6 Ultimate Rules of Thumb for Making the Perfect Social Video

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Social media platforms have now become a chock-a-block place with videos. More and more of them are releasing features that can make users attach to this engaging type of content; Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Stories, you name it.

With the demand for social media videos increasing, the battle for eyeballs is real. And there’s one question in every marketer’s mind: “how do I make my videos stand out in the sea of choices?”

Social Videos: Is It Worth the Hype?

As you scroll through the Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook feed, there must be a video waiting to be clicked– whether it’s an educational explainer video or the meme clip everyone has been talking about.

More than 4.6 billion people use social media platforms worldwide, making them ideal places to reach and appeal to wider audiences. Meanwhile, videos are versatile and shareable types of content that can engagingly deliver messages. Combining both of them should be such a powerful marketing strategy.

With all that said, how can we really tell that social videos can be profitable for marketers– and not just an “emerging” marketing fad?

The statistics below should show you why it is worth investing in social video marketing.

• 85% of social media users want more videos from brands.
• Facebook gets over 8 billion video views per day.
• Twitter receives over 2 billion video views per day.
• YouTube streams over 1 billion hours of video a day.
• LinkedIn video posts generated more than 300 million impressions on the platform in one year.
• 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching branded social videos.
• TikTok, a video-sharing platform, is the fastest-growing app in the world.

How to Create Clickable Social Videos

Of course, not all social videos work the same. Only well-crafted ones can bring you the best results, while poorly-made ones can scare your audiences away or even harm your online reputation.

In this case, well-crafted social videos are those that you can see in a higher resolution to see every detail of it. They’re the ones that can convince social media users to do something, from sharing the content to their followers or visiting your website.

Here are some handy, actionable best practices to create a high-performing social media video that stands out.

#1. Make It Short

Short-form videos are gaining traction. Take a look at newly-released features from many popular social media; from Instagram Reels to YouTube Shorts, most of them embrace short-form video format.

With human attention only getting shorter each year, it makes sense why social media users love watching under-one-minute videos. It’s straight to the point, no fluffs involved.

Therefore, you often see short types of videos from brands, such as teaser videos, how-to demonstrations, quick reviews. 

You can make your social video short by starting with a strong hook in the intro. Asking a thought-provoking question is an excellent way to do it.

#2. Tell a Story

You might already realize that every viral social video tells a story. Gone are the days when you used video as a medium to brag about your product. 

Nowadays, people only want to be entertained by your video content. According to research, 92% of consumers want video ads to tell a story.

And that’s where storytelling comes in handy. Stories connect with people on an emotional level. When you establish meaning with social media users, you can deliver a message to them in a persuasive marketing pitch. Therefore, it makes your messages less hard-selling

#3. Show Your Brand’s Identity

One thing that can separate your social videos from others is your brand’s identity. It doesn’t matter how well you craft your video if it doesn’t reflect who you are as a brand.

Ensure all aspects of your social media videos, from overall theme and tone to visuals and music, represent what you stand for as a company. 

Ideally, this means using the same tone, color palette, and overall design style across all your social video content. This will give viewers a sense of familiarity and trust, making brand recall easier for users.

#4. Make It Mobile Friendly

Most people watch social videos on their mobile devices. They want content that’s easy to digest and play well with small screens, so make sure your video works seamlessly across all screen sizes. 

It’s crucial to make all the elements (from texts to graphics) you put on social videos are big enough to be seen on small screens. You might also consider using a vertical video format, which is ideal for mobile viewing.

Also, remember that as many as 92% of U.S customers watch videos with the sound off on mobile, so make sure your video has captions.

#5. Include a CTA

A call-to-action (CTA) is one of the essential ingredients of a social media video that works. No matter how many social media users watch your videos, what’s the point if none of them takes a specific action?

A good CTA tells viewers what you want them to do after watching your video content. This way, you never left them hanging.

Some common CTAs include subscribing to your channel, visiting your website, or following your brand on social media. Make sure to keep the CTA short and easy-to-read so viewers can read them easily from their mobile screens.

#6. Create Multiple Videos for Each Social Platform

When it comes to social media videos, one size doesn’t fit all. Each social media platform has its own set of rules and users that you need to cater your videos to.

For example, Facebook prefers longer-form videos while TikTok and Snapchat love quick, snackable content. Instagram is a mix of both, so you’ll have to understand the platform’s algorithm and users before creating videos for it.

The key is to create different types of social videos that cater to the unique needs of each platform. This will help you maximize your reach and engagement on social media.

The Bottom Line: How to Make Social Videos That Stand Out

Each year, video marketing becomes more and more essential for any brand that wants serious growth. Whether you’re in a small business or a big corporation, this strategy should add to your overall marketing mix.

In other words, if you want your company or product to thrive in today’s competitive landscape, it’s crucial to learn how to make social videos that appeal to a broad audience. With those handy best practices above, you now understand how to create not only visually-appealing social videos but also highly effective ones.

Guest Post Author Bio – Andre Oentoro

Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order). 

Twitter: @breadnbeyond

Email: andre@breadnbeyond.com LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro