Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are known for regularly altering their algorithms. This can often place your business pages and posts lower on timelines and on explore pages. By changing their algorithms, the goal of these social media platforms is to provide more value to their members by showing them content they’re interested in. How do they figure out what people are interested in? By measuring engagement. Which means increasing your engagement is the best way to increase your place and rank on timelines, feeds, and explore pages.

Why Videos Go Viral

Have you ever noticed that your social media feeds are now dominated by video content? It is a current social media trend to create video content, preferably content that is original and captivating. If your post gets enough attention quickly, the social site will show it to more people because the algorithm has detected that it’s interesting content. It will continue showing up in more people’s feeds the more comments, likes, and shares it gets. Facebook and Instagram will even take into account how long a user has lingered on that particular post, so if they’re not scrolling right past it, it’s considered engagement. This is where videos specifically come in. Many studies have shown that videos are more likely to hold people’s attention and get significantly better engagement than other types of posts. The following are the different types of videos you can use for effective social media marketing. Certainly not every video is going viral, so it’s important to have a strategy before you record and post.

Tutorial Videos

Tutorial videos are popular on most social media platforms, but especially on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. They garner mass appeal and are repeatedly shared online. Tutorial videos should entertain and educate the user while helping guide them on how to use/operate your product or service. Try to make the video concise and clear, but don’t drag on and on.

Here’s a great example:

Announcements & Reveals

Social media provides the best outlet to announce news and releases. These videos should be short, just enough to hype your followers up about what’s coming. Showcase your product/service a little, but don’t show everything. Build up excitement by still keeping that touch of mystery. Even if the video is short however, you still need to be able to present what separates you from the competition. Focus on efficiently highlighting the best features.

Use the “Live” Feature

When it comes to engaging with your consumers, there’s nothing better than going live. This newer way to connect with your audience actually allows a dialogue with them in real time, which gives your brand a great personal touch. Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube Live, and Instagram allow users to go live. Some of the things you can do while going live are giving behind-the-scenes looks, having Q&A sessions, showing your process, or simply talking about something your passionate about. Live sessions can be very casual and help you connect emotionally with your audience. It’s also a great way to get their feedback. If you’re going to give it a go, make sure to announce it beforehand in a story or a post. That way you’re giving your followers a chance to tune in.

Giveaways

Product giveaways are a great way to get your brand online attention. Let’s be honest, everyone loves free stuff and it’s a proven way to increase consumer engagement. To help the video itself go viral, you can select a giveaway winner through a contest that requires followers to like and share the video. That way your brand gets more organic reach than a regular post ever would. Release videos on social media that promote your giveaway. Once you’ve got a winner, release another video for the announcement, or use live!

Here’s an example:

Repost User Generated Videos

Another great way to engage with your audience is by reposting videos they’ve uploaded using your product or service. Check posts that have tagged your brand or search for hashtags including your brand name to find these videos. Sharing these kinds of videos will encourage your followers to post more to get noticed. It’s also a great way to learn more about your followers and develop ideas for how you can improve your product or services.

If you need help with a content marketing strategy or calendar please don’t hesitate to contact Virtual Image today!