Videos are the new platform for blogging… Snapchat, Periscope, Instastories, Musical.ly, and Facebook live are all dominating the social media scene right now. But why?
Videos make it personal. They’re the closest thing to forming a friendship other than hanging out in person every day. Videos allow you to see the person’s personality, sense of humor (or lack thereof), and presentation in real life.
Yes, some people don’t feel the most comfortable on camera, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing for your audience because other people might feel the same way you do… Video is yet another way for you to be relatable to your audience because, despite feeling uncomfortable, you do it anyway, which inspires your readers. And isn’t inspiration the sole purpose of running a blog in the first place?
Your video content is going to vary based on your niche, but these are the best ways to use video on your blog in a way that drives traffic up, gets your audience engaged, and keeps your followers coming back…
Stay consistent
Like Instagram, you want your videos to have a consistent theme from the title to the editing to the lighting to the style. Keeping consistent videos is far more complicated than keeping an Instagram aesthetic. But if you want people to watch, and you want to brand your videos, you need something that’s of consistent quality. There are so many ways to attain this. I could go on for hours… maybe this calls for another blog post? (Comment below if you want to know more about video content.)
Title
For my videos, all my titles have the format of TITLE | by not another blonde. I do this so they’re easily recognizable as my personal blog’s videos. People see the format and they automatically think, “oh, that’s Not Another Blonde”.
Format
I use the exact same format for all my “blog tip” videos on YouTube - same introduction picture, filming angle, ending picture, and song. Typically, people upload a cute thumbnail shot of themselves as a preview of the video, but I use a blank text picture because I never remember to take a regular picture (confessions of a blogaholic). So, to switch things up, I alternate between black text and white text. This helps viewers know which videos they watched already and it creates a cool aesthetic on my YouTube page.
Environment
In addition to your format being the same, you want to keep all your different video series in the same environment. For example, when I do my “blog tip of the day” videos, I’m walking to or from work. My environment is a city-scape with me in motion. Other people sit in the same spot of their house with the same backdrop which is great too. Every video series calls for a different vibe, so it’s up to you to determine what that vibe is.
Utilize the caption
The caption for video is just as important, if not more important, than the caption of your Instagram posts. It’s more acceptable to have a longer caption on all your YouTube videos, so you’re able to mention your other social channels, tag what you’re wearing or products you’re using, and have a CTA.
The reason being YouTube’s “language” is very different than Instagram’s. If someone stumbles upon your Instagram, they easily click your profile and glance at your feed, and within 5-10 seconds, they decide if they want to follow you or not. YouTube requires more commitment. When people find your video, they’re not going to click your profile for the sake of convenience unless your video is THAT good. What they will do is skim through the caption and see what you’re all about and your other social channels.
People (brands especially) want to do as little as possible to get to know you, so it’s better not to send them on a wild goose chase. Go ahead and describe who you are, what you do, and where they can find you in the captions.
Keep it short
Vine and Snapchat totally changed the video game by only allowing super short videos at a time. I don’t remember what Vine’s max time was but Snapchat is 10 seconds, that’s it!
You have 10 seconds to make an impact and 10 seconds to hold the viewer’s attention. If you’re making a Facebook or YouTube video, you can get away with 1-2 minutes, but I wouldn’t go longer unless your audience is used to longer videos from you, and you’re able to keep their interest.
Add value
As some of you may know by now I love to talk about adding value. It might be the most important aspect of your blog/business. You want to attract new visitors by adding as much value to their lives as possible, and you want to keep returning visitors by adding new value they can’t get anywhere else.
Of course in a saturated market like blogging, you’re going to run into other bloggers doing similar things as you, but they can’t do it the way you do it. You have to figure out what your “thing” is. What’s your unique way of communicating?
Some bloggers are opinionated and unfiltered; others are soft-spoken and sweet while others are hilarious. Some are blunt, to the point, and no nonsense. What’s your style? That is what’s going to make your videos stand out. It’s not necessarily what you say, it’s how you say it…
Who’s using video? Leave your YouTube channel or Snapchat name below so we can check out your videos!
xx Britt
Follow Me – Blog Instagram Facebook Snapchat @notanothrblonde
Image Source Credits - Harper’s Bazaar, VIP Fashion Australia
You Should Also Read:
The Best Way to Promote Your Blog Posts
3 Ways to Increase Your Engagement
How to Use YouTube to Build a Brand
