What are your best practices for social media video?

By: Scott Stein, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

There’s no question that video is now a key component for social media marketing. More and more brands are using video effectively and consumers have come to expect it. Even small enterprises are finding ways to incorporate video in their social media strategy.

 

I recently came across a piece that discussed the “26 Ways to Use Video for Your Social Media Marketing.” Some of the recommendations apply to most areas of public relations (grab attention early, appeal to emotion, choose the right headline, focus on one message), so I certainly don’t want to discuss all 26 suggestions. But there several good ideas to keep in mind when delving into video for social media.

• Create how-to videos – How-to videos have become very popular on many social media platforms. Think about all the food videos you come across. But be sure your video is simple and to the point. 
• Fine-tune your video – there are a number of good editing tools available. Spend a little time researching the options and soon you’ll be adding voiceovers and deleting sections of video that aren’t needed. 
• Optimize for autoplay – OK, I’ll admit I do get annoyed when videos start up automatically on my feed. Then again, if the video grabs my attention, I just may stick around the watch the whole thing.
• Ensure good sound quality – Bad sound quality distracts from your message. 
• Add subtitles – People can’t always listen to what they’re watching. With subtitles, they can still watch and understand your video while in the waiting room at the doctor’s office or even in a work meeting.

Those are just a few of the tips that jumped out at me. What would you add to the list?