In 2008, a small ‘micro-blogging’ platform, Twitter, was slowly starting to gain momentum. Limited to only 140 characters.
Fast forward to 2016 and whether you love it or hate it, you’re probably on Twitter too. It’s found a firm seat in the top three most popular social networks in the UK, with a global audience of 6.45 million users, and justifiably commands the attention of brands worldwide.
Marketers use Twitter to read industry news, monitor competitors and respond to customers, but we still struggle to craft, amplify, and track our messages. Social network publishing updates keep us on our toes – remember when images were the next big thing in tweets? Now, it’s all about video. Video is proven to gain more traction in social newsfeeds than any other type of content, with 82% of Twitter users watching videos on the platform. So, what’s the best way for a brand to use video on social, specifically Twitter?
Why Twitter social video matters
Traditionally, Twitter and LinkedIn are seen as the more professional of the social networks, particularly for B2B marketers. In fact, 65.8% of US companies with 100+ employees use Twitter for marketing, while LinkedIn has been a firm content marketing favourite for some time and in-feed video is now being tested on LinkedIn.
Twitter wants to be your go-to source of information, breaking news via trending hashtags and ‘while you were out’ updates from the brands and influencers you interact with most. Companies can capitalise on these hyper-personalised algorithms by using a social video strategy that embraces both organic and paid strategies to build audiences and increase engagement.
Brands on Twitter aren’t only there to push out messages, they’re also there to listen – 77% of Twitter users feel more positive about a brand when their Tweet gets a reply.
What kind of video content to create for Twitter
Initially at the engagement stage, you want to create a two-way dialogue. Consider creating product or service-specific content such as how-to videos, Q&A sessions or customer testimonials. At this stage, video should highlight the product or service as a solution and allow the audience to share in the excitement, relief or satisfaction of the user experience.
Twitter is a great communication tool for listening and connecting with customers. So, even if you’re just getting started with video, I would urge you to dedicate resources to a retention campaign. Enhance the user experience and make it easy for viewers to be directed from video to the product or solution you are selling.
Utilise copy appropriately
Words act as cues for content and keep a viewer’s attention, so consider text within your video. Words and phrases can move dynamically and create visual interest. Think about optimising the copy surrounding your video, as some viewers disable autoplay in their feeds, and so you need to solicit a click. Draw interest and set the stage for the videos that are about to be consumed.