Don’t Make These Mistakes with Your Social Media Video

May 31, 2022, Written by Chad Schoonmaker

social media video tips

Have you opened your social media accounts today? If so, what caught your attention first?

Was it a puppy video? An influencer sharing about some product that they are “totally in love with and have an exclusive offer for”? Or was it a business doing a trending TikTok dance together? 

No matter what you saw, there’s a huge possibility that you consumed video content. Let’s read over a few stats on video content published to social media provided by Sprout Social. 

Needless to say, video in all formats on social is only going to continue to grow and needs to be a priority for new and growing businesses.

So how do small business owners and content creators keep up? It seems like a lot to tackle for one person or even a small team of people who already have a full-time jobs. 

We put together a few do’s and don’t’s when it comes to creating video content for your business’s social media accounts. 

Don’t edit your personality 

Consumers are ALWAYS going to connect with a person before connecting with a product. Consider this: People make decisions based on emotions. A product cannot emote but a person can.  People aren’t likely to buy from you if they don’t remember you. Don’t make the mistake of editing your personality OUT of your video content. 

Don’t Compare

Comparison truly is the Theif of Joy… Don’t look at other users’ views or follower count. It’s wasted energy. Creating video content needs to come from an authentic place that is not trying to recreate something someone posted. It’s your brand’s story to tell and only you can tell it. 

Don’t Over-Think 

JUST POST SOMETHING. I’ve seen over and over again that manufactured, overly produced videos take up too much time and don’t yield any more significant results or views. The more time you spend overthinking is more time you spend talking yourself OUT of posting anything at all. 

The time you spend THINKING about a video is time you could have spent actually shooting and posting an authentic, real-time video. 

You may hear people say things like, “we’re going to wait to do video until we grow the business or the book is published or we hire someone to do it…” There’s no RIGHT time to start doing videos for your business. Come up with ways to share your story visually DURING the process. This will entice people to follow along and, hopefully, buy into whatever you’re trying to sell. 

PRO TIP: Give yourself a 10-day challenge to post a video every day. Don’t plan, don’t over think. Just do it. You will be surprised to compare engagement of each video, see what works and what didn’t and learn from your 

DO Think of Video Like this: 

There are many use cases for video. TikToks, Instagram Reels, YouTube videos, Facebook Posts… It’s hard for a business owner to balance so many plates and to know where all of these plates need to go. 

Here’s a quick way to think of where your video content for Instagram should live. 

  • Instagram Stories are the Behind the Scenes videos of what you’re doing that day. This content is meant to be raw, unfiltered, and genuinely you. Documenting your day with quick, behind the scenes story posts is a great way to show up authentically to your audience!
  • Instagram Reels are Commercials for your Profile. These videos can be as short as a few seconds up to 60 seconds that quickly tell the story of your brand or product in a fun, creative way. They are meant to capture users attention, bringing them to your profile to connect. Instagram is prioritizing Reels on the platform and incentivizing users to create more content. So if you’re going to spend any amount of time spend it creating Instagram Reels.
  • Longer Format Video Posts are the full episodes of you telling your story. Maybe you’re a jewelry designer and you have a new product line coming out. A 3-5 minute video explaining why you choose to create this line, what’s your inspiration and how can people purchase would be a great video to share with your audience. And potential customers!

We get it – this is a lot. We’re here to help. 

Seeing your business grow and become even more successful is what we all want. Video content is a tool that can be used to help make that happen. If you feel like you’re at a loss at what to do next, contact Crossroads today and we’ll help you figure out the next step.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Chad Schoonmaker

As the Creative Director, my main objective is to make sure the client’s message is being communicated as effectively and consistently on all platforms as possible. I have worked in many industries; construction to radio, nonprofits to car sales, music and audio to the service industry.

Related Posts

marketing partner

Tips for Finding the Right Marketing Partners for Your Small Business

By Sue Miley | October 4, 2023

It is hard for small business owners to part with their hard-earned dollars, and it is challenging when you need to know if your investment […]

Read More
instagram reels for business

3 Reasons Why You Should Use Instagram Reels for Your Business

By Marie Massonneau | July 31, 2023

Reels are among the most innovative features released by Instagram since Stories. Every day over 200 million active users visit at least one business profile. […]

Read More
how to ask for a review

6 Must-Have Tips To Get Customer Reviews Easily

By Marie Massonneau | March 21, 2023

The best way to improve a company’s online reputation and visibility is to collect customer reviews. Online reviews can also help increase conversions and sales. […]

Read More