It’s 2022 and every marketer knows by now that short form video has been propelled into the spotlight as the most important medium on social media. With the vast rise of Tiktok in 2020, social media platforms simultaneously realised its potential and started to create their own versions. From Instagram reels to Youtube shorts, the social channels have been working hard to push this content more than ever before, more even than the other content within the apps.
Now, not everyone likes this. When Instagram changed its algorithm to favour video after years of being a predominantly photo based app, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian – who each have over 300 million followers on the app – talked candidly about their disappointment in the change, asking for its creators to ‘make Instagram Instagram again”. Thousands of users also voiced their concerns that Instagram higher ups were changing their algorithm at the expense of their own users.
Despite this, short form video remains an extremely popular form for users and a great tool for marketers. So, why aren’t you using it yet?
It’s true there are some misconceptions about social video marketing that can make marketers sceptical about giving it a try but worry not! We’re debunking 5 misconceptions about social video marketing today. Let’s get into it.
It’s too expensive to create
Maybe you think that for an ad to be effective it needs to have a big budget. Famous actors, big film crews and a well-known soundtrack. After all, it’s all we see on our televisions. However, social video is not the same as a TV advert. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
According to Fast Company, consumers prefer lower quality but “authentic” goods and services over those of a higher quality but which seem “inauthentic”.
After the impact of the pandemic, people started to favour the authenticity of real people and products rather than flashy shows of wealth and ‘fakeness’. This coincides with the rise of micro-influencers and user generated content. These forms of content are usually created with no more than a phone so don’t worry about it being too expensive to create.
Views are the most important metric
If you think that views are the only metric to pay attention to with social video then again, you are mistaken. Now, I’m not saying that views aren’t important at all. Views are obviously one thing we aim for when creating content. However, what’s more important than views on a video are engagement and repeat viewers.
Engagement shows you and other customers that people are connecting with your brand and enjoying your content and what you have to offer. It must be a two way interaction however. If a customer comments on your video then you should aim to like their comment back or even reply! People only engage with content if they feel like they will get something out of it. Whether that’s social currency (their friends and families reaction) or interaction in return. Engagement is gold dust for social media marketers, it’s what we should be aiming for on every post!
Repeat viewers are also extremely important. A repeat viewer is a person who either knows and loves your product and so will tell others about it, or, someone in the decision making process of the buyer’s journey. Both of these people are important to brands! A repeat viewer also tells us that what we are doing with our social video is working. Our content is engaging! And engaging content will lead to engagement…
Only Youtube is important
Wrong. Although Youtube is a major player in the ad space, social video as previously mentioned is kicking off everywhere! Tiktok ads are a great space to advertise in, as well as Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat. It all depends on your demographic and what product you would like to promote.
An unlikely hero in the video marketing space is Pinterest, which is often overlooked. Pinterest is filled with high intent users looking to find and purchase a specific item. And with over 433 million people using the site and 83% of users saying they have made a purchase from content they have seen on Pinterest, it is actually a great site to reach potential customers.
So, don’t just think that Youtube is the only good video marketing space out there!
People don’t prefer video in the way that algorithms do
Again, incorrect. Just take a look at these statistics:
- 54% of people want to see more video content from marketers.
- Overall, 83% of consumers worldwide prefer YouTube to watch video content.
- Overall, 73% of consumers worldwide prefer seeing videos on social media that are “entertaining.”
- In 2019, video was the #1 form of media used in content strategy, overtaking blogs and infographics.
If 54% of people want to see more video content for marketers then it’s time to get on board. Give the people what they want!
Video analytics are too hard to track!
If you’re using a bare bones video hosting platform that only shows you video views then I can sympathise. However, almost every app has a business platform now that you should be on if you are a business. These offer you insights to your ads, as well as important analytics such as watch time, demographics and link clicks. So, this is no longer an excuse. Just make sure to analyse your insights to make better content in the future!
And that’s all 5 misconceptions. We hope you have found it useful and if you were unsure about using video marketing before, that you are ready now to give it a go!
If you are ready to give it a go but still have no idea where to begin, why not let us help you? We have a team of social media experts ready to get your brand out there. Give us a call on 01708 952952 or visit our website here .