Now, with Facebook, as opposed to YouTube or other platforms, you want to adjust your videos in order to get as many views and shares as possible. Coz that's the game really.
If you post shit on the web and you believe you have value to offer then you really want as many people as possible watching it. BUT, you also don't want to spam or trick people into watching your videos.
NOTE: We're talking about native Facebook videos. That means videos that you upload directly onto Facebook. NOT YouTube videos that you post on Facebook. Those don't get so many views and I've talked about it here.
So here are my tips for editing Facebook videos:
1. Crop the video and add a headline to the top
In Magix Movie Edit Pro Plus or Magix Video ProX (both of which I highly recommend if you work on a PC) you go to Effects - Movement Effects - Section. Uncheck the Full Screen box and choose Free Proportions from the drop down list.
Since people scroll on Facebook and they do it rather fast, you want to grab their attention with a compelling headline. Make it descriptive, precise and if the content delivers you can create a click-bait headline. Don't exaggerate though. Nobody enjoys being fooled and you want to treat your audience with respect.
Headlines are about trust and respect really.
Think about it. If you see a vague headline then you don't know what to do. If your curiosity pushes you further and you click on it you might find out that the video is of no interest to you. Result? Wasted time, frustration and resentment towards the uploader.
If however you see a clear and descriptive title (with a value proposition like "How to do whatever...") then you can instantly asses whether you want to watch it or not. Result? A better experience for you as a viewer and goodwill towards the uploader. Win-win! That's the goal.
2. Add a call to action throughout the video and especially at the end
In Magix use the picture in picture technique to add images or buttons.
But you must NOT use the branded like and share icons that you see on Facebook. NOR use the Facebook logo.
Why? Because if you do, you may not be able to later advertise that video on Facebook. Somewhere in their advertisers's guidelines Facebook states that you cannot use their symbols in your picture or video ads. So take notice of this because if you're serious about Facebook video marketing you will want to use paid advertising to spread your message (especially helpful if you have products to sell).
Make sure the last thing the viewer sees in your video is the Like and Share call to action. People already like and share stuff on Facebook so you tap into what's an already established behavior. You leverage Facebook + human habits to your own advantage. Slick, eh?
It works for us. We sell yarn and soles for crocheted shoes and Facebook is our main marketing channel.
The magic happens when people do stuff or you or when they talk about you without you having to be there to ignite it. This is what sharing does.
Let's say you pay one cent for each video view and one viewer in twenty shares your video. For that share alone you reach an extra 10 viewers for which you paid nothing. These are not real figures but I use them to illustrate my point. Sharing multiplies your impact which can lead to more brand awareness, more sales, etc.
You want that, don't you?
3. Watermark your video with your web address and your Facebook URL
You must start from the premise that people will steal your videos. And that's a good thing.
If nobody is stealing your videos then maybe they're not as good, not as entertaining, not as useful, not as interesting as you may think. So look for signs of theft - that means you're doing something right.
Now, most people will steal your video outright and upload it onto their YouTube channel or Facebook page as it is. All they care about is vanity metrics like views and of course some of them might use ads to monetize it (especially on YouTube, maybe soon to come to Facebook as well).
With a watermark the guy has to work to get it out so that's an extra setp he'll have to make if he steals your content.
We had videos stolen and uploaded on Facebook but we didn't mind because our watermark was right there advertising our web address (our business basically). And we did get a few international buys which are still with us today. Go figure. :)
But this is such a no-brainer, right?
In Magix add a title onto a lower track and stretch it across the entire video. Then adjust the transparency and that's your watermark.
Bonus Tip: Keep it short
Seriously, I don't log in on Facebook to watch hour long documentaries or interviews. I do that on YouTube or Netflix.
Bite size content works better on Facebook because there's a lot going on. If you refresh your stream you'll see a lot of stuff that people posted. All that are alternatives for what's already in front of you.
People want to scroll, consume some content and then scroll some more. Only short videos will be watched. Keep it short and to the point.
Conclusion
Facebook is where it's at for the simple reason that everyone and his grandma is on it. Wherever there's eyeballs that's where you want to be.
At some point the Facebook effect will wear off because teenagers don't want to hang around in the same places with sixty-year-olds. But for now Facebook is a great channel for video marketing.
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