3 ways to get better results from video
25 March 2021
If you’re using video on social media it can be mighty hard to get people to watch, interact and share your stuff. Even though video is the best way to engage with people on social media, there are lots of other people posting videos too. So cutting through can be tough.
Here are three sure fire ways to get more comments, more likes and more people loving your stuff.
1. Know what they want
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Don’t just guess at this stuff. Spend some time learning all about the people you want to attract. If you know what they want to see you can make videos they will love to watch.
If you've done your audience research you will already know how your target market thinks. That puts you in the perfect position to serve up video content they want to see.
So before you hit record stop and think about who you want to engage with. The more you know about them the better chance you'll have of getting them to stop and watch your stuff.
I tend to use the Christmas present as a good way to illustrate this. If you want to buy someone something special you will pick something you know they will love. The more you know about them the easier it will be to find the perfect gift. Then when they open it on Christmas Day that present is all the more special because you have taken the time to learn about them and find out what they will love. I'm sure you have received a gift like that before. Feels good doesn't it? In contrast the worst gifts are the ones where someone has bought something they like and just hope that you will like it too.
Making video (and all marketing content) is a bit like that. Your videos will be more special if you do that leg work first and find out what your audience loves to see.
2. Be seen and heard
Over 85% of social media users do not have the sound turned on. Yep, they watch but they don’t listen. Bonkers right? So your video needs to make as much sense without sound as it does with it.
The reason most people have the sound off is because they are in a place where they can’t (or don’t want to) activate the speakers on their phones. You will no doubt have seen some videos that begin with a caption asking you to turn the sound on. This doesn’t always work because people may not be in a position to turn sound on.
The upshot of all of this is ... without captions you will lose engagement. Therefore it’s vital that you use captions or graphics to show your audience what you are saying … as well has having great audio.
Now how you do that is a totally different kettle of fish and perhaps a whole other blog. However if you need help putting captions on your videos, get in touch
and I will show you how.
3. Say what you want
We call it the call to action. Use your video to promote what you want. Want more follows? Ask for them. Want more comments? Ask a question so people will respond.
Without this call to action you are missing out on a valuable opportunity. If someone has discovered you first time I'm guessing you don't want it to be the last time. People won't always connect with you unless you ask. So be clear about what you want to make sure you get it.
My call to action
Yes you can do this kind of thing on a blog post too. Calls to action work anywhere.
If you have any questions or need more help on the topics I've covered here please don't hesitate to get in touch for a chat. Oh and I post tips like these ones all the time on my own social media channels. If you’re not part of my little social world already come and say hi.
Ask Yourself This One Question Today 👇 Why are you doing this? No seriously. Why are you posting stuff on social? Because the answer to that will tell you exactly how to create your marketing strategy. It’s that simple. (And yes, there’s a very important reason I’m bringing this up — we’ll circle back to that. Pin it. 📌)
Your videos don’t need to be perfect. In fact, striving for perfection can often makes them about as exciting as watching paint dry. The secret sauce is owning your mistakes. Trip over a line, spill your coffee, walk straight into a lamp, whatever it is, keep it in. People don’t connect with flawless robots; they connect with humans who can laugh at themselves, make a mess, and still get back up smiling. Perfection is boring. Cock-ups are magic.
Producing music videos during the Covid pandemic was a bit like cooking with half the ingredients missing—you had to get creative, or go hungry. I ended up doing it three times, and with each attempt the projects got braver, stranger, and more ambitious. This one, though? This might just be my favourite. Not only because of the final result, but because of the inspiration (and a few happy accidents) that shaped it.