Social Media Videos Like From a Fairy Tale

The Internet is flooded with videos. Whether in your private Facebook and Instagram feed or on the professional Xing and LinkedIn pages. It seems that social media videos have become THE medium to present their messages.

You shouldn’t miss this trend either. With 5 simple tips, we’ll show you how to make your videos a real eye-catcher with a happy ending – and not get lost in the vastness of the Internet.

Akt 1 – Once upon a time…

People think in stories. The little Sandman, religious and philosophical writings – and if that doesn’t convince you: Netflix. Our lives are shaped by stories of all kinds. And for good reason. We remember stories better than dry statistics, graphics and numbers.

That’s why we recommend that you also pack your product or service into a story. Your viewers will not be convinced by a simple “buy the product! If you manage to take them on an emotional journey – with or without Prince and White Stallion – they will buy your product or use your service. And they will react to your video with a lot of likes, shares and comments.

A very good example is this video from Migros – published last Christmas. But also this one from Allegro, a Polish e-commerce platform.

Act 2 – Always stay yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then be a unicorn.

You can create your social media video in a thousand different ways. From live action to digital to whiteboard animation. Or even a combination of different styles? Whatever you choose, always consider who your target audience is. Ask yourself: What will they find funny, authentic, appealing – or perhaps provocative, shocking or controversial?

But beware, the line between surprising and predictable is sometimes very thin. So, sometimes dare to take a risk and confront your viewers with something new. The king’s son didn’t choose the easiest way up the tower for Rapunzel either.

Act 3 – How long is forever? Sometimes, just a second… or ten.

You know it only too well yourself, as soon as you log in to your Facebook account, you are flooded with content. So what wants to be read, seen and liked should attract attention immediately. And by immediately I mean in a matter of seconds.

According to a study by Visible Measure, 20% of users decide within the first ten seconds whether they want to watch a video or not. So these ten seconds are your window of time to get it all out – almost everything.

Act 4 – The good in the potty, the bad in the crop …

You know, after the first ten seconds, it doesn’t get any better. The study of Visible Measures shows: You lose one third of your audience as soon as you reach the 30-second limit. 45% say goodbye after one minute and almost 60% disappear after two minutes. Especially frustrating: These numbers don’t change with the total length of your video!

The lesson is quickly learned. The shorter the better. Scratch unnecessary subordinate clauses, avoid filler words and useless intermediate messages – the bad ones in the jug! Place your core message short, concise and to the point.

But we didn’t eat wisdom with a spoon either. Maybe it’s you who makes the breakthrough and gets the users to still be on the ball after five minutes? Test your material in advance with friends, acquaintances and potential customers. Google Analytics and Youtube offer – limited but no less helpful – insights into the behaviour of your users. For detailed tracking we recommend tools such as Wistia.

Act 5 – So they can see you better.

Of course, you don’t move to Instagram and the like during work hours, but even showcase employees like you don’t always use social media on the couch at home. On the way home on the train, while standing in line at the Migros checkout or at the next Tinder-Date – it’s not always possible (or at least not appropriate) to play videos at full volume.

What do we learn from it? Social media videos should work at best without sound. So that your viewers can understand you silently. However, if images are difficult to convey your complete message, consider subtitling or screen text. This way you tell your story completely – even if the sound is off.

Need an example? Here you go: Tasty’s recipe videos.

With these tips there’s definitely a happy ending for your social media videos. And if they didn’t die, they will be shared, likened and commented by many of your users!