It’s no secret that video marketing is on an upward trajectory. In fact, on Facebook alone, more than 8 billion videos are watched every single day. If you’ve ever done any video marketing, you also know it’s no secret that video marketing can be tricky. Finding the right formula of content, length, and delivery method can be difficult to say the least. 

Defining the optimum length

The optimum length for videos is a difficult thing to define, and there are a whole load of variables that can influence the answer, like:

• Who’s your target audience?

• What’s your product or service?

• Where is it being promoted?

• What’s it about?

• How engaging is your speaker?

Because of all these factors, the ideal length will vary from industry to industry and business to business.

As an example, let’s think about the type of product you’re promotoing. If you’re selling a $20 item, it’s likely your audience will be unwilling to invest five minutes to watch your video. If you’re selling a $2,000 service though, five minutes suddenly seems like a more reasonable request.

What the data tells us

When video hosting and analytics giant Wistia looked at the stats from 500,000 videos, the sweet spot was 2 minutes. According to their research, it’s after that point that there’s a fairly steep drop off and people click away. 

That said, their numbers also showed there’s minimal drop-off between 6 and 12 minutes -- so, assuming you can keep viewers until the 6 minute mark, by that point, there’s a good chance you’ve secured the next 6 minutes of their time too.

As with any type of content, it’s important to keep your message and goals in mind – if your video needs to be long, it needs to be long. There’s no use in condensing what would have been a 10 minute video down to 2 minutes for fear of people not watching, if the end result means you’re compromising on the quality and credibility of its substance. 

Videos on social media

Once you’ve got your video edited, it’s time to disperse it through social media. According to data from HubSpot, the most engaging video lengths for each platform are:

• Instagram: 30 seconds

• Twitter: 45 seconds

• Facebook: 1 minute

• YouTube: 2 minutes

 

Action items: Here's what you can do 

Discovering what works for you is all about trial and error, and engagement is a key metric to measure. So, what can you do to find your own sweet spot? Here are a few ideas:

• Categorize your videos, because there’ll likely be different patterns for sales, ‘how to’ and tutorial videos.

• Analyze the play to finish ratio from all your videos to date and see what’s working best.

• Look out for trends in where viewers are trailing off. If there are any, engineer your next videos to this length and see what results you get.

• Take a look at what your competitors are doing, and if they’re getting good engagement, see if you can identify any lessons from their success.

If you’re new to the world of video marketing, check out our three-part series on producing and editing iPhone footage here, here and here.

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Need a second opinion on your video content? Ask the experts. From compelling email campaigns to social media account management, Hue & Tone Creative is here to cover all your marketing needs.

Grab a cup of coffee and get ready to edit together a viral video! 

We’re back after taking a week off from the blog!  Two weeks ago, we shared some filming basics (you can catch up on Part 1 here). Now we’re jumping into the must-know stuff about editing video.

Let’s go ahead and dive in head first! 

Edit on a computer

Although there are plenty of video editing apps to choose from, editing on a computer is the key to producing quality professional videos.

iMovie is the perfect starter program for beginners, but its features can be a little limited.  It’s a great place to start -- you can use filters, voiceovers, and a small array special effects. But you might be a little limited when it comes to visual effects, audio editing, and graphic integrations. (It’s also the only cheap/free option on this list!)

Need an app for spontaneous videos? Magisto and Adobe Premiere Clip are free and perfect for on-the-go projects:

Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the leading cross-platform video-editing programs on the market. Because it’s used by film makers, journalists, and broadcasters, Premiere Pro is perfect for high quality professional content. Virtually every type of film or file type is compatible and can be exported to any screen and format. Premiere Pro also works seamlessly with other Adobe programs like Illustrator and After Effects – great for integrating custom titles.

Final Cut Pro X is a high quality professional program from Apple. Like Premiere Pro, Final Cut specializes in advanced techniques and 4K video. And, we personally find it to be a little more beginner friendly than Adobe Premiere. You can also purchase title and animation templates directly through Apple Motion rather than editing them in separate Adobe programs.

A final tip? No matter which software you use, make sure to back up your files! Nothings worse than losing all your hard work to a corrupt file or technical hiccup. If you’re really looking to make video a big part of your marketing take the safe route and invest in a cloud plan or external hard drive. 

 

Consider the Viewer

The obvious goal of your video is to be shared. When you’re editing, focus on what you want your audience to see, think, and feel.

The best way to spark your creativity? Go watch other people’s videos and see what’s trending!

Are you trying to spark an emotional response? Sharing a clever hack? How you present your material makes a difference in how it’s received by others. Think of your video as a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and ending. If you’re viewers are confused by what they’re watching, they’ll move on to something else.

Studies show that the average viewer’s attention starts to dwindle after 8.25 seconds. To keep your viewers engaged, trying to break up talk-heavy scenes with visuals or infographics. You can also shake up static scenes by varying your camera angles. 

 

Cut out the fluff

You have a limited amount of time to hold your viewer’s attention and communicate your message. If your video if veering off-topic, cut it down. There’s no point filling your video with irrelevant content.

Make sure to scan your video for mistakes, “ums”, awkward little moments where you may have lost your train of thought (it happens to everyone). Cutting on specific words can help transition to a different topic and make the video flow evenly. 

Tailor for social

Your video’s length really depends on which platform you’re uploading to. Keep this little guideline in mind before you start filming. Save intros/outros for YouTube videos. There’s no need to use them for shorter social media videos.

Facebook: 1 minute

Twitter: 45 seconds

YouTube: 2 Minutes

Instagram: 30 seconds

 

Add Some Music

Want to use some subtle background music? Here’s a list of sites that offer music with a Creative Commons license.  Just be sure to double check the terms before you use a song. 

• Jamendo

• ccMixter

• AudioFarm

• Free Music Archive

• ASH Music

Music can add a nice touch and help set the tone of your movie, but make sure to watch the volume! Background music should enhance the scene, not overpower it.

 

Create a Silent Video

No, not a Charlie Chaplin inspired silent film (although, that may be a fun idea). We mean a soundless video.

Videos on Facebook and Instagram autoplay without the sound, so it’s important to edit with that feature in mind. No one wants a loud video to start playing when they’re standing in line at Starbucks or sneakily browsing Facebook during a boring meeting (don’t do that, BTW).

Using strong visual elements like bright colors, bold fonts, and graphics will help your audience get the gist of what your video’s about when it’s muted.

You can also add captions with iMovie, Premiere Pro, or Facebook Live. Just watch your placement and make sure to use a crisp bold font that’s easy to read at any size.

That’s it for this week’s installment! Check back next week for Part 3 of our mobile video series…we’ll be giving you a run down on how to get more views!

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Social Media Marketing in Greensboro and Winston Salem

Struggling to get noticed on social? We can fix that! From social media management to email campaigns, Hue & Tone creative can help boost your engagement and help create a loyal following. We can also help you come up with a plan to creatively incorporate video into your daily social schedule!