How to Incorporate Video into Your Twitter Content Strategy

By, Marissa Window, Twitter for Small Business

Video is becoming a central piece of what’s happening on Twitter. In fact, video views on Twitter have grown 220 times what they were just 12 months ago. With 90% of Twitter video views happening on mobile, this is an ideal way to reach customers in real time, wherever they are.*

If it feels overwhelming to start incorporating video into your content strategy, remember you don’t need to be a professional photographer or videographer. Think of your smartphone as a business tool — you have everything you need to get started right in your pocket.

Today we will be sharing three different forms of video content and how you can use them to share your businesses message on Twitter. Experiment with these formats to stand out from your competition and drive engagements.

Native video

Since video content plays automatically on Twitter, it’s an impactful way to grab audiences’ attention and attract new customers. During our tests, consumers were more likely to prefer these autoplay videos, watch them to the end, and remember them. Film something within the Twitter app or upload existing content.

The stats team for this boutique social media marketing firm created a quick video using Adobe Express to celebrate reaching a milestone on Twitter. The easy editor makes adding text, images, video clips, icons, and narration into an animated video as easy as adding content to slides. @Madebydbm added an awesome soundtrack to the video, but this example works because it makes sense with the sound off as well. Keep in mind your followers may not have the sound on while scrolling through content.

Video is also a powerful tool for giving customers an inside look at your business. Set up a tripod and film your process then parse out the best, most visual parts with Adobe Express'‘ easy video editor. Add narration, text, logos, and icons for a polished video in minutes. Here the Adobe Express team showcases artist Jessica Niello who regularly lets followers inside her studio through the power of video.

The best videos for Twitter are generally short and snappy. To stop thumbs from scrolling you need to grab attention within the first three seconds. And ideally your video teases your content well enough so viewers click through to your site or blog post. One way to stretch longer videos into a week’s (or even month’s) worth of Tweets is to cut the content into smaller “Tweet-able” moments. Adobe Express makes this super easy. Upload your existing footage to the Adobe Express video editor to easily find the key moments and add a link to the full piece in your caption so interested viewers are compelled to click through to your content.

Don’t have a complete video story to share but still want to dazzle with motion? Make your graphics move instantly with Adobe Express for iOS. With one tap you can make text on images move to catch eyes and increase share-ability. This automatically turns graphics into 4-second videos. Download the Post as a video and then upload it natively to Twitter for effortless visual communication.

Here’s a couple examples from the Adobe Express team of animations in action:

Live video with Periscope

Periscope gives your audience real-time access to important moments and behind the scenes content. Give people a sneak peek of what your business is really like by creating Periscopes of industry events, special launches, or product tutorials. Don’t forget to Tweet about your upcoming Periscopes a few days in advance to create buzz.

Viewers expect real-time action from a Periscope rather than a polished performance. Be yourself, there’s no need to over rehearse or memorize a script before broadcasting on Periscope.

Makeup company @tartecosmetics used Periscope to share a product demo and answer customer questions.

Want help getting started? Read how Rebecca Casserly (@BoopFashionista), a London-based blogger, has incorporated live video into her content strategy and built a community of 60,000 followers on Periscope.

GIFs

GIFs are more than funny images you send to friends—they can be used to create powerful marketing content. Not only do GIFs give you a canvas to go beyond the 140 character limit, they’re also highly shareable. See can also act as a highly shareable piece of followers are more likely to Retweet.

Mint created a quick GIF with text and graphics to tell their #SmallBiz story.

Have longer video content you’re looking to repurpose? Cut it into GIFs to showcase your product and features beyond just the product shot.

@CafeGratitude used a GIF to help put their tasty recipe in the spotlight.

Now you’re ready to start creating impactful video content. By Tweeting different video formats, you’ll create a steady stream of relevant content for your followers to interact with as they get to know your business better.

Have more questions? Follow @TwitterBusiness for more marketing tips, or check out the basics on how to create a campaign.

*Twitter internal data