Did you know that one-third of online activity is spent watching videos? Additionally, 51% of marketing professionals name video as the type of content with the best ROI. So, how can PHCs capitalize on the popularity of social media videos? By incorporating high-quality, engaging videos into your digital strategy. In this guide, we’ll go over the different types of social media videos and how you can leverage this medium to spread awareness about your center.

Types of Social Videos

Below, you will find the different types of social media videos and the benefits of each.

Facebook and Instagram Videos

When it comes to social media, video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined. Now, this doesn’t mean your PHC needs to completely throw out all content that doesn’t have a video. It simply means that to increase engagement, you may want to gradually integrate more video usage into your social media strategy. Plus, with the large changes Facebook is making to its algorithm, this is one organic way to keep your engagement high.

Live Videos on Facebook and Instagram

While we don’t recommend live videos for the client-side of PHCs, it’s important to note that live videos, when used correctly, are highly interactive for the right audience (AKA – your donors!). During a live video, viewers can ask questions and comment in real-time, building trust and rapport with your donors. Live videos tend to be popular for events (like a banquet or a march) and behind-the-scenes activities, like a tour of your center, volunteering and more. When planning your donor content strategy for Facebook or Instagram, consider this statistic: 80% would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.

Facebook and Instagram Stories

Facebook and Instagram Stories are both new features that have taken off over the last year. These temporary stories (much like Snapchat) are placed at the top of a user’s Instagram and Facebook feed. Stories are great for offering exclusive content, showing behind-the-scenes, showcasing services or creating overall brand awareness.

Because Instagram doesn’t have a chronological feed anymore, many Instagram posts never get seen. However, with Instagram Stories, your PHC has a better chance of getting its content out there and seen by your audience. Additionally, Instagram has introduced Instagram Story ads, that appear between follower stories. They can be images or videos and can include a CTA to “swipe up,” taking the user to a landing page or a page on your website. Instagram Story ads can be created and launched through Facebook Ads Manager.

Snapchat Stories and Ads

Using Snapchat stories and ads is another tactic not recommended for PHCs because of the price of advertising. However, Facebook and Instagram were once the same way when they were new. It’s still important to know that the option to advertise on Snapchat is available, in case advertising prices drop in the future.

Currently, Snapchat is used by large brands and popular publishers like BuzzFeed and People Magazine to publish videos or ads that are highly engaging and encourage click-throughs to a blog or website page. Snapchat ads are also used by large brands to generate awareness among a specific target audience, much like Facebook and Instagram.

Social Video Best Practices

Want to create engaging, effective social media videos for your PHC? Keep these tips in mind.

Think “No Sound” First

So many people watch videos with no sound because they are in a public place or scrolling through social media while watching TV. Plus, Facebook and Instagram’s default settings have videos play with no sound automatically. Make sure your video message has subtitles or makes sense without sound.

If Using Instagram Stories:

Add hashtags, tag accounts or use the “Swipe Up” feature to add links for more ROI. You can add a website link to your Instagram story to take interested viewers to a place to find more information. Not only do Instagram stories generate awareness, they can be another opportunity to gain website traffic or inspire conversions.

Make Sure Your Video is the Right Size

When creating your video for social media, size matters. An Instagram or Facebook story video will be vertical, like the shape of an iPhone. An Instagram video should be a square, while a Facebook video does best if it is horizontal. Each platform has a specific size that is optimal for success! 2. Social Video Best Practices

Be aware of time limit

Just because it’s a video doesn’t mean it will perform well on social media. Time is a very important factor when it comes to video success. For example, Facebook videos should not run longer than two minutes. Engagement tends to fall off after the two-minute mark. For Instagram, the time limit is even shorter. Keep Instagram videos to under one minute at the most! Ideally, your video would be between 15 and 30 seconds for Instagram.

Make the first three seconds count

Facebook’s Autoplay will count the first 3 seconds as a “view” in your metrics. So, how can you ensure that women are watching your video on social media? By making the first three seconds of your video really grab their attention. You can do this through the imagery itself, or use words to draw them in.

The ROI of Social Videos

To wrap up regarding the importance of social media videos, here are some ways that videos can benefit your PHC:

Spread awareness about your center and its services.
Boost reach and engagement on Facebook or Instagram.
Establish trust with abortion-minded women in your area.
Save money in your advertising budget with a lower cost-per-conversion than image ads.

Interested in creating compelling videos for social media? Choose Life Marketing can help. Reach out to us today for a free social media marketing quote.