I used to think that once you had made your video, it was as simple as uploading it and clicking ‘post’. Well, there is much more to it, and here, I outline what you need to consider before releasing your video to the world. You may find that some of these points apply more strongly to specific social media platforms.
1. Thumbnails are the gateway to your video
Attach your thumbnail, which should be clear on what your video is about. The thumbnail is the first impression that viewers will get of your video and will cause them to keep scrolling or to stop and click onto your video. A fantastic video with an average thumbnail will struggle to reach its potential audience.
2. A captivating title
The title should catch the attention of potential viewers. Beware as over sensationalised titles that do not deliver on their promise will result in viewers clicking off your video. On YouTube, this negatively affects your video rating.
3. Descriptions are the new blurb
Expand on the content of the video. A good description will allow the viewer to know what to expect, which makes them more likely to watch your video to the end. You can use this section to pose a question to the viewers; generating engagement and driving more traffic to the video.
4. Hashtags put you on the map
You want these to represent the topic you are covering; this means anyone searching for your type of content can easily find it. Hashtags have different levels of popularity, and you want to use a range of hashtags, which go niche as well as broad. For example, a baking business may use the hashtags ‘cake’ (82.2 million posts), ‘chocolatecake’ (5.7 million posts) and ‘chocolatecakeday’ (15.7 thousand posts).
5. A game of Tag – tag accounts to get them involved in your content
You may want to get colleagues involved in forming discussion around your video; this will extend the organic reach of your video. Tagging other accounts is particularly favoured by LinkedIn. Tag colleagues and invite them to add to the points made in your video. It will add more value to the viewers who watch your video and look at your comments.
6. Timing is of the essence
Videos that get engagement soon after being posted tend to do well. To maximise on this, make sure to post at times when your audience are most likely to be on their phones. These times may include before they start work, on their commute, around their lunch break or when they get back from work. Posting at midnight may not be the best strategy unless you are targeting viewers from a different time zone.
7. Launch with Awareness
You can use all your social media platforms to spread awareness of your video. You can drive traffic to your Youtube video by posting short clips of it on Instagram or Linkedin. You may use your Whatsapp status to post a clip from the video with the YouTube link and raise awareness to the people in your phone contact book. Make sure your use of video suits how video is consumed on the particular platform.
Check out our last article on editing video with your smartphone.