In order for subscribers not to scroll through stories, but to send hundreds and thousands of reactions, it is important to approach the creation of a video strategically.
1. Create Segments of 20 to 30 Seconds
People scroll through stories faster than other content, and long videos in this format work worse — they may simply not be watched. If you can't fit the information into half a minute, it's better to break it up into several semantic segments or even transform it into a post.
Stories will also help draw attention to other content. For example, you can select the most interesting moments from a long video and publish them individually. This way you will be able to interest subscribers and convince them to watch the entire video.
2. Add captions
People often access social media on their way to work, on public transport, during lunch, in the evening before bed, or early in the morning. And it is not always possible to turn on the sound or take out headphones at these moments. In this case, you won't be able to evaluate conversational stories. This means that the statistics of video views will drop. Titles, on the other hand, will help to remedy the situation.
There is no need to translate absolutely everything you say in the video into text. Highlight key fragments of two or three lines long so as not to overload the screen with the video.
3. Start with intrigue
On the web, you have to follow the three-second rule. You have only 3 seconds to keep people's attention. If you don't get carried away with the content during this time, the viewer will lose the view, and the viewer will scroll further to the feed. To keep users engaged in your video, start it with an interesting detail. For example, talk about a problem your viewers may have encountered. How to get up at the first ringing of the alarm clock, where to find free time for sports — the topic depends on the field in which you blog. Promise an easy way to solve this problem and reveal it in the following videos.
Explicit clickbait, like a series of videos with the headline "This happened here! It's just SHOCK!" It's better not to use it. If a bright start is not followed by something truly incredible, there is a risk of encountering angry comments and unsubscribes.
4. Use interactive elements
Videos with simple interactivity are an effective solution if you want to increase the engagement of your followers. On some platforms, it's convenient to add polls, reactions, and quizzes through built-in tools. If this is not possible, post a video with the questions you want to discuss and invite viewers to send answers to you in a private message. Or do the opposite: let your followers ask their own questions, and you can answer them in a series of short videos.
5. Train yourself like an AI
Constantly study the preferences of users of the social network where you post. See which videos get the most views on your page and on the platform as a whole. Follow the top bloggers in your category and notice unusual editing techniques, themes, and engagement tools that are already working. Be inspired by interesting approaches, but don't repeat them exactly, otherwise questions may arise from both subscribers and the authors of these techniques.
Observe and learn the techniques and build upon them. The approach might not be new, but it will work.
