October 04, 2022

Growing Ecommerce Brands With Social Media Video Marketing

What kind of content catches your eye when scrolling through Facebook or Instagram? More often than not, it's a video. Social media videos  are dynamic and engaging, telling a story in a way that images and text just can't. LinkedIn research shows that video content is 1200% more effective at generating organic reach than text and images.

Social media video marketing is vital for ecommerce brands trying to expand their reach and grow their business. You can create social media videos for your business today without spending much cash. It's an excellent way to show off your products and build brand awareness.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into social media video marketing, its benefits, strategies, success metrics, and tips and tricks for guaranteed success.

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What Is Social Media Video Marketing?

Social media video marketing is the process of strategically creating videos for your social media channels. These videos can be anything from product demos and unboxing videos to behind-the-scenes footage and customer testimonials. The key is to create engaging, informative, and visually appealing content that your audience will enjoy.

With the rise of TikTok, we see more and more brands using short-form video content to reach their target audience. These videos are usually 15-60 seconds long and feature creative editing, music, and humor. Moreover, they are not marketing-heavy- sellers promote their products in innovative and non-intrusive ways. You, too, can use  social media videos for business to promote your ecommerce brand.

Why Is Video Marketing Important for Ecommerce?

In a world where people are increasingly making purchasing decisions online, it's essential to provide them with as much information as possible to feel confident in their purchases. A study by Wyzowl found that 88% of consumers buy a product or service after watching a brand's video. Adopting video content in your ecommerce marketing strategy is a surefire way to:

  • Reach a wider audience
  • Drive traffic to your website or online store
  • Increase conversion rates and sales
  • Boost your SEO ranking
  • Build brand awareness and loyalty

Now you’ve got a pretty good understanding of why video marketing is important for your ecommerce business, but what about the various social media platforms? Which ones will be more effective?

What Are the Best Platforms to Host Social Media Videos for Your Business?

Many social media platforms are now heavily skewing towards video content. As a result, there are now more platforms than ever before that businesses can use for social media video marketing. However, not all platforms are created equal; some are better suited for certain types of videos than others.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the most popular social media platforms for ecommerce businesses and the types of videos that perform best on each one.

Facebook

Facebook is still one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.94 billion monthly active users - 30% of which fall under the Millennial category.  You can include links to your online store in the video description to redirect Facebook traffic to you. It's important to remember that the Facebook audience prefers videos around one minute long.

YouTube

YouTube has been the staple video platform for businesses for years, and for a good reason. It's one of the largest social media platforms in the world. It has 2 billion monthly active users, and 81% of US adults use the platform. YouTube is also the second largest search engine in the world, and can be an excellent platform for creating social media videos for your business. However, one thing to remember is that YouTube factors watch-time into its algorithm. So it's important to create decently sized videos (5 minutes or longer) that people will want to watch all the way through.

Twitter

While Twitter isn't necessarily known for its video content; it's still a platform you can use to reach your target audience. Tweets with video links receive ten times more engagement than tweets without. The great thing about Twitter is that it's a very fast-paced platform, so you don't have to worry about creating long, drawn-out videos. In fact, some of the most popular types of videos on Twitter are short clips and GIFs. Also, with Twitter's First View feature, you can pay to have your video placed at the top of your followers' timelines when they log in, ensuring that they see it. However, Twitter is a platform that favors quality over quantity, so it's important to put effort into creating short videos.

Instagram

Instagram is not just for food photos anymore. In fact, over 500 million people watch Instagram Stories every day, and 60% of users say they discover new products on the platform. Because of this, Instagram is an excellent platform for eCommerce businesses to create compelling social media videos for their business. Instagram users enjoy watching aesthetically pleasing videos, so make sure your video content is eye-catching, such as creative stop-motion videos or stylish product videos.

Additionally, because Instagram is a mobile-first platform, it's important to keep your videos short and sweet - around 15-30 seconds is ideal.

TikTok

TikTok boasts 1 billion active users, with the average user spending 52 minutes per day on the app. It is particularly popular among the Gen Z crowd, with 43% of US TikTok users falling between the ages of 18 and 24. The majority also identify as female (57%). This makes it the perfect choice for brands targeting the young women demographic, such as ecommerce businesses selling trendy fashion items or cosmetics. When creating social media video content for TikTok, it's important to remember that the platform is all about having fun. So, your videos should be creative, entertaining, and educational.

Snapchat

Snapchat has over 347 million daily active users, with 84% of users under the age of 34. The average Snapchat user opens the app 18 times per day and spends 30 minutes on the app daily to watch videos that are 10 seconds or less. The content also skews heavily towards lifestyle and entertainment, so this is an excellent platform for ecommerce businesses dealing with fashion, cosmetics, and luxury products. You must provide content that grabs attention immediately since you only have a 10-second window, so make sure your social media video content is creative, entertaining, and informative.

I have summarized social media video marketing strategies for different platforms in the table below:

social media video marketing strategies for different platforms

5 Video Content Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Ecommerce Brand

So, we've got the lowdown on which video platforms are the best for ecommerce brands. Now, let's develop some strategies for creating social media videos for your business that will help your brand succeed.

#1. Prove Your Expertise in the Niche

Show users why they should be subscribed to your content or follow your brand by proving that you're an expert in the niche. Share valuable tips, advice, or behind-the-scenes shots. We give some examples below

Post Expert Roundups

Expert roundups feature other experts in the field answering a question related to the niche. For example, if you're in the beauty industry, you could do a post featuring different makeup artists' tips for smoky eyes. To find experts, you can search on LinkedIn, reach out to past colleagues, or invite influencers. Experts will expect payment for their time.

Broadcast Live Events

Another way to show that you're an expert in your field is to broadcast live events related to your industry. This could be a live Q&A with an expert, a panel discussion, or even a live product demonstration. Live events are a great way to engage with your audience and build trust with potential customers.

Launch Your IGTV Channel

IGTV is a great platform to establish yourself as a voice of authority in your industry. However, audiences expect longer videos (15 minutes on mobile and 60 minutes on desktop). You should step into this only if you have the necessary experience and resources.

#2. Increase Customer Trust

Your videos can highlight how credible, trustworthy, and transparent your brand is. For example, you can showcase behind-the-scene packaging and operations or discuss brand values like sustainability, local, and honesty. Some ways to do this include

Sharing UGC Videos

One way to build customer trust is to share user-generated content (UGC) videos on your social media platforms and website. UGC is any type of content users create, for example, reviews, product photos, and videos. When customers see that other people are happy with your product or service, it helps build trust and confidence in your brand. To find UGC videos to share, you can search for relevant hashtags on social media or reach out to customers and ask them to send videos using your product.

Collaborate with Niche Influencers

When you work with an influencer who is trusted and respected in your industry, it rubs off on your brand and helps you build trust with potential customers. To find influencers to collaborate with, you can search for relevant hashtags on social media or use an influencer marketing platform like BuzzSumo to find influencers in your industry.

Request Video Testimonials

If you're concerned about not getting enough reviews or social proof for your brand, why not request video testimonials from customers? This is a great way to build trust with potential customers and increase confidence in your brand. You can reach out to customers and ask them to record a short video testimonial for your business and offer a discount or incentive in exchange.

#3. Explain Why Your Product is Worth Buying

Video is the perfect medium to really showcase your product or service and explain why it's worth buying. However, make sure you don't constantly spam your audience with these videos. They can make your channel overly promotional and put people off. You must mix product videos with other engaging, informative content.

Do a Product Overview Video

Product overview videos show potential customers what your product looks like, how it works, and what it does. This is a great way to really sell the features and benefits of your product and increase conversions.

Post How-To Video Tutorials

How-to videos can show customers how to directly use your products. Or, to make it more engaging, you can demonstrate some other DIY activity that uses your product. This is a great way to increase brand awareness and get people interested in your product.

Q&A sessions show potential customers that you're passionate about your product. You can use Q&A sessions to answer customer questions and even upsell other products or services. You can either do a live Q&A session on social media or post a pre-recorded video.

#4. Reach More Potential Customers

You can run different types of social media ads, but video ads tend to be the most effective. Some ideas for video ad content include:

Vertical Video Content

Vertical videos are easy to consume on mobile devices and grab attention when users scroll through media feeds on mobile. Popular vertical content formats include short-form videos, live streams, and Instagram or Facebook stories

Video ad strategies

Once you've created some engaging video content, it's time to start running ads. When creating your video ad, make sure to include a strong call to action. You want to make it easy for potential customers to learn more about your product or service. Effective CTAs drive traffic to your website or landing page. Test out different ad types and strategies to see what works best for your business.

#5. Convince Users to Take Action Faster

Creating a sense of urgency can be a great way to convince social media users to take action. If people think they need to act fast, they're more likely to convert.

Announce Sales and Discounts

Sales and discounts are a great way to drive traffic to your website. Make sure to include all the relevant details in your posts, such as the sale dates and what products are included. You can also use social media to announce flash sales and special holiday promotions.

Give Ephemeral Content a Try

Ephemeral content is a type of content that disappears after a certain amount of time. The most popular examples of this are Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Since it's only available for a limited time, people are more likely to view and engage with it. Snapchat, for instance, is known for its 24-hour Stories. Once a Story expires, it's gone forever unless the account has added it to a highlight. In addition, you can use ephemeral content to announce sales, discounts, and promotions.

Tips to Improve Your Video Content Quality

It is best to hire professionals with experience producing high quality videos for your brand. If you are shooting videos yourself try to:

  • Make professional content with appropriate lighting and background
  • Plan a story or script before recording
  • Take some time to learn video making - there are many free tutorials on YouTube
  • Edit your videos to add captions and stickers
  • Experiment with different ideas and formats

How Long Should Social Media Videos Be?

The answer to this question varies depending on your social media platform. For example, Snapchat and Instagram Stories are typically between 15 and 20 seconds long. On the other hand, Facebook and YouTube videos can be up to 60 minutes long, while Twitter videos can be up to 140 seconds long.

It's important to keep your videos as concise as possible. No one wants to watch a 10-minute video about a product they're not interested in. So instead, focus on creating short, to-the-point videos that deliver your message clearly.

How to Measure Your Social Media Video Marketing Success

You can use a few different metrics to measure your video content's success. These include:

  • Views: How many people have watched your video?
  • Engagement: How many people have liked, shared, or commented on your video?
  • Reach: How many people have seen your video?
  • Click-through rate: How many people have clicked on a link in your video?

You can use several tools to measure your video marketing success. Google Analytics is an excellent option. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter also have their own built-in analytics tools. Ultimately, the success of your social media video marketing campaigns comes down to creating quality content that resonates with your target audience.

Conclusion

When it comes to growing your ecommerce business, social media video marketing is vital for several reasons. First and foremost, it's incredibly effective to reach your target audience and build brand awareness. Videos are shareable, and they have the potential to go viral, which means they can reach a much larger audience than other types of content.

Understanding the right platform to begin your video marketing journey and what kind of content your target audience will enjoy is critical to your success. You can create just about any type of video, from product and unboxing videos to educational content and behind-the-scenes footage. Keep your videos short, sweet, and to the point, and always include a call-to-action.

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Now that you have discovered the importance of video content marketing, you may be ready to start churning out videos for your brand. You may even have a few videos already uploaded to social media. However, video content is ineffective if no one is watching. Read more about how to add videos to your Amazon listing and watch your purchases soar.