Video has quickly become one of the most engaging forms of content on social media, but how do you use video in your social media strategy, effectively?

That being said, the social media world can be a challenging environment to navigate with video, but we’ve come up with four ways you can use video in your social media strategy to help engage your audience and increase your metrics.

1. Use Video in Your Social Media Strategy by Making Your Video Native to Facebook

To use video in your social media strategy, the way you share your video on platforms like Facebook, matters — and Facebook has put themselves in the driver's seat. Videos that are directly uploaded or created within the platform are considered “native” and because Mark Zuckerberg wants to overthrow YouTube has created an algorithm in Facebook that favours videos created this way. While it may seem tedious having to upload your video differently on each social media platform, you’ll be rewarded in more ways than one. First, native videos in Facebook auto-play, increasing the likelihood your video will be viewed when users scroll through their News Feeds. Second, you’ll reach a larger audience (up to 10X more than pasted YouTube links) thanks to their algorithm and lastly, but probably the most valuable are the analytics available for native videos provided by Facebook.

2. Post a Channel Trailer on YouTube

If your business has videos to share then setting yourself up on a YouTube channel is a must. But there’s another video you need to add that will help drive more subscribers — the channel trailer. Whenever an unsubscribed user visits your YouTube Channel a trailer will automatically start playing. Prominently displayed at the top of the page, it will be the first video a viewer sees, making it an important one to get right. The video doesn’t need to be long, but it should give your viewers a reason to subscribe. Tell them what’s in it for them. Are you going to give them advice? Or maybe you’re there to make them laugh. Give them a good reason to want to connect with you.

3. Live Stream Video

Not every video you share with your audience needs to be perfect. In fact, connecting with your audience in an immediate, less formal way can be even more exciting, adding an element of authenticity to your brand. Of course, not all live streaming scenarios work with all brands, but there are many types of content you can live stream such as a behind-the-scenes look at how you create your product, broadcasting an event or hosting a Q&A session. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn all offer ways to live stream videos, but you can also use Google Hangouts or Periscope.

4. Engage on Twitter with Video

On Twitter, there are really two main ways to share your video. You can either record something on your phone and share, or upload a video you’ve already taken. The only caveat being there’s a 140-second time limit. From real-time events to planned promotional videos, your options are seemingly endless.

As you would expect, adding a video helps your metrics too. According to a 2019 Hootsuite study, video is the #3 reason people use Twitter. Another way you can use video on Twitter that takes your tweeting to the next level is using video in responses to engage with your audience. Most users typically respond to tweets with words only, however responding via video can help you connect to your audience on an even deeper level.