This post was originally published on April 6th, 2017. Updated for June 28th, 2022.
Video has become quite a big part of online marketing on social media. Every day, people are watching about 8 billion videos on Facebook. With all those billions of videos out there, it might seem like it’s hard to stand out. Here are some quick tips on how to make great videos for Facebook that really shine.
#1. Upload videos directly to Facebook.
Although posting a link to your video on YouTube might be easier, uploading directly to Facebook has its perks. First, native video (meaning video uploaded directly) will auto-play for most viewers as they scroll through their news feed. This gives your video a chance to grab their attention without them having to click on it. Second, the Facebook algorithm likes native video, which could give your video posts an advantage over more text-based posts.
#2. Make sure your video is still awesome when silent.
Since your native video posts will auto-play silently in your viewer’s news feed, make sure the video still looks ok without sound. Obviously it would be ideal if your video is so attention-grabbing that it gets un-muted, but make sure it stands alone ok if that doesn’t happen.
#3. Write an enticing description.
On Facebook, the description of your video post is not just the video title—you can also look at it as a call-to-action. Make sure your description is catchy and entices the viewer to click play. This is one of the most important actions you can take for video marketing success.
#4. Keep it short and sweet.
Facebook may give you 2 hours of video time, but your viewer will not. Keep it short and to the point—under 1 minute unless you have a good reason to go longer. With a shorter video, your viewers are more likely to watch it all the way through and then hopefully share it with all their friends. If you’re a business owner, shares are necessary if you want to significantly increase online conversions.
