Using Video in your Website and Social Media

Video is one of the most underutilized types of content you can use on social media. But it is highly effective. It’s been found that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text. The increase in click-through rate with video is as high as 96%, and videos are shared 1200% more times than links and text combined.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have all have updated their sites to make it easier and more beneficial for users o share video posts. Using video on social media allows you to engage with your audience on a much deeper level. With video, you can show you care and create a strong connection with clients. It helps your audience see you as a person, not just a business.

You can also upload video to YouTube, and then repost on the different social media platforms. If you’re making a video blog series or creating something with a higher production value, YouTube (or Vimeo!) is the way to go.

There are two ways you can add videos to social media:

• Record: You can record, edit and share videos from within the app
• Upload: Upload a video from your device to post to the platform. It could be a quick video you took on your phone, or something that’s been edited.

If you’re interested in giving it a try, here are four great social media video techniques:

1. Share Live Events

“Going Live” is a great way to showcase your business as you attend a conference, community event, or just a special day at the office. Just start creating a post in Facebook and click “Live Video.” Your audience can be there with you in real time, even if they couldn’t attend your event in person. It lets you field questions and provide a unique, interactive experience with your followers. Capture the best moments and post them on social media as they happen. You can even just do a live Q&A session to give insight into your business.

2. Respond to Questions with Video

This works best for Twitter, but can be utilized in Instagram stories as well! Instead of sending a regular text reply, try using video. Answer a question, thank someone for following you, or give a shout out via video. This is a great way to introduce the people behind your brand and connect with your audience on a personal level. Just a quick “Thank you for the follow, have a great day,” can show you’re willing to take the extra step. It’s far more engaging than a simple tweet, and just as easy. Send a message requesting questions about your product or a service you offer, and then do a video post that answers those questions!

3. Educate with Vlogs

Turn your blogs into vlogs! Video blogs are a great way to educate your audience on the benefits of your service, information about the industry, and more. You could do a video showing the benefits of a service, interviewing an employee, or even follow one of your employees on the field to show what a typical day is like. These can be as casual or as professional as you wish. Vlogs can actually be less time consuming than written blogs, and let you show your personality as your provide information.

4. Ask for User-Generated Content

Try running a contest and ask your clients to give video testimonials. This gives you more content to post to your own site, and gives you an opportunity to interact with clients in a new way. Video from real customers can be huge for attracting new business.

Take the leap and start adding video to your social media profiles – it might be just what you need to grow your audience.