Want your brand to connect with more customers? Brand storytelling is a great way to do this as it lends itself well to organic search, which in turn will boost sales.

Continuing with our ‘how you can use video storytelling in your social media marketing’ series, this month we’re taking a closer look at Facebook video marketing and how you can use this to add value to your brands digital marketing and improve your organic customer reach.

Share content quickly and easily with Facebook linked content

A feature that has stood the test of time on Facebook is their linked content, this was the original way to share videos on this platform and is still highly effective. As one of the quickest ways to share content on Facebook, all you have to do is post a link and viewers must click on it to watch the video. Facebook takes care of the rest for you with your video being played on a third party video platform, such as Youtube or Brid.TV.

When posting linked content it’s important to remember the type of world we live in, viewers want information as quickly as possible, meaning they may not want to go through the ‘hassle’ of clicking your video link. Think about what you can do to convince them? Powerful and engaging copy should be carefully considered and included, perhaps tease what’s in the video or list the benefits of the product or service you’re selling so people want to find out more and watch the video.

Tips to consider when creating linked video content:

• Include colour – Capture viewers attention
• Use sound – Provide optimal value to your viewers
• Be smart about your CTA – Make sure it’s clear and simple
• Include text – Emphasise your key messages to make it easy for viewers
• Get straight to the point – Short-form videos perform better

Facebook linked content is perfect for the following types of content:

• Announcing a new product or special event
• Behind the scenes footage
• Highlighting team and agency culture
• Sharing brand values and vision – telling your story

Airbnb, successfully told their brand story through Facebook video marketing, specifically linked content. These brand awareness ads were all about increasing positive brand perception, although they do not ask people to take an action immediately, it sets the tone for the brand and how people view them, improving organic reach which will eventually lead to more customers and more sales.

Promote your brands corporate visual identity with native advertising

Native advertising enables brands to plug their products or services without being too pushy or in-your-face. They achieve this by matching the overall look and visual context of the website or social network they are appearing on. This form of advertising allows you to combat the current issue of ‘banner blindness’, where consumers no longer pay attention to pop-ups or promotional banners. Consumers don’t perceive native ads as such, due to their seamless integration with the website or platform.

It’s no wonder then that native advertising gets 478% more shares than other types of Facebook video marketing. Consumers prefer not feeling bombarded with ads and this softer approach to advertising has become a hit on Facebook over the past few years. These in-feed videos are a great way to educate consumers or inspire them with your brand story, products and services.

Here’s a few tips to consider when creating native video content:

• Be clear – Make sure the title and thumbnail indicate what the video is really about from first glance
• Post regularly – Top-performing Facebook pages post video content regularly
• Include text – Emphasise your key messages to make it easy for viewers
• Post original content – Make content with your consumer in mind

Native video content is perfect for the following types of content:

• Displaying your skills, products or service
• Sharing product or service results
• Creating tutorials

Facebook have even taken it upon themselves to try out native advertising for their platform, and they’re pretty good at it. Their simple, but effective ads ask a direct question to get the viewer thinking and use uncomplicated animations that get the message across clearly without it feeling like an ad.

Creatively engage your followers with Facebook stories

Similar to Instagram stories, Facebook stories have been created to accommodate the world of social media we’re now in where information can be consumed as fast as possible. They also provide the chance to have a little bit of fun with your Facebook video marketing. If you’re looking to get a powerful message across quickly and to new customers, Facebook stories are perfect. Not only are they favourable with consumers, anyone who has Facebook knows how addictive flicking through people’s stories can be, but they also allow you to post direct links, which is particularly useful for brands, as links offer a way to drive organic leads and conversions.

Facebook marketing videos in the form of stories to digitally market your brand and actually making sure you stand out against your competitors is a completely different matter. Your stories must be carefully considered to have the intended effect you’re hoping to achieve.

Tips to consider when creating Facebook stories:

• Include motion – Capture viewers attention
• Use sound – Provide optimal value to your viewers
• Be smart about your CTA – Make sure it’s clear and simple
• Include text – Emphasise your key messages to make it easy for viewers
• Get straight to the point – Facebook stories are consumed fast and you need to deliver your message in the first instance to grab your viewers attention
• Include multiple frames to your story – This increases engagement levels and ensures your story is seen for longer

Facebook stories are perfect for the following type of content:

• Sneak peaks and teasers of a sale, special event or product
• Announcing a contest winner
• Behind the scenes footage – feature employees
• Highlighting team and agency culture
• Promoting a live event
• Sharing a positive review
• Answering or asking questions and running polls/quizzes

Home decor company, Woven Nook, does a great job at posting teaser filled Facebook stories that leave the consumer wanting more. Their story content is usually behind the scenes footage that helps consumers connect with the brand better, as it feels more realistic, and keeps them engaged as there’s always something new to look forward to in terms of their products and services.

Generate quality leads with Facebook video ads

Generating new and quality leads for your brand can be a constant battle, with so much competition it can be hard to cut through the noise. Facebook video ads make it possible for brands to stand out within their sector, with 78% of people watching videos every week, it’s essential that your brand starts running ads as part of your Facebook video marketing strategy. From carousel ads, sponsored posts and sponsored stories, there’s lots for you to choose from, test the waters and try out a few different ones to see which ones work best for you.

Tips to consider when creating Facebook video ads:

• Don’t overcomplicate the image
• Use sound – Provide optimal value to your viewers
• Be smart about your CTA
• Clear, punchy and simple messaging is key

Facebook video ads are perfect for the following type of content:

• Promoting a specific product or service
• Campaigns

Streaming brand, Restream, created a set of video ads that were a colourfully animated version of their static ads. By repurposing their static ads and bringing them to life with animation, they successfully were able to use what they already had and ensure their online brand image is consistent whether in static or video ad form.

Best practice for Facebook video storytelling

Social media is more than just a tool to connect people together; it’s a powerful platform for users to create and share stunning visual content. The wealth of opportunities that exist on the platform to grow and promote brands make Facebook video marketing vitally important to your social media video strategy.

Here’s a few tips to consider for the best Facebook video storytelling:

• Repurpose existing content- Simple tweaks to your branding can be very effective
• Include a strong CTAs that tell the consumer exactly what you want them to do
• Utilise Facebook ads – This can significantly level up engagement levels with your Facebook platform
• Tell a story that conveys a message – As humans we resonate with narrative storytelling, so crafting a hook that grabs their attention and takes viewers on an emotional journey is essential to make your brand the star
• Always use captions – show that you’re inclusive and adhere to the many consumers that don’t watch video with sound
• Create videos for all stages of the funnel – From brand awareness, to consideration and conversion sales

Using storytelling in your digital marketing is a simple way to elevate your personal brand. Your business can provide a memorable visual experience that will raise awareness, increase organic search and expand your brand on Facebook, with the help of a strong creative strategy, careful pre-production planning, and dashes of creativity.