You know the drill. Choose a unique concept, make a shiny new video, then post it on social. But how do you make sure your people actually engaging with your latest project? The good news is, if you’re posting video at all, you’re already ahead of the game. In a recent study that asked marketers to compare engagement rates between images and videos, 59% found that video drove the most engagement on Facebook. (A marketer in the same study saw a 47% jump in CTR with video ads compared to static ads. Dang.)
Still, if you’re looking to boost brand awareness online, there’s no better place to start than optimizing your video for maximum engagement.
Why video engagement is important
Video engagement includes a handful of different metrics. Likes, shares, comments, and watch time all contribute to overall engagement numbers. These stats play a significant part in helping you identify whether or not your audience is actually taking something away from your content. You’re making videos to help you connect better with your people, and the best way to build that connection is to get them interacting with your posts. Plus, social media platforms like Instagram use engagement and visible comment counts as key metrics when assessing your account. From making a fire thumbnail choice to being strategic about your specs, these eight tips and tricks should help get your content in front of more eyeballs and help you maximize your ROI.1. Make it mobile
At Vimeo, we talk a lot about meeting people where they are. So it’s no surprise the first step to increasing video engagement is to make your content easy for people to find. That means keeping your content social and mobile-friendly. Keep your aspect ratios on point — that means 1:1 for Instagram and 9:16 for Facebook — and your video short and sweet to resonate strongly on each platform.2. Nail the intro
When it comes to video, the name of the game is to start strong. No matter where your content resides, the make or break mark for all online video is between 3 and 5 seconds. That’s the amount of time you have to hook your viewer into watching more, rather than clicking or scrolling away. So make the most of it! Be flashy! Be grabby! And most importantly, stop those thumbs.3. Keep it fast-paced and informative
Your goal for any online video should be to grab a viewer’s attention, then retain it for as long as possible. Want your viewer to get to your clever CTA? You’re gonna need to keep it fast and fun to limit viewer dropoff. We know you’re passionate about your business — but during the creation process, ask yourself if you’d be engaged by the content if it was made by a different brand or org. This will help keep you honest about what’s working and what’s not, and hopefully allow you to make way for what works.4. Make it bright, clear and crisp
Not everyone has a studio to make stunningly lit, high-production content. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make professional-looking video content. Think beyond talking heads and basic font kits. Include bright colors, clear text, and playful delivery to maximize your video’s freshness and shareability. (Did we mention Vimeo Create can help you do all of that in no time flat?)5. Don’t ignore the title and thumbnail
You know what they say about first impressions. Your video’s thumbnail is the first thing your audience will see when scrolling through their feed (or your grid). A solid thumbnail that’s informative, enticing, and aesthetically pleasing will help you get initial interest, while also letting your viewer know what they’re in for. Plus, properly optimized thumbnails have been found to increase video engagement by over 150%.6. Subtitle your videos
Don’t assume your viewer is going to be watching your video with sound. A recent study found that 90% of mobile video watchers consumed their content while on mute. You can work around that by providing easy to read captions on your video whenever a voiceover is present. Bonus: including easy-to-read text maximizes accessibility, which is always a good thing.7. Include a CTA
It might be customary to wait until the end of your video to deliver a CTA to your audience, but depending on the overall length, sometimes it pays off to break the rules. Place CTAs throughout your videos, whenever it makes sense to do so. Front-loading your calls to action makes it easier to reach more people — and let them know what to do next.8. Keep it short and to the point
Just because Facebook allows for a 240-minute video doesn’t mean anyone wants to watch a four-hour ad spot. (In fact, the ideal length for an optimized Facebook video should fall somewhere between 15 seconds and three minutes, depending on the content.) Shorter videos mean less viewer drop-off and higher watch-time, so you can get your message across without straining attention spans. Check out this handy guide to video lengths to make sure your next video gets seen.How to track your video engagement
There are plenty of easy ways to gauge engagement at a glance — reviewing your views and comments on social and website is an easy way to get a sense of it. But for those who want to dive deeper, Vimeo offers a suite of video analytics tools tailored to help you get smarter about your video-making. If you’re new to social video analytics, get started by tracking your engagement rate, shares, and reach — these three measurements should give you a good idea of your video’s impact, without overwhelming your senses.Make a social video in minutes with Vimeo Create
