Engagement on video posts outpaced the growth of video content, up 163 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2014, according to an exclusive study conducted by Shareablee on behalf of PR News (see chart below). Videos had the fastest growth in engagement of any [social media] content type in the first half of 2015, with the average U.S. brand posting 100 percent more videos across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram year over year, said Tania Yuki, CEO of Shareablee. Sharablee defines engagement as actions, such as shares or retweets, inspired by social media content. Merely posting videos doesn’t ensure success, though. You must tailor videos to the specific social channel where they’ll be posted. “For Instagram, high-quality video is important, but those that are over-produced and scripted generally won’t do well. On the other hand, Facebook has a lot more flexibility and traditional video can work on the platform,” Yuki said. And video on Twitter, which earlier this year acquired live streaming service Periscope, is a different story. “Think special events or breaking news,” Yuki said. “Videos that can capture those moments in time will resonate with your audiences.”
This article originally appeared in the August 3, 2015 issue of PR News. Read more subscriber-only content by becoming a PR News subscriber today.