The use of video on Social Media is on the rise, and in 2022 it is only expected to increase. Statistics have shown that since the pandemic started, there has been an increase of over 60% (!) in video content consumption.
So with video content having a major moment right now, and with many businesses looking to increase their relevance in the digital world and competing for the attention of the many people surfing the internet, choosing the right platform and the right strategy for your video is crucial.
As there is a lot to know when choosing the right platform for marketing your business, we have created a two part edition to assist you in this decision. In this edition we will guide you across two of the most popular platforms for businesses, Instagram and LinkedIn, explaining their key features and helping you answer the question you may be asking yourself - “which platform should I choose for my next campaign?”.
So without further ado:
Instagram:
Instagram is more than just a platform with stories of what you ate for breakfast and a post of your dog sleeping. You probably aren't even aware of how quickly you are engaged in video content once entering Instagram. Most likely, less than a few seconds would have passed until Instagram’s algorithm, which works best with videos, has found the video that will most interest you.
Target audience:
Most Instagram-ers are young adults with 71% of its users being below the age of 35 and only 16% between ages 35-44. With that being the case, picking the right age group isn’t enough for you to successfully market your brand on IG as its platform is very niche inclined. Whether it is fashion, tourism, gaming or hospitality - if your audience is too broad, you won't be targeting right. When choosing your target audience on IG you need to ask yourself “What niche does my brand’s audience belong to?”.
Length and format options:
Instagram IGTV - The go to for long form videos on IG. Videos can be up to 60 minutes long when uploaded via the website, and up to 15 minutes via the mobile app, but keep in mind that most people are only watching the first 15-30 seconds. The first 15 seconds of your video will be posted on your feed, and should your viewer want to see more, they can click to watch the full video.
Instagram Video Posts - A video post that can be more engaging and increase interaction with your account. These videos can be between 3 seconds to 60 seconds long.
Instagram Live Stream Videos - Similar to that of IGTV, the length of these posts can be up to 60 minutes long. All live streams are saved as videos that can be viewed by your followers later.
Instagram Reels - These videos are up to 60 seconds long, with shorter options of 15 seconds and 30 seconds. They are a great way to post short and entertaining videos on your feed with these videos being designed to drive engagement.
Instagram Stories - These are up to 15 seconds long. Should you want to post a video that is longer than that, it will be sliced up into individual videos that can be uploaded at once. Once uploaded these videos are available for 24 hours, and afterwards can be added to the “highlights” section of your page.
The best format options for Instagram is using an aspect ratio 9:16, and the best dimensions are 1080px by 1920px.
User tips:
Make sure that you choose an interesting cover photo to capture your viewers attention.
It is recommended to post at least 2-3 times a week but not more than 7.
IG ads don't suit each brand, but are great for those with an active presence within a specific niche such as design, fashion, fitness and beauty.
When posting in-feed IG videos there are a few things you need to keep in mind: Your brand is presented within the first few seconds, the video is short and direct and in line with your audience’s interests.
By publishing stories regularly, you can get your followers to be more aware of your updates, and more likely to watch your new content.
Make sure you use captions; by default all videos are played without sound.
Find new audiences by searching for industry keywords.
Takeaway:
If your target audience is between the ages of 18-35 then IG is your go to.
If your brand belongs to the niche's of lifestyle, health and fitness, travel, beauty, fashion, music, photography, food or even parenting, your presence on IG should be concerning you.
Instagram is a platform for influencers. If you are an actor, a model, a blogger or aspiring to be one of these, this is your platform.
LinkedIn is the number-one social media platform for B2B, and for that reason it would only make sense for you to boost your professional and personal agenda on this platform. LinkedIn videos get 3 times more exposure than any other post type. Although it is a relatively new feature on LinkedIn, according to a study completed by Wyzowl, 51% of video markets have used video marketing on LinkedIn, with over 84% finding it to be effective in its strategy.
Target Audience:
Unlike Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, LinkedIn is a professional platform designed to help you establish and reinforce business relationships.
With LinkedIn, you’re targeting a quality audience in a professional context.
On LinkedIn you can target based on demographics, job experience, company, interest and traits and education. If you know what your customer persona is, then you won’t have a problem targeting it.
Length and Format options:
Embedded Videos - It is not uncommon for individuals and businesses to share their videos that they have uploaded to a video-hosting platform (YouTube, Vimeo etc.). This is also common practice when posting articles on LinkedIn as you can’t upload videos to your LinkedIn article. Embedding videos from an external source is also a great way to share your longer and more informative video content on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Native Video - A Native video is a video that you upload directly to LinkedIn. According to a number of studies, native videos have better performance results than sharing links. These videos can auto-play which increases the chance of grabbing your viewers attention and have a maximum length of 10 minutes.
LinkedIn Video Ads - These videos, or in other words “campaigns”, are a sponsored ad format that appear in the LinkedIn feed. This form of content is said to attract almost 3 x more views than static sponsored content. Creating a video ad campaign has the ability to increase your brand's awareness and lead generation as they are usually viewed by a larger and more targeted audience. These videos can run up to 30 minutes long.
LinkedIn Featured Section - LinkedIn’s Featured section, introduced in 2020, is part of your personal profile. This is the place for a video introducing yourself and your brand. It is recommended to keep this video short and personal with a call to action at the end. Consider incorporating elements of animation in this video as it will only make it that much more engaging.
When uploading videos to LinkedIn, keep in mind that only horizontal videos are supported. The recommended aspect ratio for video is 16:9, with video dimensions of 1920px by 1080px.
User tips:
LinkedIn’s focus is less about selling or marketing your products but rather a platform for you to create professional connections, develop your career and getting your product recognized. Sales pitches and aggressive advertising don't work well on LinkedIn. Try to appeal to your audience rather than trying to sell to them.
Be active, form connections, join groups and post frequently (but make sure that it is of good quality) but most of all be authentic. People are looking to engage with people, not their logos, but at the same time make sure that your content includes information about your brand.
Video is ranked highly in LinkedIn’s algorithm and its use is only expected to grow. Marketing experts are saying that as video content will continue to grow in popularity, the popularity of text-based posts is expected to decline.
Videos with voiceovers or subtitles are more popularly ranked.
LinkedIn has found that viewer’s attention spans wane usually after 10 seconds, so getting your message across within the first few seconds is profoundly crucial. With that being said, make sure that you add to your videos a strong call to action at the end, directing viewers to the next step of your brand journey.
Optimize for silent and closed caption viewing. With more and more people preferring to view videos on silent mode, offering captions is a must for effective silent viewing.
Video marketing tactics such as animated videos and slideshows will be the most popular way to use LinkedIn for business purposes.
Even if you are a technical company, connect to your clients on an emotional and personal level. Although it is a B2B platform, people are still looking for real connections.
Takeaway:
Whether you are looking to build your network, seeking your next dream job or just doing some research on your competitors - LinkedIn is the platform you should be using when it comes to developing your professional profile.
Make connections and engage with them. Like their posts, comment on their job statuses, post content that appeals to them and stay on their radar.
All signs are pointing to 2022 as being the year where video marketing is expected to thrive across all social media platforms. Whether it be on LinkedIn or on Instagram, make sure that you are reaching the right people, at the right time, with the right message, in the right place.