How to use video to boost your social media

Digital marketing: big opportunities for small business

Lauren Hamilton, Digital Narrative

How to use video to boost your social media

Social media use has sky-rocketed within the past few years, in part thanks to the continued lockdowns caused by the COVID19 pandemic around the world.

With millions of us stuck at home, many people turn to social media for amusement, their daily news, and for a way to connect to the broader world. And video content - above text, still images and all other formats - is the king of content.

Short and sweet

Tiktok dominated the news last year, with global use of the platform increasing nearly 36% from December 2019 to July of 2020. This alerted social media giants like Instagram to how much people like that short video format, leading to the Facebook-owned mega-platform bringing out similar features with its Reels concept.

But wait. We’ve been able to post videos to Facebook and Instagram for ages, right?

Yes. But Reels has exploded the popularity of shorter, snappier, more amusing videos beyond all expectations. People love it: a lot of videos are going viral (with astounding numbers of views) and engagement has shot through the roof.

There’s no doubt, the short video format is here to stay!

Simple, effective … and viable

So, how can small and traditional businesses take advantage of this and create content their followers will love, without spending too much time and money?

Here are three suggestions for video content that is simple but effective. It would be great to create them for Instagram Reels or TikTok (because that’s where most viewers are now) but if you’d rather share videos on Facebook or YouTube, the same ideas apply. For those platforms, simply film your video on your phone as normal then edit it to the right length and add any filters or text overlays using InShot (a handy free app found on the App Store/Play Store). Then go ahead, and upload and post it to whichever platform you prefer.

Note: don’t overthink it, don’t worry about it being perfect, and just remember if it turns out crap, you can delete it and try again (I tell you how below).

Three ideas for great video content

Explainer videos

Explain how to do something, how something is produced or grown, or some other interesting element of your business that people have previously shown curiosity about. Examples could be: • How do we harvest olives without using machinery? • Our favourite three ways to use olives in cooking, or • What’s the difference between early and late harvest olive oil?

Meet the Team videos

If you have more than two or three people working for your business, write a list of three questions and film each team member answering them. The best questions will be related to your business, such as: • Which of our products is your favourite? • What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever drizzled olive oil over? • How many days a week do you eat olives?

Behind the Scenes videos

People are genuinely interested in the processes behind their favourite artisan products.

Filming a team member preparing a product or performing some other intriguing element of their jobs is fascinating to people that love your brand. Even more so if it's that repetitive, hypnotic appeal of a process occurring over and over, which individuals tend to like.

How to create Reels

You don’t need fancy equipment, only a good smartphone and the time to watch one of many quick Reels tutorials you'll find online. They explain the best way to film, filter, add music and edit your videos easily.

Simply plan and practice roughly what you’re going to say (you have 60 seconds max), go outside or somewhere with good light and a nice background, then use the steps in the tutorial video to film and post a simple little video to Reels.

There is a box to tick if you want to share a preview of your Reels video onto your normal Instagram feed, and a spot to write a short caption and a title for your video. Use both of these, ensuring you include keywords and hashtags.

And that’s it! You’re ready to rock and ‘Reel’...

Short videos are king on social media right now, and a great way for small producers to engage with their followers without spending too much time and money. Photo: Eaters Collective on Unsplash.