You’ve probably already noticed that your audience prefers video content over static text-based content on social media.

But don’t take our word for it, let’s look at some stats:

• 93% of companies have acquired a new customer through social media videos
• Over half of social media users prefer video content compared to other types
• 85% of social media users want MORE video content from the brands they follow
• People share video content twice as much as other types of content

After looking at these stats, here at Rossman Media, we knew we had to write a ginormous post about video content on social media. So, we sought out the help of a bunch of experts and curated their tips in this post.

Things to Note Before You Record

Before hitting record, you need to get all of your ducks in a row. This includes theme, goals, topics, etc. Our experts have great tips on what you need to do before recording.

• Luisa Zhou “The most important thing is practice. Start by sitting in front of your computer, turn on a video recording tool like Photo Booth if you use Macbook and just say "Hi, my name is (your name). I help (who) get (the results they get from your service or product).”

• Tom Melhuish “The best thing to do is to create an outline, similar to that of a film where you'd produce a film treatment, and create a small outline for your content that gives you structure. This way, you have a basis for building your video content. From this, you can write a mini script or create prompts to help you record the video and get your content out there.”

• Chris Grayson “Focus on telling a story. A good story will keep viewers engaged, and it will also help to promote your brand or product. When planning your video, think about what kind of story you want to tell and how you can use visuals to bring that story to life. Remember, social media is all about building relationships, so don't be afraid to let your personality shine through in your videos.”

• Maddie Greer “Before you sit down to create your first video, you need to know what types of content your target audience is engaging with. Once you know what they’re engaging with, take a look at the hashtags they’re using, and the various brand/creator accounts they’re following. This insight will give you a clearer picture of how your brand can break into the space (without just creating more noise) and help you get your videos in front of the right viewers.”

• Jacquelyn Son “Reflect on your energy before creating anything - your audience will subconsciously or consciously feel your energy. Are you coming from a place where you feel like you need to prove yourself or where you don't feel good enough? Or are you coming from a place where you feel super excited to share your content? Your energy matters way more than your strategy.”

• Katie Schenk “Spend time on social media finding inspiration. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel every time you film a video for social- dig into other brands content and find examples of content that you like, then think through how you could put your own spin on it. Scroll through TikTok to identify trends that would be easy for you to join, then join them! Hopping on trends is a great, easy way to boost engagement.”

• Connor MacDonald “Each platform has a different audience and a different type of content that is successful. It is key to keep that in mind before filming the video. Not only is it necessary to film content that best fits the audience of a platform, but the video also needs to be formatted correctly. Look to see if a horizontal or vertical camera would produce the best quality for a platform.”

Tips on Video Length

Consumers have shorter attention spans than they used to so it’s crucial to determine a video length that will resonate and catch the attention of your target audience.

• Matthew Healey “Keep it short and sweet. Nobody wants to sit through an hour-long video just because it has the word "product" in the title. Make sure you give them what they're looking for in under five minutes, or they'll stop watching before the end of the first minute!”

• Ilija Sekulov “On social networks, short formats are generally the most popular (between 30 seconds and 1mn30), in fact the goal is that the Internet user catches on very quickly and this happens from the first seconds of the video!”

• Sam Browne “When posting videos on social media for content, a one-minute video jam-packed with valuable information is more progressive than a 10-minute video that dilly-dallies. Keeping your videos short and simple will not only help two parties save time, but prospects get to retain their memory more regarding video content if they’re approached with precision.”

• Ryan Gallet “Make your video short, and easy to digest. Design is extremely important to draw in the viewer - but so is the writing, story, and timing. In 10 seconds or less you have to tell a story and get a message across. By 3 or 4 seconds they need to know who, what, and why - and the why encompasses why they need or want what is on topic.”

• Rachel Roff “By using short videos to highlight what makes your business different and exciting, you can attract customers to visit your website or store. You need to clearly show people what sets you apart, and you have to do it quickly. If you don’t pique the viewers’ interest immediately, they will swipe up and you’ll have lost your chance to entice them to visit your website.”

Video Production Best Practices

Our experts had some fantastic insights on best practices when it comes to producing your video content. 

• Maryam Ahtasham “Make sure the video is high quality. This means good lighting, clear audio, and sharp visuals. Nobody wants to watch a blurry, dark, or muffled video! Be creative with your content. Don’t just post a video of you talking into the camera – mix things up by including graphics, animations, or fun editing techniques.”

• Sara Johansson “Don't try to deceive your audience by "setting up" your office to look like a different location. Every detail of your video is being scrutinized by your audience. Shoot your videos somewhere other than your office, preferably in front of textured and fascinating backdrops that aren't too cluttered.”

• Tracy Acker “Trying out different effects during the video editing process can be enjoyable, but don't overdo it. A simple, clean editing style generally appears to be the most professional. Whether you're editing videos yourself or hiring video editing services, there are a few things you should do at this stage through noise cancellation and lighting.”

• Emily Petherick “Do something while you’re talking*We know that authentic, shot on phone camera video content is trending at the moment, so brands should be producing video content that feels personal and allows their audience to connect with them. It can be intimidating talking straight to the camera, so doing a simple task whilst you’re talking can make it feel less awkward, whilst also making your video more engaging and authentic.” 

• Meg Prejzner “If your in a business where you're putting yourself on camera, commit to posting your video with no more than three takes. The first is practice, the second to clean up and the third is posting. Of course, if you can do it in 1-2 takes, great, but committing to post a video within three takes helps you not overthink the video and to pump out more content.”

• Adam Moore “When creating video content, I suggest to always trial your ideas with friends and family first before making the real thing. This is very helpful with calming your nerves, as well as being able to make adjustments to ensure lighting is good, the sound is good and that it is as you had envisioned it in your head.”

• Brian Donovan “Producing video content can absolutely be an intimidating venture, and you may feel like a novice in a pool full of experts when comparing your media channels to others. Try not to compare yourself to other companies, and to not steal content ideas from them, either. You want to remain competitive and original at the same time! Start small. Start by introducing your team or your product. A video introducing your service in a very simple and aesthetically-pleasing way can attract a lot of attention!”

How to Optimize Your Video Content on Social

Once you’ve created a video, there are things to do to optimize it so that it’s effective when posted on your social media platforms. 

• Tiffany Payne “When it comes to casting performers for your projects, set high expectations. Choose someone who can naturally deliver conversation, memorize lines, and isn't stiff in front of the camera. Plan time for a few run-throughs if possible to iron out any mispronunciations or giggles.”

• Sep Niakan “With bad sound recording quality, you don't want to come across as an amateur. When shooting sit-down interviews, use lapel or lavaliere mics, which are both hands-free, or microphone and boom setups for larger shots. If you're shooting a video with your smartphone, you can buy microphones that plug into the phone's headphone jack to increase sound quality quickly and easily.”

• Irene Graham “Use Hashtags – While sharing your video on social media, you need to understand the value of SEO. If you can find some real good or popular hashtags related to your business or industry. It would be best for you to use them. It will help generate leads & will open a big market for your business.”

• John Tian “Use auto-generated captions, there's no reason not to include them in your video content. Keep in mind that your audience may consist of deaf or hard-of-hearing people. They wouldn't be able to enjoy the videos you've worked so hard to create if they didn't have captions. In addition, some people prefer to watch videos with the sound turned off. Take the time to add and edit captions to be mindful of their needs and preferences.”

• Yuvi Alpert “By using software tools that track social media, you can find what are the most popular types of videos and even be able to analyze the sharing rates of your previous efforts. In studying what is trending now, you can ensure that you will have the most up to date information on styles, effects and content to begin your video making process, and give yourself the best chance of success.”

• Lyle Florez “Videos should always have a call-to-action. According to renowned video creator Animoto, 85 percent of polled marketers believe video is an efficient way to grab attention online. In contrast, polled viewers claim they retain 95 percent of a video's message on average, according to Social Media Week. A social video is ideal for harnessing that engagement and transforming it into a click-through since video can capture attention, and people are more likely to remember its message.”

• Ubaldo “Ubi” Perez “Perfect the cover image, videos hold the user’s attention but they’re initially drawn in by the thumbnail. To make an eye-catching cover image, don’t use the default thumbnail that Instagram gives. Find the most dynamic scene in your video and make that the thumbnail. Instagram allows you to peruse through your video and choose your own cover.”

• Sofia Morales “If you want to acquire more views on YouTube, make sure your videos are optimized to appear for the precise phrases that people are looking for. SEO for video marketing is important because it helps people search and find your content out of the millions posted in the platform everyday. Also, it helps if you place the right descriptions and make use of the right hashtags to draw in audiences interested in the topics and also to help your video be on top whenever people filter out categories based on their interests.”

• Nicole Denson “When producing and posting videos on social it's important to include closed captioning. Not only does it help those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or learning a new language, but people watch video content without audio regularly. Numerous stats suggest that anywhere between 83%-92% of Facebook videos are viewed without audio on.”

• Maegan Griffin “Use trending music or sound and if your video already has sound, you can just turn the added TikTok sound or music down to zero to still benefit from the trend. Search out trending hashtags before you post and include as many as possible. Also, remember to add a cover and a few words that describe what is happening in the video, which will make users browsing your account more likely to watch certain videos.”

• Joseph “After you've created your videos, it's important to promote them. This can be done by sharing them on socialmedia, sending them to friends and family, or posting them on your website or blog. Also, don't forget to interact withyour viewers, respond to comments and questions, and create videos that address their concerns. This will help keep them engaged with your content and coming back for more.”

Creating Engaging Videos

Videos NEED to be engaging or you’re wasting your time. Check out the tips our experts have shared so that you can create an engaging video strategy. 

• Sarah Walters “As long as the content and the message you are delivering is valuable in and of itself engagement will follow. Having a big production or special effects in a video is nice to have but if there is no meat in your content you are just going to be wasting resources.”

• Lattice Hudson “Q & A videos are an excellent tool for stimulating informal discussions with your consumers. At the same time, this shows that you care about them and that their problems are your problems.”

• Lauri Kinkar “Consider doing How-to videos- this kind of video is rampant on social media nowadays. Teach your target customers something relatively new. Include testimonial videos- this way, your target customers can somehow relate.”

• Sebastian Schaeffer “Be authentic and let your personality shine through. Don’t try to “fake it till you make it”. Be yourself, and make sure that the people who are working on your videos project the company’s personality.”

• Malena “When it comes to doing video for social, less is more. Both in terms of length and in terms of editing. While yes, we all love a cool extravagant video, with the rise of TikTok we've seen an increase in more "raw" videos, which means you don't have to spend a ton of time recording and editing a video, especially since your audience might connect even better with a less-polished one (which makes you look more human and relatable).”

Equipment and Technicalities

To maximize your video content, there are platforms and equipment that don’t break the bank but can transform your videos by a lot. 

• Dennis Kubitz “Find a video platform that's easy to use, one good option is to look for an app or website that offers templates, pre-selected layouts, and built-in editing features, so all you have to do is plug in your content and hit play. This will help you get your videos done quickly and efficiently without having to worry about the technical details.”

• Annette Choti “Use a platform such as InVideo or Lumen5. These platforms allow a business owner to take content and then add music and video that is royalty-free. The platforms are exceptionally easy to navigate and every video can be branded as well. For a low fee, small businesses can create video themselves. Google does not know whether a video was done by a professional video company, or a video-creation platform, and therefore, these are effective ways for a small business to grow through video content online.”

• Sean Chaudhary “Whether you use a smartphone or camera, any beginner can benefit from a really good video editing software. This is typically all you need in order to create a visual masterpiece that will look professional and capture your audience’s attention. Many newer programs are equipped with everything you need to take a simple video and turn it into a high quality one. Since most video makers are not content creators, they make the software simple so anyone can use them.”

• Rob Boirun “One of my go-to online tools to create video is Animoto.com. It's around $50 a month and I can create as many of these videos as I need. You do need to put in the time to create them but I came up with a template that I can use over and over so each video usually only takes ~10 minutes to complete. This is a very worthwhile service to use if you want professional-looking videos without breaking the budget.”

• Sarah Cuellar “We host several webinars a month and use Parmonic to easily transcribe and create videos from our recordings. Parmonic creates small clips that we can share on our website and social media. You can add an intro and outro to your video clips to make them fully branded. It’s an easy way to reuse the content from the webinars for other marketing purposes. Parmonic has been extremely effective for our content strategy. It allows us to create several different pieces of marketing materials from one webinar.”

• Sal Gonzalez “Here are a few tips on recording; Make sure you record in a minimum quality of 1080p with a frame rate of either 24fps or 60fps. Both are settings that any smartphone can accommodate nowadays. Always aim for one take, three max. You want to make mistakes; the more comfortable you are making them, the more likely you will be consistent in posting.”

• Julie Weishaar “A really easy program to use is Lumen5. It is a platform that allows you to make videos using their images and videos or you can upload your own. The cost is $49/month and very reasonable if you are creating a lot of videos. I like to use it when I need a quick video. I also like the fact that your text can be included in the video so viewers will see your message when their sound is turned off. Facebook’s default video setting is mute.”

The Value of Authenticity in Video Content

Consumers crave authenticity and it has transformed social media marketing. Instead of a polished and professional video, try being raw and transparent.

• Crissy Conner “We forget to take advantage of our surroundings, video doesn't have to always be us talking, it can be of your behind the scenes with a voiceover (or words on the screen), it can be that walk that we record as a hyperlapse to talk about something we've just overcome. We work harder than we need to. Reminder: real, raw video will always convert better than something overproduced. Be yourself, be real, be raw, be vulnerable...your audience will relate with that!”

• Omid Semino “Recording genuine reactions, and capturing the surprise, laughter, smiles or even satisfaction with your products or services, reaches audiences on a very basic human level that they will immediately identify. In addition, this method also builds the social proof of your business, and is more impactful than any review. By recording customer reactions and posting those videos, you can create a promotional powerhouse with little required expertise or costs.”

• Emily Wilson “Be relatable. Tell your audience what will resonate with them. Even if you are teaching them something, make them desire to listen and learn. Also, Give them skills. I have found that giving advice is a great strategy. My audience wants to hear about everything from business endeavors to my personal life experiences.”

• Amy Bos “Simplicity is key when it comes to video content. When you over think it the video can look over produced. Video for social media is not like an Ad it should give a feeling of being real and less polished. When you use video for social posts it's your chance to get your audience to relate to you, your brand, and your products.”

Be Strategic



• Animesh Das “Along with trending hashtags in the description, add relevant keywords in the short video content. Keywords add value to your content and make the videos engaging. By researching keywords, you will wisely strategize your content. Focus on the first 10 seconds to encourage viewers to stay tuned till the end of the short video. Include the most potent keywords within the first 10 seconds to drive engagement.”

• Ankur Goyal “Share videos made by your customers and partners. Customer testimonials are the best form of social proof, and social media users are more likely to trust your brand when they hear from advocates. Reposting informative or fun user-generated content is a cost-efficient and effective way to increase brand visibility and reliability. It helps customers engage with your community rather than just learning about your product.”

• Cristy Stewart “Take 30 days and test your audience. Post different types and videos and see how your audience responses. In IG the more engagement you get the more the content is pushed out to other people so use the analytics to tell you what type of content your audience likes and make more of it. Go into insights and sort by reach and then engagement the ones that have the highest reach and engagement are the ones your audience wants. Make more of those. Continue to test and monitor. Things are always changing.” 

• Emma Gordon “Embrace live video. Your audience will be much more forgiving to imperfections when you go live vs. pre-recorded. The interactive part of the live video will invite your viewers to join the conversation and create meaningful connections with your brand.”

• Jeff Mains “If your films are posted on YouTube or an online networking channel, they should include a link to your website or a landing page and straightforward, on-brand content and consistent message across all channels.”

• Tomas Keenan “Be creative with your content. think outside the box to come up with videos that will really stand out from the crowd. Also, don't forget to promote your videos. once you've created a great video, make sure to share it on all your social media channels and encourage your followers to share it as well.”

What tips do you have when it comes to video content on social media? We’d love to read your insights in the comments below!