Brands Must Consider Strengths And Weaknesses Of Different Types Of Content
Following the rapid development and growth in popularity of social media, the vast majority of brands now possess various pages or profiles across a range of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
However, rather than posting whatever content is available, it is becoming increasingly important that brands consider the strengths and weaknesses of each content form, and it's role in engaging their social media audience.
For example, if the content types are broken down into the core elements of text, video and images, brands can easily measure the results that each post generates and play to their respective strengths.
Whilst there is much talk about the value of video content within the world of social media, it does not necessarily make the most engaging content, despite it's very tactile nature.
There are a number of potential reasons for this.
Firstly, it requires a significantly greater investment from the viewer to consumer the video's full content than a simple image or text post.
In addition, with so many video's available on the internet, the quality has to be strong to hold attention and thirdly and perhaps tellingly, is the technical issues associated with video content.
If a brand's Facebook page operates on a global level, there is the significant possibility that fan's ability to download and stream video content is affected by global broadband levels.
Furthermore, if the majority of fans are interacting with a page and viewing content whilst they are at work, they may feel that viewing video content is a bridge too far, not to mention the significant increase in fans that interact with social media through mobile.
Whilst the ability to watch video on mobile is increasing rapidly, it is still a hurdle for many.
In a recent white paper on Facebook interactions, the results showed that image posts are 22% more engaging that video posts (and 54% more engaging than purely text updates).
So, the temptation is to focus social outreach and content around the more successful medium and concentrate solely on image posts to drive higher engagement results.
However, this runs the very real risk of appearing too strategic and manufactured and ultimately risks turning off a number of fans that the brand worked so hard to engage with in the first place.
The key is in offering a variation of image and video posts so there is a little of something for everyone.
However, rather than posting whatever content is available, it is becoming increasingly important that brands consider the strengths and weaknesses of each content form, and it's role in engaging their social media audience.
For example, if the content types are broken down into the core elements of text, video and images, brands can easily measure the results that each post generates and play to their respective strengths.
Whilst there is much talk about the value of video content within the world of social media, it does not necessarily make the most engaging content, despite it's very tactile nature.
There are a number of potential reasons for this.
Firstly, it requires a significantly greater investment from the viewer to consumer the video's full content than a simple image or text post.
In addition, with so many video's available on the internet, the quality has to be strong to hold attention and thirdly and perhaps tellingly, is the technical issues associated with video content.
If a brand's Facebook page operates on a global level, there is the significant possibility that fan's ability to download and stream video content is affected by global broadband levels.
Furthermore, if the majority of fans are interacting with a page and viewing content whilst they are at work, they may feel that viewing video content is a bridge too far, not to mention the significant increase in fans that interact with social media through mobile.
Whilst the ability to watch video on mobile is increasing rapidly, it is still a hurdle for many.
In a recent white paper on Facebook interactions, the results showed that image posts are 22% more engaging that video posts (and 54% more engaging than purely text updates).
So, the temptation is to focus social outreach and content around the more successful medium and concentrate solely on image posts to drive higher engagement results.
However, this runs the very real risk of appearing too strategic and manufactured and ultimately risks turning off a number of fans that the brand worked so hard to engage with in the first place.
The key is in offering a variation of image and video posts so there is a little of something for everyone.