Are you trying to stand out online? Well, jump on the bus with the millions of other businesses also trying to do the same…

More than 70/80% of businesses are creating videos on social media this year 2023 alone, and truthfully, it’s a challenge to reap the rewards of social media just by following everyone else.

The ‘meet the team’ videos, and the ‘personal branding’ content a lot of founders are leaning into right now, they’re all well and good.

But to really make an impact online, you’ve got to do something different.

Here’s my advice on how you can do just that 🚀

In a world where attention spans are VASTLY shrinking and scrolling is our second nature, standing out from the crowd on social media has never been more crucial!

To help you achieve social media success and create video content that gains big results, here’s a go-to list for you to tick off:

• Know Your Audience:

I know I keep saying it, but it’s really a big deal. You can’t be successful on social media if you don’t FULLY understand your target audience.

Yes, it does sound like a basic essential of marketing, however, you’d be surprised with how many people come to me telling me they do not know who they’re talking to, and this makes it incredibly difficult to create content that their consumers actually want to watch. So use some focus on finding your niche so you can better understand your following for future marketing.

• Quality Over Quantity:

Instead of churning out a HUGE amount of videos, why not focus on producing high-quality content, be that photos, videos, designs, or podcasts, that feel unique and help you stand out from the crowd.

Yes, consistency is important in business.

…However, it’s even more vital to make sure that you’re posting high-quality content, over posting waffle chat bot that doesn’t break through the noise.

• Tell a Story:

Storytelling is becoming more important as content marketing grows. This means that you too must become a storyteller.

I’m not talking about the waffle that you might see on LinkedIn about going from “£0 in your bank, to a multi-millionaire overnight” – that’s just a LOAD of rubbish. I am talking about seeing through that online jargon and seeing every situation in three chapters: The setup, Conflict, and Resolution.

Take a recent experience of yours filming on set, and first set the scene (Which Will Be The Setup), find the conflict that arose on set (The Conflict), and then discuss how you solved this problem (The Resolution). Doing this will take your viewers on a visual journey, and they’ll be hooked.

• Optimise for Mobile:

Now, I was a SUCKER for this a while back myself. So, now for every single client I insist optimising their content for mobile. Most people consume social media on a mobile, as opposed to a laptop or computer. This is why it’s essential to create specifically for this screen size.

Most businesses still post landscape videos on social media, and whilst it’s a very useful format that can be used across a website, social media platform, company sales decks, and the rest, it’s not what today’s consumers engage with.

I suggest creating specifically for where your consumers are. If this means social media, then start to create portrait content that takes more ‘real estate’ up on the platform you’re posting to. Allowing you to stand out much more than everybody else posting landscape. Instagram Stories is another one to think about, as you can take up a HUGE amount of the screen!

• Engage with Your Audience:

A BIG element of social media is in the name – be social.

Too many people will post content, and then wait for the conversations to start. Why not do something more proactive and use your content as a warm sales tool that enables you to start conversations? By asking questions, posting content that specifically gets reactions?

Don’t just sit back and wait, take action and engage with your social community. Find out what they like, dislike, and want to see more of. That’s how you build a tight-knit, loyal community.

• Video Length Matters:

Video length is becoming increasingly shorter, and my personal recommendation is to not make any videos over the 30-60-second mark if you’re posting to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, or Facebook.

Remember that YouTube is a different story, as it’s the hub of long-form, entertaining and educational content.

• Add Captions:

Roughly over 70/80% of consumers digest content with the sound off. I know, crazy right!?

This means that if you’re creating videos with speech inside, and not including subtitles in your content, you’re missing out on a large majority of engagement from your viewers.

• Leverage Your Analytics:

There’s no point in posting a video, and moving on to the next one.

Instead, be data-driven with the performance and analytics of your content by using software and in-built analytics to track the performance and success of your hard work. I like to say that marketing without strategy or data is like driving with your eyes closed! And, it’s pretty true!

Begin to track the engagement, reach, click-through rate, and website traffic generated through your videos, and you’ll have a good understanding of how to improve your future marketing. It’s very important to measure success, but also, to measure failure through data.

Of course, this is just scratching the surface of video, and social media success. However, I believe utilising these few points within your own content and social approach will increase your success

Recap To Do 📋

• Fully understand your target audience.
• Prioritise quality over consistency in your content.
• Master the art of storytelling within your videos.
• Optimise all of your videos for mobile users.
• Engage with your community actively and analyse data.