Types of Video for Social Media
We are more than happy to show examples of some of the many social media videos that we’ve produced over the years. You’ll see that they span a range of different styles and messages, each one carefully created based on the goals of the video.
One of the best parts about social media is that there are no rules here. Social media is meant to be, in many ways, a personified version of your company. Sure, most businesses maintain a professional image, but in theory you can create video on anything you want, in any style you want, at any length you want, and present yourself in almost any way imaginable provided it represents your brand.
Still, there are certainly some common types of social media video productions that are more common than others. These include, but are of course no way limited to:
- Live Video – We have live streaming options available, and live video is growing increasingly popular on social media as a way to share an event as it is happening with footage that appeals to a broad, wide audience.
- Product Videos – If you have products, presenting those products to your audience through video is a great way to make sure people get more and more interested in what you have to offer, and are able to learn more about what they receive by purchasing from your organization.
- Event Recap Videos – We do a lot of event videos at Zipinmedia. Recaps perform especially well on social media platforms, because sometimes the people that attended the event and/or are in the video are willing and able to share it to their personal pages, and ultimately improve brand awareness.
- Company Profile Videos – People do need to know you, and a company profile video is a great way to do that. We can help you create a profile of your company that is engaging, fun, or shares any message you’d like to it share, and then use that video to attract attention from current and future followers.
- Traditional Video Advertisements – Advertising is advertising. We can help design for you commercials that you can use on your social media accounts, or advertising anywhere that video is accepted (including social media). Our advertisements can be fun, funny, cool – they can be however is best for your business, and used in any manner of advertising you plan to invest in.
- Behind the Scenes Videos – Sometimes, in an effort to get to know you better, it helps to personalize your business by showing what goes on behind the scenes. It can be professional, candid, scripted, or something else, but getting people to see your business in ways that are non-traditional and perfect for social media.
- Training Videos and Tutorial Videos – Though it’s primarily viewed as a place to maintain friendships and networks, social media is also a great place for learning. LinkedIn and Facebook, especially, benefit from videos that teach people things that may be of interest, helping to prove that you’re an expert to a wider audience.
- “Viral” Videos – Videos that are truly unique can thrive on social media, as the more creative they are or funny, the more of an opportunity there is for viral success. This is especially true on Facebook, and on newer platforms like TikTok, where a great video can garner millions of views. Creating a viral video is hard, but when it works, it is one of the most successful ways to quickly spread your brand.
The other thing that makes video great is that it can be used across platforms. Not only social media networks – it can also be used on your website, on YouTube, on someone else’s press release, and so many other locations that many videos that are shared on social media were created for another purpose, and vice versa. That is what we mean when we say there are so few limits. Use your video anywhere you want, even off of social media, and get the best return on your time.
Industries that Benefit from Social Media Video
There is this belief that only some types of businesses benefit from using social media, but this is absolutely not true. Many different businesses across many different industries find that there are social media platforms where they can truly thrive. Even if the big 3 (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) are not relevant for your industry, typically others like LinkedIn will be, and using video the right way is a great way to get attention for you and your brand.
It is because there are so many social networks, and because there is so much potential in social media video production, that there is not really such thing as a “bad” industry when it comes to showcasing your brand. That means that we produce social media videos for:
- Medical and Healthcare
- Finance and Accounting
- Home Services
- Product Manufacturers and Resellers
- Tech Companies and Startups
- Event Planners and Event Organizers
- Restaurants and Retail, and So Much More
We’ve worked with small businesses, and we’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, and while the videos themselves may differ depending on where they are posted, there is little denying that social media has the potential to provide incredible benefits for those that are willing and able to invest in it.
What Makes a Good Social Media Video Production?
We said earlier that there are very few rules when it comes to what makes good social media video, and we meant it. You can post a feature length film and get great results. You can post jokes. You can post videos with no voices. You can post essentially anything you want. That’s what makes social networks such great mediums – it is okay to be creative.
We typically do not want to hamper your vision by putting limitations on the video. If there is something you believe will benefit you, we’d like to help you turn that into a reality. If you’re putting your trust in us and we think there is something you can benefit from, we’ll make sure that we do it, even if it is something non-traditional or something that has never been done before.
But with that in mind, there are commonalities among many social media videos that are effective for helping your video succeed. These include, but are not limited to:
- Length – Typically, because so many people are fighting for the attention of the viewer, you’re going to want to create a video that isn’t *too* long, only because people have short attention spans. 2 minutes is a great sweet spot, but you can go as little as 30 seconds or closer to 2.5 minutes and still get great results. Keep in mind this varies depending on where the video is being used and how – some social media sites offer literal television spots that are 30+ minutes long. But for the average video, 2 minutes is a great length.
- Fast Branding Info – Some people are going to scroll by your video. It’s natural, since you’re not going to attract every viewer. But most people will at least pause for a few seconds as they try to determine if it’s a video worth seeing. If you have some information, like a logo, in the first few seconds of the video, then at least your video has had an opportunity to brand almost every viewer.
- Works Soundless – Audio and speech is important for every video, and should be included in every video. But most videos autoplay with the sound off. If you’re hoping to get someone to click on the video and listen to its message, it is often a good idea to make sure that at least the beginning of the video is engaging with the sound off so that people click to keep watching and let the sound turn on.
- Character/Personality – Similarly, there are so many videos on the internet and on social networks, that it helps (though is not mandatory, depending on what it is for) that the video be interesting in some way. It can be visually interesting, creatively interesting, funny, unique – it’s not necessarily important how, since it is based on your brand, but some type of character or personality is useful for ensuring it gets the best possible results.
- High Quality – Of course, any video that you choose to post on any social platform needs to be of the highest quality. You need to give people a reason to click on a video. Low quality productions are, in a world full of content, not typically something a person will go out of their way to view. That’s why a cell phone video or a hastily thrown together advertisement is not going to cut it. Quality is critical if you want the video to get views.
Usage is important. Because so many people use videos across all channels – for example, putting a video on their website and then sharing that same video to Facebook – your particular video doesn’t necessarily need to meet these requirements.
But if you’re looking for an idea of what a good social media video will look like, those are the factors that are most likely to get it the attention that it deserves.
Our Social Media Video Production Process
Over the years, Zipinmedia has continually refined our video production process to help us make sure that we’re always meeting your needs. Our process is transparent, and designed from beginning to end around everything we need to help you reach your goals. Our social media video production process includes:
- Pre-Production – Long before there’s a final video, there’s a plan. To create that plan, we first get a better idea of your goals and determine the best way to reach them. We start storyboarding, scripting, coming up with interview questions, hiring actors, getting started with animations, and more, all based on what the video will be and how we can help you reach your goals.
- Production – Production day our chance to take all of that planning and get the footage we need to move forward with the rest of the video. If you’re hosting an event, we’ll be there fully set up and ready. If we’re filming in your office, we’ll make everyone as comfortable as possible and be as unobtrusive as we can be to help get all the right shots. Production day is our chance to get everything we need to craft your final video, and our videographers will go out of their way to make sure we have as much as we need.
- Post-Production – In order for that footage to become a video, we have to then go through the post-production phase. This is where we go through hours of footage to piece each part together in order to tell your story. During post-production, you’ll have your own project management portal that you can use to review each step and see where we are in the process. There will be a rough cut, a fine cut, and a final cut, and by the time the final cut is complete, we are confident that you’ll have a video in your hands that is ready to be shared.
We also know that your video needs to be seen. If you are new to the video production and marketing world, ask us about our “post-post-production” services, and find out more about what we can do to help you make sure that your video is viewed and that you’re getting the results you wanted.
Start the Process Today – Contact Zipinmedia Today
Whether you’re here in Florida with us or you’re elsewhere in the continental United States, Zipinmedia is here and ready create high quality videos that perform well on your social network pages.
We are more than happy to take on a one time video production need, or we provide discounted monthly contracts to those that are expecting ongoing work and would like more of a partner in their success. Because we have refined our process so well, our rates are competitive, and we are confident that once you’ve seen the work we do, you will want to partner with us in the long term.
Give us a call today to learn more about our video production services, or to schedule an appointment to talk to one of our team members about what we can do to meet your needs.
