5 Video Tips for Enhancing User Experience

Video is the king of engagement on social media, and it usually outperforms all other types of posts on Facebook and Instagram more so than most parts of a hotel social media strategy. With so much attention on this medium, it is essential to understand what users look for in videos. Nielsen claims that the first three seconds of a video is the make-or-break point of capturing your audience's attention. Let's explore just a few topics which will increase the satisfaction of your viewers and pique their interest enough for them to continue watching your content.

Thumbnails

Before any user can even access any of the content in your videos, they must first choose to watch said video. An attractive thumbnail invites users to click on the video. The exception to this is when auto-play is in use. With autoplay, no thumbnails are available, but if you are using a platform like Facebook or Instagram, when users go to your feed, they will be greeted with the thumbnails without the auto-play feature. Then they can choose to view your content based on the title and thumbnail. There are plenty of free photo editing tools to guide you in creating jaw-dropping thumbnails.

Subtitles

Unless audio has been enabled, all auto-played content will play in feed without sound. Since many users use mobile to access social media platforms, some do not allow audio because they might be on the go, and it may be too noisy for them to hear the sound, or there might be others around them who they do not wish to disturb. In any case, subtitles will help you reach all users who view your videos without worry that they do not get the full content of your video because of their lack of audio.

Content

With all types of content, including video, the subject matter dramatically determines if this will align with your audience. Always keep in mind the user. Ask yourself: What will they gain from watching this video? Will they be informed, entertained, or persuaded? Do I provide enough value for them to come back for more? If your content aligns with your brand, be it a combination of topics, and visual alignment or more, then your videos will probably resonate with your audience and perform well.

Length

Less is more when it comes to video. Users want to get the info they need fast! The longer you wait to give users value, the more people will click away from your content. Remember that quality supersedes quantity, so don't worry about making your videos long, make them useful, entertaining, and pertinent to your niche. 

Platform

Youtube is the ultimate video powerhouse. If your brand is on this platform, you should strongly consider posting these videos on other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With cross-promotion, you gain followers on several platforms who might not necessarily have sought you out had they not been your fan on other platforms. This same advice can be reversed. If the videos you produce on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are strong enough to hold their own on YouTube, go ahead and post them there.

As is always the case with any social media posts, asses insights, test, and continue posting improved versions of your original videos. If there is high engagement through comments, make sure to respond to these as higher engagement leads to more views based on various algorithms on several platforms. Lastly, don't forget about live video and "stories," which are also types of videos. Although these cannot be as easily manipulated, they create a sense of urgency because of their disappearance within 24 hours, which gives you a boost in engagement.