What Kind of Video Content Do Consumers Like Most On Social Media? [Infographic]

One of the worst things you can do as a brand is assume that one size fits all when it comes to your social media marketing strategy.

Not all platforms are alike. They have their own languages and require their own strategy.

It’s important to understand this in order to determine the type of content consumers prefer to see on each platform -- but if you were considering video, you’re off to a good start.

It’s reported that consumers prefer to consume video over any other type of content from brands on social media, which means if you haven’t begun incorporating video into your social strategy, now’s the time.

Just as your written content should be specific to the social platform your posting on, so should your videos.

You have to understand why someone is on that platform, how they use it, and what they are expecting to interact with when they’re there.

Luckily, Animoto, an online video tool company, recently created a cheat sheet on the videos that your consumers want to consume while on social platforms.

The infographic breaks it down by platform and the best type of video content for each.

Here are some of its highlights.

What Kind of Video Content is Most Popular on Social Media?

Facebook

When consumers are on Facebook, they tend to be looking to stay up to date with what is going on with friends, family the world around them as well as brands they are connected with.

When considering how to incorporate video, think about different updates your company has, changes in products or services, or something shiny new and exciting you could inform people of.

Twitter

Twitter isn’t as filled with video as it is with plain text which makes it a great place for your video content to stand out. Consumers usually frequent Twitter for news. Consider using video to let your consumers know about anything current or trending in your industry. It’s a great opportunity to react to trending events or give real-time feedback.

Instagram

Consumers use Instagram primarily for inspiration, whether it be for something they are looking to buy, somewhere they are looking to go, or something they are looking to do.

When it comes to video here, think about the relatable, inspirational stories you can tell as a brand.

It could be stories about your team members, about cool things your company is doing, or behind the scenes of your organization. Pair your stories with visually appealing video and imagery and you’ll likely see a great response.

Have members on your team given some great talks or speeches in the past? You can also consider posting videos of inspirational quotes/segments from them. That is super shareable!

YouTube

When consumers turn to YouTube they’re typically looking for something educational like a how-to video or consumer reviews.

Use YouTube as a place where you can educate your audience on how things in your industry work and around things that will help them make a buying decision.

Top Features of Social Video

Knowing the types of video your consumers like to consume on each platform is important, but so is knowing elements to include in the videos themselves that stand out.

According to the infographic, there are three features that people prefer when it comes to video on social:

• Straight-to-the-point messaging

1. Be concise, don’t make the video any longer than it needs to be. Consumers have short attention spans with all the information at their fingertips on these platforms.

• Eye-Catching Imagery

1. When someone is scrolling quickly or mindlessly through their social platforms, it takes a thumbnail that is eye-catching and of interest to them to stop scrolling. Think of imagery that is not only going to stop them but going to intrigue them to hit play on the video.

• A compelling story

1. You don’t have to be a Hollywood producer to come up with a compelling video to be successful, but you do have to create a video that is going to be entertaining to your audience and around a topic or thing they are interested in.

Incorporate these elements no matter the platform and you will be much better received.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about how to be successful with your video strategy on social.