4 Types of Video Formats to Use on Social Media

Videos are everywhere.

We’ve spent more time than ever this past year parked on our couches, flipping through Netflix and Amazon Prime and our Instagram Feeds, sometimes simultaneously. During work hours, we’ve facilitated meetings through Zoom and if we’re the overachieving kind, we’ve woken up early to fit in a quick workout we found on YouTube. If we have kids, we may even have been forced to participate in their TikTok challenges.

If even one of these things is true for you, are you also making sure videos are incorporated into your business’ social media strategy?

Each year, this topic continues to be included on industry lists of trends to look out for. This year, those industry experts are finally right. It’s not just because our viewing habits have changed. There are more kinds of video formats available for users to create social media content today than ever before.

The rapid rate of innovation in technology has something to do with this, but mostly it’s because the social media platforms themselves continue to compete with each other for user attention. More often than not, this results in Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube incorporating the products of emerging social platforms into their own, making those newer platforms all but irrelevant. (Remember Vine? I actually just had to look that up because I couldn’t remember that platform’s name, despite it being hugely popular in 2015. In the process, I also found this amazing video that shows how quickly the social media landscape changes.) 

Anyway, when the big guns start swallowing the little guys by adding new features to their platforms, they prioritize them in our feeds so more people will use them. All of this to say, a lot of that is happening right now and you need to be using video to engage with your customers on social media. Features like Reels, TikTok videos, Live videos and Stories are prioritized by the algorithms, which means more views, brand awareness, engagement and interest in your content and product or service for you. 

So what are the different kinds of video content and how should you be using them?

1. Ephemeral Content

Big word for a video that doesn’t last very long. We first saw videos that disappeared after 24 hours on Snapchat. While some are still loyal to the platform, Instagram launched Stories in 2016 and most people never looked back. Instagram Stories (now on Facebook as well) were first seen as a “nice thing to have” in addition to your regular feed posts, but now there are plenty of users who have made this their primary way of communicating with their followers.

It validates that what people are looking for on social media is authentic, approachable content they can engage with in the moment, especially when it comes from a business. Stories are great for showing behind the scenes footage and speaking directly to your customers, whether it’s to make an announcement or you’re just hopping on to chat, take questions, or share a short tidbit about your day.

While they disappear after 24 hours, Instagram’s Highlights feature lets you keep Stories for longer while also making timely information easy for your customers and followers to access quickly right from your profile.

If videos are new to you, Stories are a great place to start to get even more personal with your community.

2. Live Streaming Videos

Live streaming videos on social media are definitely having a moment. If you’ve got a gamer in the family, you’ve probably heard of Amazon’s Twitch, which has around 127,000 live broadcasts (and over 1 million people viewing them!) streaming simultaneously at any given time.

More importantly for a business, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and even LinkedIn have prioritized Live videos on their platforms this past year. This type of video content is increasingly becoming a favorite wherever your audience is. Going Live is another way to directly speak with your customers and get them engaged with your brand and whatever you’re doing. Even more than Stories though, it allows followers to engage in realtime, becoming a part of the content itself.

We’ve helped facilitate everything from simple Q&A sessions to recipe How-Tos and full band concerts (taking live requests!) for Live streams on Instagram and Facebook. Get some ideas for your next one in our How To Go Live on Facebook and Instagram here.

3. Short Form Videos

Pioneered by the aforementioned Vine, short form videos are a series of clips that are combined to make short, fun and engaging videos.

They’re perfect for our ever decreasing attention spans.

Right now, everybody is talking about TikTok videos and Instagram’s less than a year-old version, Reels. TikTok has exploded the past few years and is a great place to experiment with these kinds of videos. Since it’s still relatively new, there’s still a huge potential for organic reach. If you’ve ever wanted to go viral overnight, your best shot at it is over on TikTok (but beware the burden of responsibility that comes with millions of eyes on you, ha!). Still, I'd caution you not to put all your eggs in the TikTok basket.

My gut says use TikTok for play (for now) and when you’re comfortable with how it works, start spending time making Reels on Instagram. Here’s one we just did for a client featuring their Queen of Tortillas making them fresh one day.

4. Traditional Videos
Explainer / How Tos, Behind The Scenes, Announcements, etc.

If you’re not quite ready to dive into the world of Live videos or invest the time to learn how to create short form content videos like Reels, that's understandable. It’s a lot.

A good old fashioned traditional video is still a great way to engage your audience, show your face, and mix up your content.

The options for what to show your customers through a video are endless. Whether you’re explaining how to do or make something, making an announcement, giving a tour of your building, introducing your team or showcasing your product or service, sharing it in the form of a video helps your content reach more people and shows them things about your business in a different and more personal way.

Are you ready to get started? Share you videos with us, we'd love to see them!

4 Insta-Worthy Places in Charleston

There are some places that are so iconic that they warrant a picture, even if it’s the same one everyone else is taking. People take their own anyway because these places mean something to them. Some are destinations all on their own, like the Eiffel Tower or even Rainbow Row. All of them are part of something bigger; manifestations that sum up and perfectly represent the experience someone is having wherever they are. 

What does this have to do with your business?

Well, this idea can be leveraged by any business that has a physical place that serves customers.

In an age where everyone takes pictures of everything, we can use this little insight to help people along. We already know that of all the ways a brand can build trust with its customers, a referral from a friend or word of mouth marketing is still the quickest way. Making it easier for them to share their experience at your business means more exposure for you. 

Of course there are many ways to make it easier for customers to share their experiences, but how do you go about creating your version of an Insta-worthy place? Your very own Eiffel Tower? 

Whether intentionally or not, lots of places around town already have.

Firefly Distillery’s “Big Red” Firefly Truck

Can’t go to Firefly without getting a picture with their truck! Strategically placed right at the Distillery’s entrance, Big Red welcomes guests as soon as they walk in. The truck became such a fixture at the original distillery on Wadmalaw that it made the trip to North Charleston. Not only is it a perfectly restored Classic Ford truck with an eye-catching red paint job, but doesn’t it just make you think of all of those moonshiners runnin’ shine in the backwoods during Prohibition? 

Lewis Barbecue’s “All Hail the King” Mural

As masters of Texas-style barbecue and beef brisket, this mural immediately tells you what Lewis is all about. A giant bull’s head, complete with horns and a crown, is pictured between “All Hail” and “The King”, taking up the entire side of a building. It’s one of the first things you see pulling up to their spot and something about its design makes it clear that you’ve arrived and going to get exactly what you were looking for. One of my favorites!

Uptown Social’s “Social Butterfly” Mural

You’ve seen the Nashville WhatLiftsYou Wings mural haven’t you? It’s become so popular it’s listed as a tourist attraction. Well, Uptown Social’s got their own version of a wings mural and half the pictures on Instagram taken there is of this mural or has it in the background. Two beautifully painted wings are separated by just the right amount of space for someone to stand between them and be transformed into a butterfly.  Even Bernie stopped by for a pic. For a bar and restaurant that was created to help social butterflies mingle, this Social Butterfly mural encourages interaction and is the perfect addition to their space. Basic? Maybe. Does it work? Absolutely.

Viva Tacos and Tequila’s VIVA Letters

Viva just opened at the end of November, but this installation of the “VIVA” letters is already becoming a favorite place for guests to pose. Four brightly colored and patterned letters sit right under the clock tower at Central Island Square on Daniel Island, just a few steps away from the restaurant’s front doors. They’re loud and colorful and the word they spell out translates to “live” or “long live!”, often used as part of a cheer or rally cry. “VIVA” is visible from the street and a great introduction to the vibrancy both in atmosphere and food you’ll experience once you get inside. 

These four examples have some things in common:

• They are all immediately noticeable.

• Their placement allows for people to go up and take a closer look (to take a photo with it, of course!). They invite attention and interaction.

• They surprise and delight. (“Cool, look at that!”)

• They are all relevant to their brands.

What can you create that checks off everything on this list?

It doesn’t have to be a mural or a car. In fact, it’s most likely not going to be a car unless you’re a car brand or Firefly. Maybe it’s a sign, a chalkboard, a flower wall, the way you display your merchandise, or something interesting you do with lighting fixtures.

So many possibilities!

Shop Charleston Restaurants

While looking for ways to support our local restaurants beyond going out to eat or ordering takeout, we noticed a handful of them sell some great products on their websites that we think need to be shared.

Head to our new “Shop Charleston Restaurants” page to see some of our favorite things.

A Note

During these difficult times every bit helps and even though many of us have upped our delivery game and purchased gift cards, there are still hidden costs associated with those. Third party delivery services charge a steep price and gift cards don’t always reconcile until they’re redeemed. So while we should all continue doing whatever we can to support local restaurants, we thought we’d compile some great finds you can purchase directly from some of our favorite places.

**Disclaimer: most of these are not Creativ clients —this is not sponsored, ha!

We started Creativ to help our community communicate with their guests and customers, and this is just an extension of that. We have resources we thought we’d put to use in hopes that this could send more people to the merch shops of some of our favorite Charleston restaurants.

If we’re missing something you love from our local restaurants and it can be ordered online, shoot us an email at hello@creativsocial.com and we’ll add it!