The best videos for creators to post to social media

Although you could just post any video to your social pages, the types of videos that perform well on Facebook may not do as well on Instagram, TikTok, or another platform. You’ll need to optimize your videos based on what works best on each platform — otherwise, you won’t stand a chance at cutting through all the noise.

Why video content is more important than ever

Video marketing is one of the most important social media marketing strategies out there. Not only will it help you get your brand in front of new audiences, but it also provides an impressive ROI and offers powerful data and actionable insights you can use to grow your brand. Plus, it gives you the chance to tell a story and gain the trust of your audience. All of these benefits have the potential to transform your brand, so why not give video content a shot if you haven’t already?

Types of videos

A social media user is most likely to stumble upon your videos while they are scrolling through their feed. Unlike with Google, they’re highly unlikely to search for it on the social platform. Because of this, every single video you post has to be engaging enough to stop a person from scrolling right past it. This can be a challenge, but the following types of videos tend to perform well on social media.

1. Interviews

If your audience tends to have a lot of questions for you, interview videos are the perfect way for you to address them. Whether you interview a team member, customer, or company leader, make sure the questions you ask provide important details about your brand, values, mission, and your relationship with your customers or followers.

Depending on your brand and audience, a Q&A video might work well for you too! You can answer questions your followers have submitted previously or gather questions by asking them what they want to know. A Q&A video (either pre-recorded or live) is a great way to get to know your audience and be more transparent with them to gain their trust.

2. Trending ideas

Use your social media accounts to browse other peoples’ content and see what’s trending. Following a trend in a way that stays true to your brand and values is a great way to gain traction with new followers. Whether you use trending audio in your videos or put your own spin on a particular type of trending video, your content is bound to get more views and interaction if it’s familiar to viewers right off the bat.

3. User-generated content

If you don’t have the time to make tons of video content, there’s nothing wrong with relying on your audience to do some of the work for you. Whether you partner with an influencer to rep your brand or you repost video reviews that customers organically record, user-generated content is a great way to grab the attention of other social media users.

One major perk of this approach is that the more you share user-generated content and tag users in it, the more likely your audience will be to create their own videos featuring your brand. It’s mutually beneficial!

4. Behind the scenes

Everyone loves getting a peek behind the scenes. It’s a fantastic way to provide more in-depth details about who you are and what you do. Not only that, but it will help you gain trust with your social media followers because it shows that you’re willing to be transparent with them.

A behind-the-scenes video doesn’t have to be complicated, either. It could be as simple as providing your followers with an office tour or showcasing new products that haven’t been released yet.

5. Before and after

Before-and-after videos are great for featuring just about anything you want to! You can use these types of videos to highlight how one of your products works, put the spotlight on a project you recently completed, or share your personal progress and story.

However you use them, before-and-after videos are a great opportunity to show the impact of a product or lifestyle or to share a personal transformation that’s compelling enough to gain new followers.

6. Livestreams

Live videos are fantastic if you really want to foster a strong connection with your followers. Unlike pre-recorded videos, when you make a livestream, you allow your followers to watch in real time. This provides a special in-the-moment feeling that you just don’t get with pre-recorded videos.

Not only do people love live videos, but they’re also a convenient video format for events like concerts, fairs, conferences, and more. But you’re not just limited to that; you can also livestream Q&A or interview videos and behind-the-scenes videos for an engaging way to draw your followers into your brand.

7. Stop-motion animation

Using stop-motion animation, you can bring static objects to life on screen. This popular style of filming is a great way to tell stories, and it’s incredibly eye-catching and effective when used on social media.

If you’ve never filmed a stop-motion video before, using apps like Stop Motion Studio is the easiest way to go about doing it. All you need is an iPhone or iPad and a tripod, and you’ll be making professional-looking stop-motion videos for your brand in no time

8. Day in the life and vlogs

A vlog is a mixture of a video and a blog, and this type of content is a captivating way to grab the attention of your audience. With “day in the life” vlogs, you can get real with your followers and share the ins and outs of what you do in your profession. Whether you’re a photographer, a baker, a teacher, or something else, giving your audience a sneak peek into what you do on a daily basis can help you develop your relationship with your audience.

When you create your vlogs, consider sharing on topics like what your morning routine looks like, how you prepare for particular events, things you do every day for success, and so on. Vlog topics like this will keep your audience curious and coming back for more.

9. Tutorials and how-tos

How-to and tutorial videos are some of the most popular videos out there. No matter who you are or what your brand is like, how-to videos can be extremely effective when they’re done right.

Of course, since you’ll be posting these videos to a social media channel, you’ll need to make sure they’re not too long for the ideal social post. Although recommendations on the ideal video length for social posts change all the time, current research says videos on Instagram should be about 30 seconds long, Twitter videos should be about 45 seconds long, Facebook videos should be about 1 minute long, and YouTube videos should be about 2 minutes long.

10. Tell a story

Telling relatable and real stories on social media can help audiences connect with your brand. Although any stories you tell via video should be centered around you and your brand, you’ll want to make sure they’re also relevant to your customers in some way. If you don’t feel like you have any stories to share with your customers, consider showcasing client stories or stories of influencers in your industry instead.

11. Do a voiceover

While text videos are great, voiceovers allow you to use one unique feature that no one else has: your voice! Voiceover videos are a great tool for creating a personal connection with your audience that’s difficult to do with text alone. Whether you explain what’s happening in your videos or you use your voice to enhance your videos and make them more professional and informative, creating and sharing voiceovers can help you grow your brand.

Fortunately, creating a voiceover video isn’t as difficult as it might sound. You can use several different apps and tools to get the job done, including Vimeo, Animoto, Dolby On, and many others.

12. Provide tips and tricks

Everyone loves a good hack video. If you want your brand to stand out, try sharing lesser-known tips and tricks that relate to your industry. For example, if you’re a chef, share some of the tricks you use daily to make your life in the kitchen easier. Or let’s say you pick up thrift store furniture and give it new life — share specific tips and tricks on how to find and pick high-quality pieces with potential.

Videos featuring tips and tricks like this are invaluable to your audience. If they know they can rely on you to provide useful, unique, and time-saving or money-saving tips, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Tips for making successful videos

No matter what type of social media video content you create, there are a few general guidelines you should follow to ensure that your content performs well.

• Do your best to grab social media users’ attention within the first three seconds of the video. Otherwise, they’re likely to scroll right by.

• Make sure your video has value. Whether it’s educational, inspiring, or humorous, give others a reason to stick around and watch.

• If your video is full of dialogue, don’t forget to add captions. That way, viewers can easily follow along.

• Use apps like Boomerang, Stop Motion Studio, or even Canva to create professional-quality videos.

• Use natural lighting whenever possible. This will provide the cleanest, sleekest-looking videos.

• As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to keep videos between 30 seconds and two minutes long, depending on the social media platform you’re posting to. Overall, shorter videos perform better.

The future of influencing

Previously, becoming an influencer was very challenging and reserved for the elite. But now, things have changed. By leaning heavily into video content that revolves around your brand, you can quickly gain traction and grow your brand to become a micro-influencer. You don’t have to have millions of followers to get to this point, either. All you have to do is create high-quality, useful, and engaging videos that your audience loves, and they’ll reward you for it. 

Countless individuals and businesses are using social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to share professional-looking video content that resonates with social media users. If you can manage to get your videos in front of the right audience, you can position yourself as a leader in your industry and take your brand anywhere.<p>

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