Video and social media = a winning combination

Digital

National Storytelling week got us thinking; how can construction and property companies better tell a story on social media? Turn on the camera lens and get filming! With technology at our fingertips its now easier than ever to truly engage with your customers.

As many of us will admit (particularly those like me who are under 25!), watching a film can be much more engaging than reading a book. The power of visual storytelling through moving pictures cannot be overlooked in 2022 as it forms a poignant part of our everyday lives, including browsing online in our social media feeds. Thanks to ever-changing algorithms, the top of a typical Facebook newsfeed is now full of video content and it’s almost become second nature in our culture that we purposefully look for that next viral video.

The global pandemic has led to an overwhelming increase in online video watching. As we were all stuck indoors, video was the next best thing to socialising with our work colleagues, friends and family. It kept us in contact with the world whilst we could not be with each other and made us become more comfortable with communicating in this way. Although the opportunity to film was limited, it opened up a chance for businesses to reset their digital approach and consider this new way to engage with their customers in the online sphere.

In the business world, video has the same power when delivering your company message. The social media algorithm prioritises the most engaging content and consumers are drawn to video. Typically, video content generates more engagement than any other content type on social. On LinkedIn, users are 20 times more likely to share a video than an ordinary post. On Twitter, tweets with video see 10 times more engagement than those without. Many businesses are acknowledging its importance in modern digital marketing

According to a recent survey by Wyzowl, 86% of marketers plan on using video content as part of their marketing strategy. Whether it’s a professionally orchestrated video, a neatly designed animation or a self-recorded presentation at an event, it should be a necessity to include in your business’ approach. Nearly 9 out of 10 consumers reported wanting to see more videos from brands in 2021, making video an excellent tool for lead generation and brand awareness.

Video is obviously not anything new but it remains the most engaging way to interact with your audience and tell your story. New research by Animoto showed how YouTube has now replaced Facebook as the leading platform that affects consumer behaviour. The recent emergence of the video-based platform, Tik Tok, is also a perfect example of its growing influence in marketing. This may just be the start of its takeover on social media and as with Instagram, it may not be too long before more businesses register accounts on the platform. According to Postclick, 1 in 4 companies are considering the implementation of Tik-Tok into their 2021 strategy. It’s more than simply a craze, video is here to stay and will only grow further in popularity.

So, can video content work for construction and property businesses? By being imaginative, forward-thinking and essentially putting yourself in the shoes of your audience, of course it can! Here at Fabrick, we’ve worked on various successful construction video projects over the years. From product demonstrations to company updates, we’re finding that using platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo externally and the creation of shorter videos for social media internally is performing well. For instance, we filmed a series of mini videos for the Business Sprinkler Alliance that offered short but sweet answers to FAQs around fire sprinklers. This proved to be popular both as in-built videos on social and as YouTube links, which led to nominations at last year’s Construction Marketing Awards. For longer videos such as CPD presentations for clients, including the BSA, Brett Martin and Keylite, we’ve successfully gained engagement through externally linking video content from social to company websites and their respective YouTube channels.

Despite the recent events of the past year, the pandemic has done little to slow the continuous rise of video in marketing. The demand for and consumption of video has only accelerated with people isolated at home and businesses working with less budgeting and resources than normal. Video will never lose its appeal to marketers nor their consumers. After all, is there any better way to tell your story? Regardless of whether we’re watching the next Hollywood blockbuster or your company’s latest update, video is always a winner.

Footnotes:

1: Social Media Today - https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/video-marketing-statistics-for-2020-infographic/566099/

2: Wyzowl - https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-video-marketing-new-data

3. Various - https://www.lemonlight.com/blog/67-video-marketing-stats-you-need-to-know-for-2021/