Native video… What exactly is that?
In terms of digital marketing video content has been on the up and up for some time. You Tube was founded ten years ago, but it’s no longer the only kid on the block. Native video is the term used to describe videos that are uploaded to or created on social networks and played in-feed.
We already know that Facebook is favouring native video clips to You Tube links in their ever changing algorithm, so if you’re using video marketing for your business, rather than sticking with You Tube, think instead, about going native and posting directly onto the social channel you’re using.
Here are a three tips to help you nail native video.
- Measuring up – Every social channel will have unique ways that they handle native video.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing the right channel for the job is the length of your intended video. Vines can be 6 seconds long, Instagram videos are 15 seconds, Twitter videos, can be up to 30 seconds long (the same length as most TV ads). Facebook doesn’t specify a length for native video, but the average length of a video uploaded to Facebook is 44 seconds. The shorter you keep your video, the more likely you are to retain your viewer’s attention. Within a 15 second video…. You should be able to tell your short story, include a call to action and cement it with your branding. Just like this Instagram video from T Mobile…A video posted by tmobile (@tmobile) on
- Think about your opening frames – Leave the Talking Heads in your vinyl collection, (I couldn’t resist the 1990s reference, apologies if David Byrne and crew were way before your time). Many native videos autoplay and therefore the first few frames of your video need to be compelling enough to get your audience to stick around. For that reason “talking head” style videos just aren’t going to cut the mustard.
- Your headline still counts – Every great video should still have a perfect introduction. Your headline should tease your audience into watching the video. Here’s a great example from Boden… The introduction was enough to make me curious.
If you need help with copywriting, our sister company CopyKate can help you, never has the one liner been so important, you have seconds to convince and convert, and your headlines and calls to action are vital.