6 Ways You’re Failing at Facebook Video (And how to Fix it!)
Marketers use Facebook video for all sorts of things these days. Unfortunately, for all the Facebook marketing that takes place, much is worthy of nothing more than an “F” grade. Marketing professionals use videos on Facebook all the time, and fail. In fact, these are 6 ways you’re failing at Facebook video and what you can do to fix it to make the most out of your Facebook video marketing mix. So, follow along with this Facebook video content marketing plan to get back on track.
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1. Starting a Video with Garbage Shots
They may not actually be garbage shots, but they certainly aren’t the most compelling shots you have, but you used them anyway–for the start of your Facebook video. WHY? Why do marketers consistently start producing Facebook videos with shots that are not compelling? All across Facebook, videos that are short are showing up with lousy opening shots. And the result, viewing time is down to just 10 seconds on average.
Instead of starting out with garbage shots, start with the best and most compelling shots your video has to offer and grow from there. There’s no time to start off slow and build when you’re on Facebook. You have only a few seconds to capture the interest of the audience. Make it count! Don’t save your best shots, use them in the beginning to get your viewer interested and continue with great shots to keep them engaged and around for the long haul.
2. Excluding Captions
The majority of Facebook videos are watched without sound–85% of them to be exact. If you’re not including captions, you’re failing at Facebook video–how are those 85% of viewers going to have a clue what you’re saying?
You need to be creating videos with the intent of them being watched without sound. Add captions to the Facebook videos that you share. It’s not hard–there’s even an auto-caption generator to help you out.
Whether you’re including single words or long phrases, the more you can include appropriate captions for your Facebook videos, the greater your marketing efforts will be.
3. Not Testing Videos
Facebook videos are a dime a dozen. Are you testing your content to make sure that you’re using the most effective videos to your advantage? Probably not–most marketers are not AB testing Facebook videos and that’s a real shame!
Facebook provides some of the most powerful video metrics in the industry–and you’re not even using them to your advantage? Fine tuning your videos so that you can increase performance and get the most out of them is the ONLY way you should be focused on marketing through the platform. Anything less is a waste.
How do you AB test? Start with a single variable and test it. Try testing captions or colors or the intro of a video. Keep the testing short, and the elements minimal. Find what works best, and improve as you go. The end result will be videos that are more powerful, more engaging and more valuable to your marketing mix–and that’s what you’re here for right?
4. Running Ads
There’s a time and place for Facebook video ads. But if all you’re doing is posting video ads and not sharing a story, you’re failing at social media! The average video view for an ad is 17 seconds. However, when you tell a story, you keep the viewer engaged.
If you’re video looks like a story, rather than an advertisement, you’re going to see viewer time go up and you’re going to please your audience. Facebook is called a social platform for a reason. People want to hear your story–not your advertisement.
When you create videos for Facebook, consider using stories so that you can deliver powerful messages alongside your advertisements.
5. Starting Video with a Logo
Viewers don’t want to see an opening slide or frame that shows your logo and a title. This is not exciting and certainly won’t grasp anyone’s attention when scrolling. Instead, show a thumbnail that is captivating and compelling. Shots that attract the viewer when scrolling are much more likely to keep the engagement up versus a logo.
Facebook videos have mere seconds to deliver the powerful content that will make someone click and watch the full video. Don’t waste this precious time with a logo.
6. Embedding Videos on YouTube
Facebook has a powerful video uploader that allows you to embed the video on the site. Why would you put the video on YouTube first? YouTube is certainly a place to include your videos, but the types of videos that you’re including there versus on Facebook should be different.
Instead of just adding your video to YouTube and them sharing the link on Facebook, how about uploading the video to Facebook directly. This way, Facebook will be more likely to show your video versus YouTube which is a direct competitor. You’ll experience a greater visibility and reach with minimal effort.
Don’t sabotage yourself and your video performance. Take the time and upload your content that will be shared on Facebook, to Facebook directly. This is a vital step after you have completed Facebook video production and have top quality content.
Following these best practices when you create your Facebook videos and share them will help you to stand out and make the most out of your Facebook video marketing efforts. It’s really a small price to pay for the reach and audience you can benefit from on this powerful channel.