Video stories on Facebook are overtaking news feed posts as the most common way people share content. If your school wants to master Facebook’s new algorithm – and crush it on the other platforms – you need to make video, particularly live video, a prominent feature of your postings.
According to HubSpot, video on social media generates 1200 percent more shares than text and images combined! Video is a highly personal, instantly engaging way to share information. Viewers don’t have to scroll through video or tap on links. They just watch and listen.
- By 2019, 80 percent of all content consumed online will be video.
- Research results indicate 82 percent of users would rather watch a video than read a blog post.
- 90 percent of users say that product videos are helpful in the decision process.
And the research on live video underscores its power:
- Live video inspires six times as many interactions as regular video on Facebook.
- Facebook gives live video higher priority and reach in your followers’ news feeds.
- Followers are notified when you go live, prompting them to tune in.
Using Video on Facebook.
Facebook generates 8 billion video views per day. That’s a lot of video views! The ideas for video content are endless, from offering information to prospective families and talking strategy in selecting an independent school to creating a weekly news show rather than sending weekly e-news to parents.
To achieve maximum results for your school’s video, though, you need to follow these rules:
- Don’t expect to stream your school’s videos from your website or YouTube channel and get stellar results. You must upload them directly to Facebook, which offers valuable options.
- Craft a descriptive title for your video to make it easily searchable.
- Optimize your videos for search with playlists and keywords to help viewers find what they’re most interested in seeing.
- Include captions for ALL video – 85 percent of Facebook videos are viewed without sound, prompting videos with captions to perform higher than those without.
- Include a custom thumbnail image that captures people’s attention.
Going live with Facebook Live.
Facebook Live video should be the cornerstone of your school’s video strategy. Check out Facebook’s complete guide to streaming live video
There are a ton of ideas for using Facebook Live to promote your school. Of course, celebrating achievements (graduations, opening convocations, award ceremonies, etc.) are perfect for this feature. But what about:
- Athletic games with play-by-play action?
- Student interviews before the curtain goes up on your play or musical?
- Video tour of your science fair or other extravaganza with interviews?
- Spirit days, traditions, commencements, alumni panels?
- Panel of college-bound seniors talking about the college-search process, moderated by your college counseling office?
- A weekly Facebook Live show around relevant topics of interest at your school?
After the Facebook Live broadcast, be sure to boost the video with an ad via Ads Manager to extend its reach and engagement. Send out a link via email for people to tune in at their convenience.
Yes, binge-watching is a thing for schools.
If you really aim to increase viewership on Facebook, consider offering episodic videos. Similar to a Netflix binge, episodic videos will capture your viewers’ attention, keep them wanting more and coming back throughout the story’s journey.
Be creative. Break your story up into small chapters. Hone your storytelling skills and produce videos that are no more than three minutes long.
You can even use episodic content as a tool for lead generation. Offer chapter one for free, then request an opt-in to view the remaining chapters.
Give your videos prominence.
The most strategic independent school marketers know that their work isn’t done once they upload a video. To get the most from your social media broadcast and to connect more deeply with your audiences.
- Feature a video on the top of your Page’s video section, which will feature it on your Page.
- Share your video with the most relevant audience. Once you have uploaded your video onto Facebook (before you publish it), there’s an option in the lower-left corner to set your preferred audience for this video. When you click on it, a pop-up will appear that allows you to choose your preferred audience.
- Turn your videos into ads. Video ads perform better than still images.
- Embed your Facebook videos into your school’s blog posts.
- View your videos’ insights to learn about performance and audience engagement.
Your videos can be viewed on TV, too! Let your viewers know that the Facebook Video App for TV can be viewed on: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Xbox One.
Coming Soon! Video templates.
Facebook is rolling out Video Templates for Pages. This coming-soon feature will allow you to change the look and feel of how you present your videos on your Page to gain greater interactions from your audience. To use Video Templates,
- Click on your Page’s Settings at the top of your Page
- Click Edit (in the right bar)
- Click Templates, then scroll down till you see this:
4. Click View Details and follow the prompts.
The social media world changes seemingly almost daily, but one trend that is here to stay is video. Make it the feature of your social media strategy to master your social media marketing.
Kalix Marketing can help you craft the best social media plan for your unique needs and audiences. Give us a call.
Gerri Baum is the social media and digital expert for Kalix Marketing. Check out her recent post: 6 Social Media Marketing Trends in 2018 Schools Should Know
