Want to build an engaged audience on Facebook? Then you NEED to be creating Facebook Video.
When I say Facebook video, I mean native video. Videos that is posted directly on Facebook. Links to videos on other platforms, such as YouTube do not have the same impact.
Here are 10 things every marketer needs to know about Facebook Video…
#1 – Video wins the internet
Right now, about 8 out of 10 people watch online videos every week, and about 6 out of 10 watch online videos every day.
By 2019 more than 80% of all web traffic is expected to be video content. Facebook video will be a major player in this.
Facebook plan to spend around $1 billion commissioning original video content in 2018. And this excludes all the user generated video content!
Facebook told Business Insider their goal is “to make Facebook a place where people can come together around video.”
Mark Zuckerberg predicts that most of the content people see and share on Facebook will be video by 2021.
#2 – You NEED to create shareable Facebook video
Don’t just create Facebook video for your audience. Create video for their friends.
Posting video people want other people to see is critical to getting views.
Social media video generates 12 times as many shares as text and image content COMBINED.
According to Facebook, around 48% of all video watch time comes from video shares.
#3 – Make an INSTANT impact
What happens in the first few seconds of your Facebook video is critical.
The faster you communicate your message, the better.
Facebook and Nielsen did some joint research. They found that the first three seconds of a video deliver almost half of the value to advertisers.
65% of people who watch the first 3 seconds of a video will watch for at least 10 seconds.
Those first 10 seconds deliver 74% of the value to advertisers.
Oh and 45% of people who watch the first 3 seconds continue watching for 30 seconds.
Make sure your videos hook you audience as quickly as possible.
#4 – Your Facebook video needs captions
85% of Facebook users watch video with the sound off!
Think about it. Where do you watch Facebook videos?
This is especially true if you watch videos on mobile. How many times have you watched video in the Facebook app? How many times has it been totally inappropriate to turn on the sound?
If you are sitting on the sofa at home when someone else is watching TV do you keep the sound off?
How about in the office? or on public transport? or in a pub or restaurant?
Adding captions to your Facebook video increases view time by an average of 12%.
#5 – People just prefer video
Ok, so a lot of people are uncomfortable with the idea of appearing on video. If that is you, then you need to get over it.
Why?
Because 6 out of 10 company decision makers say they would rather watch a video than read an article or blog post.
And it is not just business executives…
4 times as many consumers say they would rather watch a video about a product, rather than read about it.
#6 – Video drives buying decisions
Online video is becoming an integral part of most people’s shopping experience. 9 out of 10 customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions.
And having a video for your product or service is likely to increase online sales conversion. 64% of customers say they are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it.
Video also helps people remember you and your products. Studies show that people remember 95% of a message when they watch it in a video. This compares to just 10% when reading it in text.
#7 – Mobile Matters (more than you think)
Are your videos optimised for mobile consumption?
Statistics show that 51% of all online video plays are on mobile devices.
And when it comes to Facebook it is important to know that 47% of Facebook users only access the platform on mobile.
As mentioned earlier, adding captions to your videos makes a big difference to view time. You also want to think about the size and aspect of video for consumption on a mobile device.
For example, square video grab more screen real estate on the Facebook News Feed. This will help them stand out compare with videos in a standard widescreen format.
#8 – Why Video Length Matters
Don’t make your Facebook video too long. Try to keep your message short and to the point.
The average pre-recorded (non-live) Facebook video has a view time of just 2.6 minutes.
If you start waffling you will lose attention.
Ever heard the saying a picture is a thousand words?
Well, it’s estimated that a single minute of video equals about 1.8 MILLION WORDS.
That should be more than enough to get most messages across!
And if you can keep you Facebook videos under a minute you are likely to get more views. Roughly 2 out of 3 consumers say they prefer videos that are under 60 seconds.
#9 – Build an audience with Facebook Live
Facebook Live is one of the quickest and easiest ways to create Facebook video. And that isn’t it’s only benefit…
As mentioned above, pre-recorded Facebook video which has an average watch time of 2.6 minutes. So how does Facebook Live compare?
The average Live video retains viewers for almost 35 minutes!
Oh, and the typical Facebook live get about 10 times as many comments and reactions too.
If you watch to increase your organic reach then Facebook Live is a must.
#10 – Measuring Facebook Video Performance
If you want to know how well your Facebook video is performing then there are a few key metrics to look at. You can find these within the videos section of Page insights.
These video insights show the combined performance of your videos. You can select a date range and also compare with a previous period.
The headline statistics are minutes viewed and number of video views.
You can also see a breakdown of the number for each of your recent videos and can click on a video to get more details.
The detailed statistics for each video include:
- Minutes viewed
- Video views
- 10-second views
- Video average watch time
- Audience retention (This shows the drop off of viewer over the length of the video)
- Audience and engagement (This includes the number of people reached, unique viewers, post engagement, top audience (e.g. Men, 35-44) and top location).
