Here are the eight latest statistics about social video, ripped straight from the pages of the 2018 Sprout Social Index. Learn them. Love them. Use them to create change in your own organization, and download the full Index now.
1. Social Marketers List “More Video Content” as the Key Ingredient to Success on Social in 2018
…on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Consumers are interested in a wide variety of content formats from brands on social. Sixty percent of consumers want to see posts that showcase new products or services, 59% want to see educational posts, 56% want to be entertained, and 49% want to be inspired by brands on social. The common thread here is that consumers prefer content to be strongly visual.
Over half (58%) prefer visual-first content, with graphics and images and produced video taking the lead in this category.
Social marketers agree that listing “more video content” is the key ingredient to success on social in 2018 on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
2. Consumers Prefer “Produced” Video 4x More Than Unproduced Videos
Surprisingly, consumers surveyed want brands to stay “produced” rather than unedited, preferring produced video four times more than unproduced videos.
Given the transparent and immediate nature of social, this defies the general expectation that social users want raw videos from brands. In fact, people want brands to share produced and edited videos that showcase beauty and deliver a clear message. This is yet another reason that professional video production resources and distribution plans are key investments for social marketers in 2018.
3. 1-2 Minutes Is the Ideal Time Frame
When it comes to maximum watch time, consumers responded with a wide range of watch times, but the most common was between 1-2 minutes.
This suggests that your video content doesn’t have to be long to succeed with your social audience.
4. Consumers Want to Laugh
Now that you know the technical factors that impact if your audience will watch a video, let’s dive into the emotional factors. How do your consumers want your videos to make them feel?
The top reasons that consumers watch videos on social are to laugh (71%), to see a good story (59%), and to feel inspired (51%). Consumers watch the most videos on Facebook (40%) and YouTube (49%).
5. A Majority of Consumers (74%) Share Brand Video Content on Social
A majority of social marketers (76%) are focused on engagement and amplification metrics, so we asked consumers if they share brand video content on social and what prompts them to do so.
The good news: A majority of consumers (74%) share brand video content on social. The videos they share are most likely to be entertaining or inspiring, or convey knowledge to friends.
6. Length, Captions, and Ad vs. Organic Feel Are the Most Important Watch Factors for Consumers
Just because consumers dislike an “ad-like” approach from brands doesn’t mean social marketers can’t feature or link to product in videos.
What it does mean, however, is that your video must also entertain, inspire, and/or provide some other value besides “buy this now.” Tactics that work include behind-the-scenes content featuring an inside look at a beloved brand (Instagram Stories is a great channel for this), content that helps your viewers in a way that overlaps with their interest in your brand, and content that is, simply put, beautiful.
7. 40% of Consumers Watch the Most Video on Facebook
8. 42% of Consumers Have Used Instagram Stories
Conclusion
Video may be king, but ensuring that content reflects what consumers are looking for in their feed is queen. Remember that your brand is competing with friends and family for attention in user feeds, so it has to create real, unique value for users.
As brands work to incorporate more video into their strategy, creating content that is quick, easy to digest, and well-produced will ensure that resources are being used most effectively.
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