How To Create a Video That’s Great for Social Media

Social Media, Video Production

Social media video is amongst the most popular content on the internet

In fact, over 3.6 billion people globally (that’s more than a third of the world’s population) use social media to connect.

And the most popular content format on socials? You guessed it. Video.

So how will you make a social media video that hits all the home runs? How will you work with a video production partner to achieve your perfect outcome?

Look no further than our handy guide below.

Here’s our top three tips!

1. Use the four-second hook rule to really grab the attention of your social media audience

 Research consistently demonstrates to us that we have only four seconds to win and maintain our audience’s attention. And no, the format of the content doesn’t matter.

Yep, you read correctly: people make a decision – within four seconds – as to whether or not they’re going to continue engaging with your website, video or animated content, or – on the other hand – leave.

In your opening few seconds of the social media video, aim to begin with a) a key visual hook (e.g. visual design, talent action, inclusion of a particular character, text or otherwise) and b) a key linguistic hook (e.g. spoken key message, text-on-screen, powerful choice of words with another function etc.).

What’s more, try to reiterate – and perhaps paraphrase – the key message throughout the video, ending with a CTA (or ‘call to action’) to make clear what you want your viewer to do after watching it.

This way, your audience will become familiar with your key messaging. They are – therefore – more likely to easily and readily recall your brand, its services, and identifying characteristics.

Here’s a social media video in which the visual approach is clear and engaging – right from the beginning:

2. Keep the narrative of your social media video short, sharp, clear and engaging

One of the most common pieces of advice we offer?

Establish the concept and narrative straight away, and get to the point as soon as you can.

Leading on from the four-second hook rule, establishing narrative comes as the next most important route to effective, engaging social media video content.

We’ve all seen videos (or even some feature-length films, for that matter) in which the plot is not entirely clear to us. Yep – ever found yourself wondering ‘…hang on, how did we get here?’. That’s the last thing we want our audience to be feeling, and especially when engaging with social media content!

Here are a few handy questions you can ask yourself when creating social media videos, perhaps with a specialist video production partner:

  • What do we want the audience to do after engaging with this content? This is your request
  • Can I make that request of the audience within the first four seconds of the video? (If not, alter your script and concept)
  • What approaches (such as key messaging in scripting, use of text, post-production techniques or otherwise) can I use to get that request across in the first four seconds of the video?

Here’s a great example of short, snackable social media video content whose narrative is super-engaging and clear. Eat it up!

3. When working with a video production partner, collaborate to create accessible social media videos

 Heard of these approaches?

  • Text-on-screen
  • Closed captioning
  • Providing meaningful descriptions and text links
  • Using clear and concise language
  • Structuring the narrative of your content
  • Including transcripts

Some may be familiar to you, and others perhaps less so.

Either way, let’s make it clear: these are some of the many ways you can make your animations and video productions more accessible, boosting your audience, reach and the number of people you influence.

Social media relies upon accessibility, not least because such a huge variety of people – all with varied needs and interests – use it. If you’re not utilising at least one of these accessibility approaches in the video and animated content you create, ask yourself who you’re missing out on targeting.

Can you really afford not to make your social media content accessible?

Captions, for example, make a world of difference to the way our brain ‘takes in’ information:

Of course, if you need any help with planning and creating incredible social media and video content, you know how to find us.

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