Gaining traction on social media in general can be difficult for businesses, but I’ve always found it to be a particularly monumental challenge on Twitter. People don’t always engage quite as much on Twitter as they do on other platforms, where tracking conversations is a little easier (and a little more visible).

This doesn’t mean that Twitter is out of the marketing game, however; if your audience is on Twitter, then it can still be a big part of your marketing strategy. You just need to know how to get the best results from the platform. And as it turns out, one of the best things you can do on Twitter to increase engagement on your Tweets is to use more video.

In this post, we’re going to look at why and how to use Twitter video to boost engagement and get more results on the platform.

The Benefits of Twitter Video

Every blog post you read about marketing is going to tell you to use more video, and that’s just as true on Twitter as it is on other platforms.

There are a lot of benefits to utilizing Twitter video, and reasons why it can give your engagement rates a helping hand. These include:

• Not being limited by a character count. Sure, we get up to 280 characters now, but that’s still not a whole lot. Unless you’re an expert copywriter, you’ll have a much easier time conveying more (including tone and style!) in a short video clip than in 280 characters.
  
• It stands out. If you’re scrolling through most feeds, you’ll see mostly text with a decent chunk of images splattered in. You might see one, maybe two videos. If you’re using them, this will help you stand out, and it’s easier to sink your claws into users before they can scroll past.
  
• People love video. This is just the reality of the world we live in now. People would rather watch a video than read about the same content in text format, and there are some things text just can’t quite capture, so give the people what they want!
  

7 Ways to Use Twitter Video To Increase Engagement

It’s all well and good to know that you should be using more video on Twitter, but it’s another thing all together to understand exactly how to use it and what content to feature to get the results you want.

We want to demystify the process a bit, so test out these seven ways to add more video to your Tweets.

1. Announce new blog posts, press releases, or other business changes through a quick video. We use this strategy ourselves, using Shakr’s video templates to quickly put together short content that is guaranteed to grab a user’s eye.

Influencer marketing can be powerful– and it can yield very different types of results. They can also incite backlash, causing negative consequences for businesses 😮 https://t.co/2FqLcjn6oH pic.twitter.com/uBGjbRilmE

— Shakr Video Maker (@ShakrMedia) August 20, 2018

2. Recap your events. Just because that conference or event is over doesn’t mean that you should stop promoting it. Instead, generate more conversation (and maybe some FOMO) by posting video recaps showing everyone else what they missed.

It’s back! Doors are now open for registration to Social Media Marketing World 2019! Will we see you there? https://t.co/uiAxL5EmnI #SMMW19 pic.twitter.com/2ABIQ05U71

— Social Media Examiner (@SMExaminer) August 20, 2018

3. Go live with Periscope. Periscope is Twitter’s sister app that allows users to broadcast live video in real time. These videos can be shared on Twitter and replayed long after the lives are over. Since live videos are inherently dynamic and give users a chance to interact with their favorite brands or influencers, it should be a priority on multiple platforms (including but definitely not limited to Twitter).

4. Make still images more interesting. Twitter doesn’t have those fancy multi-image posts like Instagram, so use tools like Shakr’s video templates to assemble visually stunning streams of still image and video clip content that they’ll be sure to respond to.

5. Share current events. Twitter is all about current events and breaking news; it’s what the platform was originally intended for. Use video content to weigh in quickly on breaking news, current events, or jump in on a relevant trending topic. The current events can be about your business exclusively, but you can also discuss how other events in the world may impact your customers or your industry.

1. Tax Partner Clint Harding is profiled in the latest Tax Institute journal following his recent ‘Corporate Tax Adviser of the Year’ award win: https://t.co/9TUjgsso1u | Video credit: @TaxInstituteOz #austax #tax #taxlaw pic.twitter.com/64fItooJ2n

   — Arnold Bloch Leibler (@ABLLaw) August 24, 2018

6. Give users a look at behind the scenes content. Everyone loves behind the scenes content. It feels exclusive in the best possible way, even if you’re broadcasting it to the entire Twitter-verse.

A little #backstage #behindthescenesvideo for you all. Myself and @stedonald5 on a break in #rehearsal today for #upthebunting @BarPopMCR tomorrow and Wednesday! https://t.co/YowjEZFfYV
! 😁 @GMFringe @mancmade @canalstmancs @UnlockMcr @LipstickThesp pic.twitter.com/ZhaChucoMj

— Hayley Cartwright (@haykate) July 16, 2018

7. Demonstrate some DIY. DIY content isn’t going to be nearly as big on Twitter as it will be on any of the other platforms, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get results. Quick DIY videos and tutorials that are easily digestible can attract a lot of views and engagements, just make sure to cross-promote the video on other platforms for maximum visibility.

#TutorialVideo on how I prepare my own version of Butterscotch Banana Peaches Breadpudding. A MUST TRY!🤗 #KidBaker #MissionAccomplished pic.twitter.com/iPUtVFMDuV

— Danish Harraz🤠 (@Danish_Harraz) February 13, 2017

Video on Twitter: The Basics

Before you run off to start making Twitter videos just based on topic alone, make sure you read this section and take a look at the best practices for creating, sharing, and monitoring your videos.

The technical: 

• Your videos can’t be under 2 minutes and 20 seconds.
• Video files must be under 512MB
• MP4 video formats are accepted
• Minimum resolutions are 32×32
• Maximum resolutions are 1920×2000 (and 2000×1920)
• Maximum frame rate is 40fps

The strategic:

• You can use hashtags to increase the visibility of your hashtags, but remember not to go crazy like on Instagram; stick to one to three hashtags.
• Create different types of video content to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you’re doing next.
• Try to offer value in your videos where you can.
• Keep the video content as short as possible; Brevity is valued on Twitter.
• Monitor performance in their video analytics section.

Conclusion

Twitter has more competition than ever before, but user engagement isn’t always keeping up with that competition. You have to use every trick in the book in order to make the platform work for you, and Twitter video is the best trick out there. Remember that each video doesn’t need to be groundbreaking, but adding even a quick, simple clip can do wonders for your engagement rates.

Looking forward to getting more engagement on your Tweets with Twitter video but not sure where to start? Check out Shakr’s video templates to get some inspiration.

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