Engagement is arguably the most important metric when you’re publishing videos on social media as it measures the relationships that viewers are establishing with your brand by tracking likes, comments, shares, and other interactions. Videos have always had a strong track record in driving engagement, though it may surprise you to know that some types of videos are distinctly better at it than others.
If you want to improve the engagement levels of your videos on social media, there are five types of videos in particular that you should look at to do so:
1. Trending topics and recent news
People enjoy discussing trending topics, and are more likely to respond and interact with your videos if they deal with them in certain ways. Keep in mind that videos about trending topics doesn’t need to focus solely on your niche, but can also encompass tangential news such as special events, holidays, or other occasions.
By creating a video about a trending topic, you will give your viewers the chance to join the conversation – which is something that many of them will leap at.
2. Emotionally charged stories
In most cases when people decide to share, like or comment on a video it is a decision driven by emotions. That is why emotionally charged stories are excellent at improving engagement, as they foster an emotional response.
The exact emotion that you choose to leverage can vary, though humorous, inspirational, and touching videos tend to be very popular. Additionally it is important that the video’s story frames the emotion well, and doesn’t make it look too contrived.
3. Authentic behind-the-scenes peeks
Generally the response to authentic videos of any kind tends to be good – and authentic behind-the-scenes peeks into a brand’s workplace and culture epitomizes that. Not only is does this type of video encourage engagement, but it also is a great way for brands to showcase their values and vision in a very natural manner.
Of course the videos themselves have to provide a glimpse into an interesting are of the brand’s work and culture – and it doesn’t hurt if it is funny or inspirational either.
4. Live videos
Over the last year or so live videos have practically exploded on social media, garnering tremendous engagement levels across the board. It has quickly become one of the most engaging types of videos, and that trend doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon.
The exact type of live video that you will want to create may vary depending on your brand and its niche. Some of the most common types of live videos include informative webinars, brand culture videos, special events, or discussion panels
5. Educational guides or tutorials
Videos of guides or tutorials that teach people how to do something have always been popular – and it should come as no surprise that they have proven to be good for engagement as well. In order to be as effective as possible these videos should take advantage of the visual nature of videos to ‘show’ people how to perform the task or action in question.
For digital products or actions, all that needed to create an educational guide or tutorial is often a Windows or Mac screen recorder. On the other hand for other actions a simple digital camera to record the footage should suffice.
Now that you’re aware of the five types of videos that can increase social media engagement, the question you should ask yourself is: Which type best suits your brand and its social media presence? Odds are you should be able to take advantage of several of the options listed above, and drive higher engagement levels in the process.
