For four years, Facebook has allowed users to upload videos directly to its online platform. One way to compete with YouTube and make sure to keep its users for as long as possible. 

In 2018, Facebook already represented 1.47 billion daily active users, and 4.75 billion pieces of content shared every day. It must be said that with 100 million hours viewed daily, the Facebook video is essential to any digital communication strategy.

Video content can be shared directly to their Facebook page (for free) or via a paid advertising campaign. The only difference is that Facebook advertising allows you to showcase your products or services on Facebook and Instagram, and Messenger. In both cases, the advice for content creation is broadly the same. Find out how to successfully optimize your sales with a Facebook video!

Why use video in your digital sales strategy?

The advantage of using this medium is its ability to easily generate interaction between the advertiser and his target audience. Video is first and foremost entertainment that captivates the mind, making it easier to reach customers through this medium. Video content has the advantage of conveying emotion, which is more difficult with text or an image.

Here are some numbers that will convince you to use video to increase your sales:

  • In 2019, 80% of global data traffic will be linked to video;
  • 73% of Internet users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video;
  • Sharing a video on social media increases the engagement rate of its audience by 10;
  • More than 50% of videos are viewed on a smartphone;
  • And more than 8 billion videos are watched every day on Facebook.

Whatever your industry, video represents the most consumed and shared content on the web. With smartphones’ development, Internet users spend much of their free time on social media, a boon for advertisers who use video in their business strategy. 

The success of Facebook videos: a matter of algorithms

For a few years now, Facebook has dethroned YouTube when it comes to watching videos. This growing success is explained by creating an algorithm designed to promote the success of Facebook videos. In 2015, social media practically doubled its videos on its platform by changing its algorithm.

The algorithms work is quite complex, especially since they are constantly changing, but the goal remains the same. The algorithm is the only one to decide who will see or not see the shared videos. It determines videos’ relevance based on the number of views, viewing time, likes, shares, and comments.

Like most social media, Facebook places the user at the heart of its priorities. As a result, Internet users who usually skip videos will see less of them on their news feed. On the other hand, people who consume many videos will be even more tempted by the content that will be offered to them. 

The advantage of this approach lies in the fact that advertisers will have a real stake in sharing relevant content. Also, the Internet users who watch the videos will be selected according to their consumption habits, making them a better quality audience.

Note that Facebook’s algorithm only favors videos uploaded directly to its platform. This, therefore, does not apply to YouTube videos that are shared on social media.

How to use Facebook videos to drive your sales?

Focus on the first few seconds

On Facebook, when a video appears on a user’s news feed, it starts automatically. However, the sound is not played until the user activates it manually.

When you share a video on social media, the first few seconds are crucial; this is called the hook or the tease in English. Moreover, according to a Facebook study, 43% of the video’s value must be delivered in the first 3 seconds, and 74% in the first 10 seconds.

Avoid placing your logo at the beginning of the video, especially if the logo display time is several seconds. This is wasted concentration-time, which could have been used for the benefit of the advertising product marketed. Therefore, the branding must be integrated into the video, with a maximum of 5 seconds of the display. 

Understanding silent storytelling

If the content appeals to the user, then the latter will activate the sound to continue reading. The latter may also decide to watch the video in the mute mode for various reasons, so think carefully about this aspect when creating your videos! You will have no excuse not to caption the videos you produce. Use beautiful images, impactful text, and emotional storytelling to bring your content to life.

Add a call to action

The call to action is used to prompt the user to take action. It’s neatly placed at the end of the video because a user who has made it there is more likely to be interested in your products or services. Buy, Register, Find out more; Book now is a most used and effective call to action.

Specify video content

If Facebook asks to add a title and a category to your video, it is mainly to best reach your target audience. Go for a short and evocative title that will include keywords related to what you are offering, and select the category that most closely matches your content.

Study statistics to optimize performance on Facebook

Facebook offers you a variety of options to allow you to measure the performance of your videos. This data is invaluable in advancing your digital communication strategy and will help you determine your audience’s expectations.

Never forget that the web is a field where everything is subject to change. Did you launch a video that struggles to count views? All is not lost. Study the statistics gathered and decide what content needs to be adjusted. The web is, above all, learning by trial and error, where practice and continuous improvement are the basis of every success.

Facebook’s tips for increasing sales with video

  • Create short videos that do not exceed 15 seconds;
  • Quickly capture the user’s attention by starting the video with impactful aspects;
  • Regarding the format, use vertical or square videos so that mobile advertisements occupy the screen as much as possible;
  • Quickly present the product or brand message;
  • Use captions.

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