Facebook and Twitter Video Marketing Tips for Social Businesses

Facebook and Twitter both offer excellent opportunities for video marketing, yet many businesses underuse them by only seeding their existing videos. To get the most out of the two biggest social networks, understand the technical specifics and cultures of each.

Follow this list of essential Facebook and Twitter friendly video marketing tips to understand how they're similar yet distinctive.

Facebook Video Marketing Tips

• Decide which videos will be hosted directly on Facebook, and which will be shared elsewhere. Hosting videos on Facebook offers the advantage of a larger embedded video player along with an individual landing page, but it will only be seen by Facebook visitors. Start with at least an introductory video created specifically for Facebook visitors. Upload additional videos anytime there's a direct address to or mention of the Facebook audience.


• Embed all non-Facebook specific videos through a third-party platform. The video host could be YouTube, but it could also be a professional platform such as Brightcove or Vimeo Pro. This lets companies measure all traffic for each video in one place.


• Don't neglect metadata. Write optimized titles, tags, and descriptions for all content. But at the same time…


• Keep titles and descriptions short. Facebook users typically have shorter attention spans than web page and blog visitors. Facebook videos perform best when they are written into microblog posts.


• Tag Facebook "influencers" in videos. Tagging other people or businesses on Facebook makes the video show up on those users' Facebook walls (if they're using the default settings). Also, include locations, events, and dates to provide context. Be sure all tags are accurate and relevant to the viewer.


• Have both a public and private video series. Designate some videos for general browsers and some for subscribers' eyes only. Give people a reason to subscribe to your page by letting them know that subscriber-only videos are available.


• Get others to like/share/comment on videos. Non-fans can still watch videos on a company's Facebook wall. If those visitors hover their mice over the video and click the Like button, they can become fans. It's kind of the secret sauce to gaining fans. Encourage likes with Facebook videos by requesting them directly in the description field of the video.


• Promote the videos. Promoted videos are treated the same ways as other promoted Facebook posts, moving higher in friends' feeds so they'll get noticed. Don't want to pay the $7.00 fee? Then take the freebie route and highlight the video on the company Facebook wall.


• Record a welcome video on the landing page.  The Social Media Examiner Facebook welcome page is a good example of a company founder welcoming new visitors. Make a direct request within the video to like the page.


• Conduct a video Q&A with Facebook fans. Facebook is an ideal platform for responding to questions from fans and either seeding a video before or after (or even during) a conversation thread. This is a great tactic to get a live audience to like, share, or comment on a video. That in turn not only builds fans but also personal engagement and a real sense of community.


• Listen to fan requests for videos. Offer visitors relevant and helpful videos that show personal attention, not just wide-scale entertainment. Asking for input on Facebook is a great way to get fans to share what they've requested, especially when they're called out by name and thanked for their input.


• Respond to all comments around Facebook videos. Personally engage with people who comment on your company's videos, whether those comments are good or bad. It doesn't matter as long as those comments are sincere and show genuine interest.


• Don't settle for the default thumbnail. Facebook creates ten individual thumbnails for each uploaded video, so choose the one that best reflects the content. Look for the Edit Videos menu item on the original video landing page.


• Check out Facebook Video Apps for Fan Pages. North Social offers a quick way to set up and manage a custom video experience on a Facebook fan page, working right in a Facebook tab. The company's website offers two video apps for Facebook fan pages that integrate with a YouTube channel: a single video player app for a single YouTube video, and a video channel app for integrating an entire channel from YouTube. The multi-channel app lets users select a featured video along with additional videos. To see the multi-channel app in action, look to the fan page for The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney.

Twitter Video Marketing tips

• Have a video host of your own. Twitter is not a video hosting platform, but it lets users link to posted videos which then appear as embedded videos, playable within a tweet. Twitter will embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and most professional video platforms.


• Create custom videos for Twitter. One common Twitter mistake is when companies take a small clip from a longer existing video and incorporate that into a tweet. It rarely gives them the results they're looking for.


• Think small. When videos are embedded in tweets, viewers see them on a tiny 435 x 244 player. Be sure that those tweeted videos are easy to see and understand on a small scale.


• Think fast. Tweets gain the most search traffic when they're geared around real-time news and live events. Create videos that touch on news events, and they're more likely to be seen and shared.


• Be short. Twitter is a micro-blogging platform used for quick updates in bulletin format. Tweeted videos should be snack-sized — 30-seconds or less.


• Be recent. Tweet many times each day, typically at peak times. Followers only re-tweet videos that are recent; no one re-tweets items that are days or weeks old.


• Keep a balance. While Twitter is a great way to promote videos, don't use it only for videos. Promote articles, re-tweet useful information, and engage in conversations with followers.

Conclusion: It's About Culture and Community

Facebook and Twitter are both excellent platforms for video marketing. Video on these social channels isn't just about publishing and promotions, however; it's about conversations and customer care. Use these Facebook and Twitter video marketing tips with that in mind, and visitors will become followers and fans.

Grant Crowell's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net