I create an epic ton of static images for social media clients…images are still cool, but video is here to stay. Nothing has changed more in online user-ship than video over the last fifteen years. If we look back, Youtube was first launched in 2005, and it was only in 2007 that Netflix began to introduce streaming video. 1080p Tvs and computer screens were not saturated until 2010. Most people still don’t own a 4k Tv or monitor, but technology for video is improving all the time. Entire generations have grown up with watching Netflix and Youtube as parents have moved away from paying for cable and replaced the tv babysitter with the iPad.
Sure, static images can still be a good vehicle for advertising, but if your company isn’t doing video, they are missing the boat on social media. Video streaming is now reliable for almost anyone that doesn’t live in a cave, parking garage or the deep wilderness. With the saturation of smartphones, almost anyone can put together a serviceable video, and you don’t need a Hollywood style budget to find an affordable videographer if you do need some postproduction. Youtube and Facebook are the most popular social media sites according to a recent Pew research study (Smith, 2018). Last year, Facebook began favoring longer videos in people’s news feeds in order to keep viewers on the platform based on the percent of each video they watch (Keller, 2018). Another option to speak with your social media audience is Facebook live. Facebook favors Live posts in the newsfeed algorithm, so this is a great way to get better viewership. If you aren’t doing video, what are you waiting for?
References:
Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2018, March 01). Social Media Use in 2018. Retrieved March 04, 2018, from http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social-media-use-in-2018/
Keller, C. (2018, March 01). Top Tips For Using Video In Your Social Media Marketing Strategy. Retrieved March 08, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/03/01/top-tips-for-using-video-in-your-social-media-marketing-strategy/2/#338c5e742632