1. They start with a strategy
Successful social media videos always start with a strategy. What's your objective? Is it to increase signups to a webinar? To launch a new product or service? To gain new followers? And most importantly, who are you targeting? Where do they hang out online? What social platforms do they use? This will help you create the essential foundations of your video.
2. They keep it short
You'll also want to keep your videos bite-sized and easy-to-consume. Be sure to make the first few seconds really stand out to capture your audience's attention. After all, the average human's attention span is about 8 seconds these days.
3. They use subtitles
Subtitles are also a must. Not just for accessibility, but for those who choose to silently scroll their social feeds.
4. They tell a story
It's not enough to capture the attention of your audience, you also need to keep it long enough for them to take action.
Your video needs to look and sound great, but also tell a story to keep them glued to your content. Create a story that will truly resonate with your audience and make them feel something, because we always remember the most about how something makes us feel.
5. They give a strong call-to-action
Don't make your audience think too hard about what to do next. Circle back to the objectives of your campaign plan and encourage them to act on what you're promoting.
6. They optimise for different channels
While it's more convenient for you to post the same content across channels, to get the most out of your video content, you need to optimise your videos for each platform's specific requirements.
TikTok and Instagram reels need to be in vertical format, for example. And TikTok videos must seamlessly integrate into the feed and not look like advertisements.
So you'll need the correct dimensions, video limit, and other specs to ensure your social media video has the best chance of performing on each platform.