In today’s digital age, social media video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their target audience. With video-first platforms like TikTok and Instagram ruling the the social media marketing landscape, brands have unprecedented opportunities to connect with millions of users through ‘short and snappy’, engaging videos.
However, for social media content to be a success, a careful and considered approach is needed – which starts with an awareness of the potential pitfalls when creating and uploading videos.
In this blog, we will explore the five biggest mistakes in social media video marketing and how to best avoid them.
Neglecting to Understand The Audience
One of the gravest and common mistakes that marketers can make in social media video marketing is to overlook the importance of understanding their audience. For brands, different audiences across all social media platforms. What works on one platform may not resonate with users on the other. TikTok primarily attracts younger audiences, while more long-standing social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have a more diverse age range. Failure to recognise these differences could lead to brands posting irrelevant content, resulting in less engagement, less followers and unhappy consumers.
To avoid this mistake, brands should conduct thorough audience research to identify the preferences, interests, and pain points across each platform. Tailor the video content accordingly, using relevant hashtags and trends to amplify your reach and increase engagement.
Overlooking the Power of Storytelling
In the fast-paced world of social media, businesses may prioritise flashy visuals over meaningful storytelling produce content. Engaging visual content is of course essential across platforms, but it would be a crucial error to leave the storytelling element out of a video post. Stories are at the core of human communication and are more likely to evoke emotions and leave a lasting impact. Videos are able to tell a story to audiences in ways that still image assets could never. Therefore, it is important video content is optimised to do exactly that, and leave a lasting impact on the viewer.
By sharing authentic and relatable stories through videos, brands can forge deeper connections with their audience, increasing loyalty and brand advocacy.
On TikTok and Instagram, users are hungry for content that resonates with them on a personal level. Crafting compelling narratives within the short time constraints of these social media platforms can be challenging, but it’s essential to avoid prioritising just style over substance.
Ignoring Analytics and Performance
In the realm of social media and more specifically, social media marketing campaigns, ignorance of performance metrics is a recipe for disaster. Metrics such as reach, likes, comments and shares can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of video content. Analysing performance across social posts will tell brands what content is working, and what content needs changing.
Ignoring these analytics can lead to a lack of understanding regarding what works and what doesn’t, resulting in wasted resources and missed opportunities for improvement. Failing to recognise what content is not performing well will result in followers growing increasingly disengaged.
Both TikTok and Instagram offer in-depth analytics tools that allow small businesses to to track the performance of their videos. Brands should regularly monitor these metrics, analyse audience behavior, and adapt the video marketing strategy accordingly. By identifying successful patterns and content themes, brands can refine their approach to social media and achieve better results.
Neglecting to Optimise for Mobile Viewing
Social media users predominantly access platforms like TikTok and Instagram on their mobile devices. This is no secret, but many fail to optimise video content for mobile viewing, which have disastrous consequences for user experience. Slow-loading videos, improper formatting, or cluttered visuals can quickly turn away potential viewers and lead to disengagement, unfollows, or negative comments
To avoid this mistake, brands should ensure videos are formatted to fit mobile screens, as well as using attention-grabbing thumbnails and maintaining a swift loading time. Additionally, posts should include captions or subtitles to make the content accessible to mobile users who watch videos with the sound off.
Disregarding Trends and Staying Stagnant
Social media trends are constantly evolving, and what captures audiences’ attention today may not have the same impact tomorrow. Failing to adapt and staying stagnant can lead to a decline in relevance.
On TikTok and Instagram, viral challenges and trending topics can catapult content to a broader audience. On TikTok in particular, more consumer-focused brands have a fantastic opportunity to appear less corporate and more engaged with their audience. This will lead to a greater connection between consumers and the businesses they follow online.
Embrace these trends creatively and authentically, while also ensuring that they align with brand values and messaging. By staying agile and ‘with the times’, videos will remain fresh and appealing to audiences.
Conclusion
Social media video marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audience on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. However, it’s essential to avoid common marketing mistakes as discussed in this blog to ensure success.
Ultimately, by understanding their audience, brands can create compelling video content that resonates with them, helping to drive engagement and ensure growth. Remember, the social media landscape is ever-changing, and staying adaptable is key to staying relevant and successful.
At Prohibition, we work with a range of brands across all sectors to create engaging social media marketing strategies that allow brands to stay up to date with the latest trends and updates. Get in contact today to find out how we could help.
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