picture. Launched on March 26, 2015, this live video streaming app owned by Twitter recently eclipsed the 10 million user mark and reports that over 40 years of video are watched per day. To say that Periscope is kind of a big deal right now would be an understatement.

Of course, you can and should use other channels to share your videos, but to ignore Periscope is to overlook an unparalleled, unprecedented way to connect with people in instantaneous, unfiltered fashion. The brand that uses Periscope comes across as both transparent and authentic, unafraid to cede control of the conversation and willing to share its true identity. What is likely to result is greater trust, better business, and a stronger bond between those on either side of the medium.

To use Periscope:

1. Download the app to either your Android or iOS device.
2. Log in with your Twitter username or phone number.
3. Adjust your settings.
4. Set your notifications.
5. Look for people to follow.
6. Prepare to broadcast your own videos live. 

It really is that easy. 

You can use Periscope for everything, from streaming breaking news to giving your audience a behind-the-scenes tour of your office. You can conduct interviews, give product demonstrations, take surveys - the creative possibilities are endless. What's streamed on Periscope is limited only by your imagination.

Here are three great examples of videos created with Periscope: 

1. Ryan Pinkham's Live Tutorial

Constant Contact's Ryan Pinkham used Periscope to record a live tutorial from his desk entitled, Email Design Mistakes Your Readers Hate. He also turned his broadcast into a blog post, and archived his recording on YouTube to give his content an indefinite shelf-life.

2. Michael Hyatt's Blog Commentary

Another excellent example of Periscope use is author and speaker Michael Hyatt's discussion about his original blog post called No, You Don't Have to Work 24/7 to Succeed. In the blog, Michael also mentions that he broadcasts on a daily basis during the week at 12:30 p.m. CDT.

Keeping a regular schedule for Periscope broadcasts is a great strategy, regardless of what you're going to cover. It allows the audience to grow accustomed to tuning in to watch you at the same time every day

3. An Interactive Tour with the Mayo Clinic

Finally, the Mayo Clinic's interactive tour of its Rochester, Minnesota, campus was originally streamed on Periscope, like the two other videos above. This "after-hours, behind-the-scenes" tour has also been subsequently uploaded to YouTube.

Unfortunately, you can't watch a replay of someone else's Periscope video after 24 hours unless they've repurposed it elsewhere, such as YouTube or Vimeo.

That same inconvenience, however, helps spur real-time viewership, creating a sense of urgency every time you see the words "LIVE on #Periscope." Chalk it up to the fear of missing out.


Given its immaturity, Periscope is a relatively unproven app. However, that certainly hasn't stopped many brands from jumping on the Periscope bandwagon, tooting their own horns, and throwing any fears of revealing who they are as people to the wind. If you haven't already, now is the time to try the next big thing in social media.

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How to Create Video Content That Converts

Do you ever wonder why some videos go viral and others die on the vine? What if you spend significant time and resources creating a great concept, and even better content, and nothing happens? Understanding what makes a video convert is critical, and we have some pointers to share:

CONTEXT

Before you set out to create your video, think about your target audience. Think about what they like to do, how they work, and how they play. Consider what they watch, not just the content, but also their device and time of day preferences. Once you know your audience, it’s so much easier to create content that will resonate.

During the second-to-last episode of the Daily Show, Arby’s took the opportunity to say goodbye (#JonVoyage), with a 60-second montage of Jon Stewart’s best jokes about the brand during his 16-year run. While self-deprecation is something most marketers would never do, this mocking montage is timely and shows the Daily Show audience that it, too, has personality.

BE CONCISE

While video lets you tell a full-featured narrative, it’s important to remember how people consume information. The average person’s attention span is only 8 seconds, rivaling that of a goldfish! Effective video content is crisp and to the point.

The first 5 seconds of a video ad are crucial—if you don’t hook people then, you’ll lose them. GEICO understands this, putting an emphasis on those first few seconds of its newest digital ads while poking a little fun at preroll ads in the process.

CONNECTION

Engagement is the action a consumer takes after exposure to an advertisement; in other words, a consumer that is engaged is a consumer who converts. Good video needs to do two things to drive conversion: generate curiosity, or the interest to interact with a video, and create an emotional connection that compels viewers to share.

Bridget O’Brien, VP of Brand Communications at Vistaprint, aimed to create this emotional connection in Vistaprint’s first-ever brand campaign: “We created an original song to convey the emotion and then used our products, rather than dialogue, to communicate the story. To be truly global, we knew we needed to tap into a universal truth that would resonate with people around the world. Relationships, especially multi-generational bonds, are a common thread that all the small business owners we talk to value, and speak to a truth small business owners experience in a way unique to them.”

CALLS TO ACTION

The final element necessary for conversion is a call to action. You’ve delivered compelling content, so tell your viewer what to do next, whether it’s viewing another video, clicking to a landing page for a coupon or trial, guiding them to a survey to gather immediate insight, or driving them to a web page with more information. Given the importance of the call to action, it’s worth testing – try two offers or different landing pages to see which yields a higher conversion.

In addition to share icons and a custom call to action message, Tempur-Pedic leveraged a sentiment study at the end of its video to gauge consumer perceptions of its brand after watching its newest campaign.

The takeaway: you’ve invested time and effort in creating a great video, and making sure it gets seen is just part of the challenge. The video should drive viewers to engage with your brand, and ultimately, develop a connection with your brand that drives conversion.

For more information on creating video content that converts, download our white paper:

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How to Generate More Leads & Customers Using Social Media Videos [Free Ebook]

Did you know that the use of video content for B2B marketers jumped from 8% to 58% in 2014 alone? More than that, the number of videos brands publish on Facebook has increased by 3.6x year over year.

But does all this video really help marketers succeed?

The short answer: Yes.

Social media posts that contain videos boost views by 48%, and visual content on Facebook specifically increases engagement by 65%. This means that not only are more people seeing your content as a result of video, but they're actually engaging with it, too. That's value.

Not sure where to start with video for your social media account? Don't worry, you aren't alone. HubSpot and Wistia have teamed together to bring you an interactive guide ... with videos. This guide will show you how you can start making videos that are optimized for each social media platform today.

You'll learn:

• How to create & implement a video social media strategy
• How to make awesome videos by turning your office into a DIY studio
• The best lighting, microphones, and tools to help you shoot high quality iPhone videos

View the free interactive guide to get started with video today.

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How to Incorporate Video Into Your Social Media Marketing Campaign [Infographic]

Did you know that, an estimated 74 percent of all internet traffic in 2017 will be video? And that viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10 percent when reading it in a text article.

What if I told you videos are shared 1200 percent more times than links and text combined. And that websites with videos have up to 800 percent more conversion than the same website without a video.

It's no secret that video content is on the rise, and to stand out you need to do something that very few others are doing.

This infographic (featured below) from Salesforce, illustrates important marketing tips that you need to know to integrate video into your social media strategy.

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Your 2015 Cheat Sheet for Video Marketing

Video is no longer an option. It’s an essential. That’s the message being sent by consumers, reports Animoto in a new infographic. While we’re all accustomed to the grand-scale video productions released by household names like Marriott and Chipotle, many small- to mid-sized businesses are far from holding themselves to the same big-budget standards in video advertising. For now, at least, it simply isn’t feasible.

However, customers are all but demanding that businesses use video in some kind of meaningful way. (You don’t get a free pass just because you can’t produce Hollywood-style content.) Animoto’s new infographic on video marketing provides us with some insights. But first, bring yourself up to speed on the importance of video advertising with these facts…

5 Reasons to Start Video Marketing This Month

• Video is expected to account for 79% of all internet traffic in the next three years.
• Businesses are expected to spend nearly $13 billion on video marketing by 2018.
• 4x as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
• Three out of four consumers believe a video describing a service is important.
• One in four consumers will lose interest in your company if you don’t have a video.

While the story of your video is important, simply showing up and having a video goes a long way with consumers. According to Animoto, “Nearly two thirds of consumers say companies that use video know how to reach their customers.” In other words: you look like you know what you’re doing if you have a video.

How Can You Use Video?

• Email: Consumers are nearly 50% more likely to read a newsletter that contains video links.
• Social Media: 84% say they’ve liked a company video in their Facebook newsfeed. Half have shared one of these videos on their own profile.
• Mobile: Over half of all consumers watch at least one video on their mobile device per week. As we learned earlier this month, “50% of all YouTube views are on mobile devices.” Keep this in mind when creating content.

So, What’s the Best Type of Video Marketing?

• 56% of consumers say customer testimonials are helpful.
• Customers most like to see (1) how a product is made, (2) testimonials, (3) and learn about the company (in that order).
• 80% of consumers are interested in watching a video that explains how a product or service works.

As far as length goes, keep it short. Two-thirds of consumers say they prefer to watch videos that are less than a minute long.

What Video Marketing Tips Do You See As Essential?I’d love to know where your thoughts are on this topic. Currently, my team is working on a redesign of our BuzzPlant website, using full-screen background video to give potential clients a better look at who we are. We’re also working with a lot of clients who are interested in using Periscope and other apps for delivering engaging video. What video trends have you observed in your own space?

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Is Facebook Winning the Video Marketing War?

The war among social media juggernauts is no news; Facebook, Twitter and Google+ have been battling for years to get the crown. We know who has won that.

But this year is quite special: two of the most important social networks are attacking the mighty YouTube together in its own battlefield.

Video marketing!

Read on and find out how Facebook and Twitter are developing their video marketing arsenal and learn how your online business can take advantage of this war!

Facebook: Marc Zuckerberg hints a war on YouTube.

A few weeks ago, Facebook released a public video-data analysis, revealing a 50% growth in video views on his social network, reaching 3 billion video views per day. Warning, YouTube: those are pretty close to your viewership numbers!

They are big.

Below are some of those numbers to provide some perspective:

Source: Internetmarketingdojo.com

Coincidently, Mark Zuckerberg himself had spoken about the future of video marketing regarding his own social network. He claimed: “if you look in the future a lot of the content that people share will be video, and videos fit very well into Facebook’s newsfeed”.

These words are nothing but a direct hit on YouTube. And we know that whenFacebook makes a move, there’s something really big coming next.

Facebook’s native video promotion is available right now, but unfortunately just for big advertisers like Coca-Cola or Nike, basically because it’s super expensive for small businesses (except you do have 1 to 2.5 million dollars a day to spend in video ads).

However, experts know it’s just a matter of time before Facebook welcomes smaller advertisers to promote their video ads and marketing videos on the world’s largest social network.

A few years ago, marketing videos were just branding tools for big companies, but nowadays many startups and small businesses are using them to promote their products and services on social media. Here’s a fine example of a startup explainer video:

Twitter goes all or nothing and makes a triple-hit combo on YouTube.

The microblogging site isn’t subtle at all and strikes hard when dealing with video marketing!

As of today, over 2,000 tweets with video are shared on Twitter every minute. Twitter knows its true potential and goes all or nothing in the video marketing war with three major announcements:

1. Promoted video ads (Strike One!)

First, they launched a beta version of Promoted Video Ads so that businesses could basically pay to get their marketing videos on their followers’ timelines. Selected partners could now upload and distribute their marketing videos through a pay-per-click system and measure its reach and effectiveness with video analytics tools.

2. Native video player (Strike Two!)

The second move was to launch their native video player! Brands can now upload their marketing videos directly on Twitter, without the need of hosting services like YouTube or Vimeo.

Here are the main stats on Twitter Video:

• The service doesn’t allow videos from any other video host (that’s gotta hurt, YouTube).
• For advertisers, videos need to be shorter than 10 minutes but there’ll be no size limit: this means that Twitter is looking for quality videos.
• Promoters can customize their video thumbnails to make them more attractive.
• Twitter average users can record and edit up-to-30-seconds of videos.

3. Native video embedding (Strike 3: YouTube you’re out!)

That wasn’t all folks! Just one  month ago, Twitter announced native video embedding  which allows users to take their favorite videos from Twitter’s timeline and place them on their websites without the need of another video host or player. Double-hit combo! This is not just a strike on YouTube but also on Facebook, which doesn’t allow video embedding yet.

Red alert on YouTube! After this double-front attack from its most ferocious social media competitors, will YouTube remain silent or will it make a rebound move? So far, they’ve recently revamped their Video Ads services and added the Cardsfeature. But marketers are still waiting for YouTube’s big move on the video marketing war!

How do you take advantage of this war?

Every single prediction is pointing at online video as the next king of content marketing. A survey claims that by 2018 all forms of video will cover almost 90% of all  online traffic.

Social networks are now sure on those predictions so they’re turning efforts towards video marketing strategies and creating new ways for startups and online companies to promote their marketing videos on their channels.

How can you take advantage of this? Easy: have your marketing videos ready!

As the folks at TechCrunch point out, “video has proven to be one of the more attractive formats for keeping users engaged on sites for longer”. Besides, most marketers claim that marketing videos are the online content with the best ROI and different kinds of video content are generated by big and small brands alike on a daily basis.

Which kinds of video content are the best?

1. Explainer videos

No other type of video content can match them on the field!

Explainer videos are the latest video marketing trend among online companies and all sorts of brands. What makes them so awesome? Well, for starters, they can explain any kind of product or service in seconds. Besides, they’re very compelling: it’s proven that explainer videos increase conversion rates by 20% on average and improve SEO strategies by keeping people longer on websites.

Here’s a cool explainer video by Yum Yum Videos:

There are many styles of animated marketing videos, though! And each one suits different target audiences and marketing objectives. This fun animated video (“What’s the Best Explainer Video Style for your Business?”) will guide you through the most popular ones:

2. Micro videos

Micro videos are a growing trend in social media and they are a great inexpensive branding opportunity for online businesses. They’re easy and fast to produce, edit and share (any marketer with a clear business goal and a smartphone can do it) so they’re perfect to use to showcase a day at the office or make stop-motion branding, like eBay did:

Micro videos are not a direct competition on YouTube videos because their short nature makes them way different marketing tools, but they can certainly be a powerful hand in the video marketing war!

The most popular micro video options for brand-building are Vine (owned by Twitter) and Instagram (owned by Facebook). They have both recently launched their own video promotion services with native analytics tools to check their video’s performance. Pinterest, initially a social network based on pictures, photos and infographics, is now also encouraging micro video sharing and promotion.

3. Webinars

Webinars are pretty much like online video lectures. They’re great marketing tools to use to discuss a new online trend among marketers or a brand-new online service that deserves a professional conversation.

They’re great video content for social media strategies because they grow audience engagement easily : as a webinar host, you can encourage entrepreneurs, small business owners and even brand leaders to join the current debate and ground yourself as a true pundit in your niche.

Here’s a fine a webinar replay by Amy Porterfield, a popular social media consultant:

4. Screencasts

Screencast videos are corporate videos that exhibit a new product or service. Unlike animated explainer videos or micro videos, they’re not that great for brand building because they have a practical approach, so they’re not particularly “fun” or entertaining. They just serve their purpose, which is to walk the viewer through a product’s features.

Screencasts can be of great addition to your video marketing strategy though; they’re quite inexpensive and they’re a straightforward way to show how something really works. Here’s a neat one by Google Developers:

However, you should learn that none of these marketing videos are magical. Once you pick yours, you’ll need to plan wise social media and content marketing strategies in order to promote them. Here’s a useful eBook that could help you with that: “You Have Your Explainer Video Done… Now What?”. It’s one of the many marketing guides from Yum Yum Videos, hosted in their Explainer Video Academy, a valuable learning center for video marketing campaigns.

Now you’re ready for the video marketing war! Choose the best marketing video (or use all of them!) and boost your social media strategy right away. Good luck!

Guest Author: Juan Jose Mendez is the Content Editor for Yum Yum Videos explainer video production company. Besides crafting high-quality animated videos for brands, they run the Explainer Video Academy, an online spot dedicated to deliver free educational resources to help startups and entrepreneurs on their video marketing campaigns. Find them on Twitter and Facebook.

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Twitter vs. YouTube: It's On!

Finally! After months of waiting for an update on their video marketing services, Twitter has revealed the details on their upcoming video promotional services and it seems that they’ll go for all or nothing. It’s on, YouTube!

In 2015, Twitter will no longer be just a microblogging social network, because it has been aiming for something much bigger: to become a full online media platform with online video as its strong suit. After absorbing the micro-video company Vine (practically integrating it into its feed) and releasing a beta service of Promoted Video Ads for selected partners, the next huge step for the social media bird will be -get ready for this- to launch its own native video service!

What does this mean in video marketing terms?

To begin with, it’s a direct hit on YouTube. If Twitter releases its own video player, people will no longer have to depend on YouTube videos to share any type of video on their timeline. YouTube will have to come up with something new for its users, because Twitter -due to its extremely viral nature- has many chances to succeed in this battle.

Twitter’s native video service also means that the platform will have to upgrade its promotional services and analytics tools in order to encourage businesses to promote their video content through the brand-new native player. That’s great news for video ads as well as for animated marketing videos, the latest branding trend in video marketing strategies.

What will be Twitter’s video service main advantages?

What we know so far (due to recent news uncovered) is that:

- The service won’t allow videos from any other video hosting service (so no YouTube or Vimeo!).

- Videos would have to be shorter than 10 minutes but there’ll be no size limit: this means that Twitter is looking for quality videos. It’s an awesome opportunity for online businesses to share their short and engaging animated marketing videos, like this one over here:

- Users will be able to customize their video thumbnails to make them more attractive (another great advantage for animated videos).

- It’s expected for Twitter to launch a new video app to escort the brand-new service.

- Eventually, Twitter users will not just play and share their video, but also record and edit them within the same platform.

As the folks at TechCrunch wisely point out, “video has proven to be one of the more attractive formats for keeping users engaged on sites for longer”. Twitter executives know this well, and -overtaking many other social media channels- they’re already turning efforts towards video marketing services with a critical hit!

Will YouTube have the strength to strike back?

Now share this breaking marketing news with your followers! f you want further advice and tips on this topic, visit Yum Yum Videos’ Explainer Video Academy, the first online spot dedicated to deliver useful video marketing content for startups, entrepreneurs and online businesses.

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