How to target your Facebook video marketing strategy
If Facebook were a physical place, it would probably look like Times Square multiplied hundreds of times. So, how do you capture a user's attention in an environment with so much sensory overload?
For many brands, Facebook video marketing is the perfect way to break through the noise and make an impression. However, this is also the point at which many businesses say, "I'm doing Facebook videos, but I'm not seeing results. What gives?"
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can't expect all videos to attract engagement. Every brand wants to create a viral video, but let's take it one step at a time.
Set specific goals
A great video marketing strategy starts with a clear direction, something many companies lack. You might have broad goals like, "Get as many shares as possible," or "Increase our Facebook presence."
Instead, you need to get specific. Set the number of videos you want to release each month. Create a goal for how many clicks you want to get on each video.
It's important to keep your revenue goals in mind as well. Make sure your goals relate to metrics that drive sales. It might feel great to see hundreds of "likes," but that doesn't tend to translate into sales the way clicks do.
Also, don’t forget to make sure you are following Facebook regulations.
Get to know your demographics
You might not be able to know every Facebook follower on an individual basis, but you can get a snapshot. There's actually a way to see your Facebook followers' demographics.
Take a look at the age groups, genders, and locations you're reaching on Facebook. They offer two key benefits.
It lets you cater your content to your followers, while also helping identify the people you're not reaching.
Also, take advantage of Facebook Insights where you can see when your followers tend to be online. This way you are not buried under all of the other content they missed since the last time they were online.
Embrace a content marketing model
There's a reason "used car salesman" is synonymous with "irritating person." People don't like to spend their relaxation time listening to sales pitches.
If that's all your videos are, people will stop watching. Even worse, they get a bad impression of your business.
It's great to post videos that inform customers of sales and events, but most of your video content should be informative and/or entertaining. Focus on being a resource to the viewer.
It gives them the information they need while showing them that you're an expert in your field. Guess who they'll turn to the next time they need a product or service like yours?
Even posting fun videos that are related to your field, as opposed to promoting your company, can help with viewer engagement.
This does come with a caveat, however.
Always include a call to action at the end of your video. Perhaps you invite the viewer to check out your website or to visit your storefront. It's an easy way to bring the video to a close while guiding viewers to the next step you want them to take.
Get personal
Facebook and other social media platforms are unique. They're casual mediums where people go for entertainment and personal connections.
As much as you need to maintain a professional demeanor in your customer service interactions, you can have more fun on Facebook. Use your videos to add life and personality to your brand.
The perfect example of this is Wendy's Twitter account. A few years ago, everyone thought of them as just another fast food joint. Now, they're known for their epic social media personality. Though they gained this fame through Twitter, there is no reason why you can’t do the same through Facebook.
Embrace Facebook Live and Facebook Stories
One of the most important ways to spice up video marketing is to start using Facebook Live and Facebook Stories. Facebook prioritizes Live videos on users' newsfeeds. They attract three times as much viewing time than other videos on the platform.
Facebook stories are brief clips or slideshows, and they only appear for 24 hours before they vanish. However, they are a great way to connect with your followers.
Track, analyze, rinse and repeat
The only way to know if your videos are successful is to check the metrics. Plenty of businesses put out video after video, but they don't take the time to analyze whether they're meeting their goals.
Evaluate your sales trends to see if the videos are translating into revenue. Your website's analytics can offer valuable information as well.
As you evaluate, bring it back to those goals you set earlier. If you're not on track, help your team figure out what changes you can make to meet those goals.
Jason Hall, author, founder and CEO of Five Channels Marketing
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Five Channels
Jason Hall and his Five Channels team specialize in creating brand awareness / traffic and lead generation / marketing funnel and conversion optimization, while...
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