Marketing methods and how we consume content are ever changing and while we have seen social media use grow over the last few years, there has been an explosion of growth in video content across all social media platforms. According to TubularInsights, views of sponsored video content on Facebook jumped by 258% between 2016 and 2017 and you can bet that number is even higher now. With nearly one third of the world’s population on Facebook, it has the largest audience of any social network and video is what’s getting the greatest reach right now.

Here are 5 ways you should be using videos on Facebook:

Standard Posts
Statistics show that 55% of people watch videos online every day, and according to MartechAdvisor, social media videos generate up to 1200% more shares than text and images combined. Much to the marketers’ benefit, Facebook videos auto-play in order to captivate our viewers’ attention, which usually happens within the first three seconds of the video. Because of this, videos should have a powerful first few seconds in order to keep viewers’ attention, even without sound.

Ads
Something to consider about videos when creating your own, is that they allow you to communicate your brand’s personality and spark an emotional connection. Plus, according to Facebook, people are “gazing 5x longer at video than at static content.” So, if you’re going to spend some of your advertising dollars on social media you should be making video ads when possible.

Pro tip: Uploading video files directly to the Facebook platform (referred to as native videos) instead of embedding videos from YouTube, for example, will give you up to an 86% increased reach.

Live Video
Not all content requires that you plan, record, and edit a video ahead of time. Instead, some content is meant to be shared in the moment. Live video on Facebook is immediate, authentic and interactive – of course we should be using it! Facebook Live allows you to connect with the people who care about your brand the most and brings your viewers behind-the-scenes in a way that feels different than any other form of media sharing. The next time you’re doing something interesting that you would normally post about with an image and text, hop on Live instead and share with your audience while you’re in the moment, allowing them to experience it with you.

Stories
Since the story feature first launched in 2016, story creation and consumption are up 842% and Facebook expects sharing via Stories to surpass sharing through feeds in 2020. Much like Live, Facebook Stories are perfect for sharing time-sensitive, authentic content with your audiences in real time, while the excitement is happening. The main difference between Stories and Live is that the content we post to our Stories is only available for 24 hours and then it disappears. Unlike Stories, when users finish a Live video, that video is then posted to their profile as a regular post allowing for more people to watch in the future.

Profile Banners
Lastly, and one of the most interesting ways we can use video on Facebook, is in our profile banners. When viewers land on your profile, your cover photo is one of the first things they will see and should represent your brand in a way that communicates your products or services clearly, even to new visitors. Just like in our news feeds, a cover video will auto-play without sound, helping to capture your viewer’s attention. A Facebook cover video is the perfect place to show users a demo of your product or explain new and exciting offerings they have to look forward to.

63% of businesses use video as part of their marketing strategy; you can’t afford to be left out. Take advantage of the Facebook platform and how it allows you to use video as a part of your daily marketing strategy, whether it be with video ads, live videos, stories or a banner. Come up with a strategy that works for you and your team and create interesting, compelling video content that will speak to your audiences. Video marketing isn’t the easiest way to build up your brand, but it is one of the most effective methods today. What are you waiting for?