Did you know that Facebook users spend, on average, five times longer looking at video content than they do looking at images? Internet users would rather get information from watching a video than reading a bunch of text.
Which is why industry leaders predict that – by the year 2021 – over 80% of online traffic will be contributed to users visiting and consuming video content. If you’re marketing on Facebook, but you’re yet to get onto the video content bandwagon, you’re right where you need to be!
Here are four solid tips to ensure your Facebook videos get found, are watched, get shared, and ultimately lead to enquiries for your business:
Grab Attention Within 4 Seconds
You’ve heard the rumours, and as much as we hate to admit it – they’re true. The average human attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. If you’ve seen a YouTube advert, you’ll have noticed that you’re able to skip after a few seconds. This is because they know that if you aren’t hooked within the first few seconds – the chances are slim that you’ll watch the rest of the video.
For this reason, AdEspresso recommends mentioning the most important information in the first four seconds of your Facebook video. This doesn’t mean that shorter videos are better for your Facebook marketing, though. The latest figures from Facebook themselves reveal that “videos get shown organically to more people when they’re at least 3 minutes long.”
So, give your Facebook videos the best chance of being found by grabbing the viewers attention within 4 – 5 seconds, and ensuring that your video durations are around the 3-minute mark.
Add Videos to Facebook Instead of YouTube
There are two ways to get your video content showing up on Facebook. You can upload the video to YouTube, then share the link in a Facebook post, or you can upload the video directly to Facebook (known as a Facebook native video). So, which is better?
This Agorapulse study compared the two methods of video sharing on Facebook, and the findings are clear. Facebook native videos have up to 86% higher reach (how many people see the video) than linked YouTube videos. Want a bigger number? The study also found that Facebook native videos get 477% more shares.
When it comes to comments, native Facebook videos receive around 530% more comments than linked YouTube videos. Here’s the final nail in the coffin: Facebook native videos rack up a staggering 168% more engagement than when these videos are shared from YouTube.
So, when promoting video content on your Facebook business page, upload directly to Facebook instead of linking from a YouTube channel.
Assume Viewers Won’t Have Audio
Recent Facebook stats reveal that around 8 billion videos are viewed on Facebook every day. Here’s the whopper: only around 15% of these videos are watched with sound. This means that 85% of Facebook videos might as well not have any audio, because most of us aren’t listening.
We don’t suggest uploading soundless videos to Facebook, as this would make for a poor customer experience should that one follower of yours decide to tap the ‘unmute’ button. So, how do you cater for both types of video watchers?
By adding subtitles or ‘closed captions’ to your Facebook marketing videos, the 85% of people who prefer to watch your videos in silence will be able to read what’s being said (instead of trying to lip-read).
Use Short Videos When Going In-Stream
We revealed earlier in this article that Facebook recommends videos of at least 3-minutes in length, but longer is not always better. Take in-stream video ads as an example. These are video adverts that pop up at some point while a user is watching another video.
One could argue that most people would get annoyed with these sorts of interruptions, especially if it’s a 3-minute video ad that they can’t skip.
So, if you’re setting your Facebook video adverts to appear in-stream, be considerate by making them as short as possible to avoid garnering a negative brand experience for a potential customer.
Leverage Global Insights for your Facebook Marketing
WSI Durban, part of the global WSI network of digital marketing agencies, leverages unrivaled global marketing insights for each of our clients. For this reason, we’re able to assist businesses looking to tap into international markets – with the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. Ready to start rocking your Facebook marketing with video adverts? Start a project with us here!