If you haven’t noticed yet, video on Facebook has become a HUGE deal – 100 million hours of video are watched on Facebook EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
But, if you’re new to the world of video, it can be a pretty intimidating world to jump into.
But it’s okay! We got you!
Check out our 7 tips for handling Facebook video like a boss!
1. Make Your Thumbnails Great Again
It’s no secret that the world’s attention span is extremely low, so the first step to getting views on your video is making sure that you can catch people’s eye. Pick a really great snippet from your video or create a custom thumbnail that instantly draws the eye and makes people want to click. This means that you should use great colors, attractive fonts, and clear images. The average person’s attention span is less than 8 minutes, so your thumbnail should instantly draw them in and make them want to click!
2. Add Post Copy
Another way to get people interested in your video is if you give them a little information to go on beforehand. You don’t have to detail what the entire video is about, but just give them a little information to pique their interest!
As you can see, your copy doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just enough to make them want to click!
3. Use Captions
Facebook now plays videos automatically with sound when you come in contact with them; However, 85% of videos are still being watched without sound(Source: Buffer). That’s why it’s so important that your videos have captions! Facebook has a caption-generating feature, but you can also use text overlays to add your captions manually.
4. Stick to the Point
Again, video is a great way to engage your audience, but PLEASE make sure that you stay on topic! If you are talking about the best skateboarders of all time, don’t go off on a tangent about different skateboard designs. If you are creating a video about the best flower’s to buy for Valentine’s Day, but you go into the best flower for Mother’s Day. And, please don’t put it in a 10-minute video! Stay on topic and don’t go around the world and back again to get to the topic. The longer and less relevant the video, the fewer views you will get. Our advice: try to keep your videos under 3 minutes.
5. Set Your Audience
If you haven’t noticed, on your Facebook page you now have the option to set your “Preferred Audience” and “Audience Restrictions,” meaning that you can choose who you’d like to try and reach! Isn’t that neat? So if you have a video that’s intended for teenage girls in the South, you can set your preferences to girls 13-18 in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. And at the same time, you can restrict audiences that comprise of teenage boys or women 21 and up. All you have to do is click the scope icon(as shown below), and you’ll be on your way! This, combined with proper targeting, will help you to increase your video views and audience engagement on Facebook. Setting up your options is easy, but it can sometimes be hard to find. Contact us if you need any help finding this feature.
6. Upload Natively
Another simple way to help your reach is by uploading your videos directly to Facebook. For those who create longer videos and/or want to embrace YouTube and upload there, they would think that it’s just easier to upload to YouTube first and then share to Facebook. And, yes, it would be easier; However, studies have shown that the latest Facebook algorithm favors videos that are uploaded directly to the platform. So, unfortunately, you’d have to upload to both Facebook and YouTube. But on the bright side, you’d have some major reach!
7. Use Those Analytics
Our last, and one of the most important tips on this list is to pay attention to your analytics! Your Facebook analytics are going to help you understand your audience and help you create better content! With analytics, you’ll be able to see if people are watching your video, how many are watching, if they are watching all the way through, and more! These are so vital to helping you understand whether or not the content you are creating is worth it.
What has your experience been with Facebook video? Any tips or tricks that you’ve found have worked for you? Still confused? Feel free to comment below with your questions or contact us and we’ll be more than happy to help!
