Are you doing the proper video marketing on the right social media site? In episode 195 today, we talk about an area we have delved a little into, video. In specific, we discuss mastering the art of social first video marketing. Our subject matter expert today is Adam Chandler. He is the Founder of Reel Film, a film and animation production company helping businesses turn strategies and results.
Adam’s journey into video marketing: He started as a freelance filmmaker in different TV shows in the UK and short videos for charity and local schools. He loves that filmmaking allows him to be creative and help businesses with their video marketing needs. Today, he has a global reach as he deals with both local and international businesses. (It is always good to love what you do and make money doing it).
How he helps businesses through video marketing: Adam explains that through video marketing, he strives to help businesses to scale. As such, he first seeks to understand why a business needs video marketing, whether for sales improvement, brand awareness, etc. Upon understanding the goal of video marketing, he would help a business grow by developing highly creative content with a purpose and impact. He handles end-to-end production from pre-production to post–production and social media marketing.
What is social first video: Adam describes the social first video as video content developed specifically for social media. When creating video marketing content, there is a particular focus on the target audience on the specific social media channel. Social first videos are typically shorter, often less than a minute. Also, social first videos are vertical, unlike the horizontal 16:9 TV commercials. Our subject matter expert today reveals remarkable differences among social media sites. For instance, LinkedIn accommodates relatively longer social-first videos (e.g. 2 minutes) while Instagram demands very short videos.
Recommendations for making video content per social media channel: Today’s subject matter expert unpacks the specifics of developing social-first video marketing according to the target site. Overall, he argues that the content has to be human because you are advertising to people regardless of the social channel of choice. He describes LinkedIn as typically B2B, with more professional content that is less user-generated. The content would have the most impact if it carried a clear call to action. The audience on LinkedIn, according to Adam, is highly active, attentive, in work mode, and thus open to a bit longer engaging content.
Role of metrics in determining the success of social first video marketing: Adam says the number of people engaging with the content is a key metric for measuring success. In particular, he pays greater attention to the average viewing length and the specific drop-off points.
Trends in keeping the audience engaged with social-first videos: Our guest expert says that today’s social-first videos adopt a high-impact start, unlike in the past. This is to say that the messaging in the video has to hook the audience immediately. Metrics help determine the audience’s action after engaging with the video, whether they clicked the call to action or not. He advises that a business should focus on the long game of attracting an audience instead of seeking instant sales.
Professional video marketing creation versus user-generated content: Adam says that what is important is keeping it human. A blend of high-quality, user-generated, raw, human-centric content works best for social first video marketing. However, he admits that professional quality content often outperforms user-generated content 99% of the time. He recommends using both routes according to the needs of the target audience. (Professional video marketing creation will always win, but there is always a place for user-generated content).
Differences between social-first video marketing in North America and Europe: Adam admits differences in video demands for the North American market versus European. He says that the North American audience often requires hard-hitting and preciseness, while the Europeans prefer softer messaging. This is because the American landscape is more competitive and aggressive.
Social media platforms he creates video content for: Adam explains that he deals with lots of social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Threads. He tailors the message in the first social videos according to the profile of the audience of the specific platform, often using different edits for each. For instance, TikTok video is often fast-paced, with transitions and to-the-point targeted at a younger audience. (If you use the same edit on every social media platform, you will have less success).
Time codes
- (0:36) Introduction of today’s topic and guest expert
- (01:06) Adam’s journey into video marketing
- (02:52) How helps businesses through video marketing
- (04:33) What is the social first video?
- (06:48) Recommendations for making video content per social media channel
- (08:19) Role of metrics in Determining the success of social first video marketing
- (09:30) Trends in keeping the audience engaged with social first videos
- (12:05) Professional video marketing creation versus user-generated content
- (15:46) Differences between social-first video marketing in North America and Europe
- (17:20) Social media platforms he creates video content for
- (21:55) Adam’s contact information
- (22:34) Adam’s choice of brand representative
