Drake University Associate Professor Chris Snider's presentation to the American Advertising Federation Des Moines on Dec. 12, 2019. This presentation discusses how to create great social media videos for each of these networks: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. For each network, I discuss a key statistic, how long videos should be on that network and other important tips for making great videos on that network. I also include some app to use to make better videos on your phone.

1. HOW TO CREATE COMPELLING
SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS
CHRIS SNIDER • DRAKE UNIVERSITY
@chrissnider @csnider

2. HELLO. I’M CHRIS SNIDER
• Associate professor in Drake
University’s School
of Journalism and Mass
Communication
• Teach classes on video, audio,
social media, design, storytelling
and web design
• Also teach a variety of classes
on those topics in our
Online Master of Arts in
Communication program

3. • I’m passionate about how businesses can use social
media and digital media to achieve their goals
• Formerly editor at Juice Magazine and the Des Moines
Register
• I conduct a yearly survey on how first-year students use and
feel about social media

4. TODAY’S PLAN
@chrissnider @csnider
Learn to make compelling video for the seven social networks
where it matters most right now.

5. IT’S NO LONGER ENOUGH
TO HAVE A VIDEO STRATEGY.
YOU NEED A SPECIFIC VIDEO
STRATEGY FOR EACH NETWORK.
KEY TAKEAWAY

6. LET’S START WITH
AN ACTIVITY

7. ?HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE
A TIKTOK ACCOUNT?

8. WHY I’M ALL-IN ON TIKTOK
• Designed for creators, TikTok allows users to quickly and easily
create unique short videos to share with friends and the world.
• TikTok is the global home for creative content in 2019.
• Tumblr … Vine … TikTok
• Even if TikTok is never part of your social/video strategy,
it will influence the features we see in other networks
(Facebook has already cloned Tik Tok twice - Lasso app in the
US and Instagram’s Reels editing tools in Brazil).

9. • When you see young people doing things like this,
they’re making a TikTok

10. 16 PERCENT OF ALL VIDEOS ON
TIKTOK ARE TIED TO CHALLENGES

12. STILL MORE CONTENT IS TIED TO USING MUSIC AND OTHER AUDIO
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo - Cinderella

13. STILL MORE IS TIED TO TRENDING HASHTAGS

16. AND OF COURSE ADVERTISERS WANT IN ON THE ACTION

17. How could you
use one of these
trends to create
a TikTok for
your business or
organization?

19. GENERAL VIDEO TIPS
• Choose a well-lighted area
• Avoid a cluttered or distracting background
• Shoot in HD, 4K or higher
• Show action and emotion
• Keep the visual changing to keep people engaged and interested
• Sound On is growing (thanks to TikTok and AirPods), but not here
yet (so use closed caption and words on the screen)

20. FOR EACH NETWORK
How long? Key stat
Tips for that
network
@chrissnider @csnider

21. LINKEDIN
• Key stat: Videos earn an average of three times the
engagement of text posts and are five times more likely to
start a conversation.
• How long? The most successful videos are less than 15
seconds.
• Videos under 30 seconds saw a 200% lift in view
completion rates.
• Use longer videos (1 minute+) to tell a more complex
brand or product story that makes an emotional
connection or imparts knowledge
Source: Hootsuite, LinkedIn @chrissnider @csnider

22. LINKEDIN
• Tips: Include a hook within the first 1-2
seconds and make the first 10 second count
• Design for sound off by using descriptive
images, infographic and even expressive body
language
• Include closed captions
• Close with a strong call to action
Source: Hootsuite, LinkedIn @chrissnider @csnider

23. WHAT TO SHARE ON LINKEDIN
• Culture, products and services, news and events
• Company news and updates
• New products or services
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Preview upcoming event
• Case studies
• Spotlight inspiring employees
• Highlight the good you’re doing
• Share something fun
@chrissnider @csnider

24. Company news Behind the scenes

25. INSTAGRAM
• Key stat: Video posts have the highest overall
engagement rate, getting more than 2X the
comments of image posts.
• How long? Videos can be up to 1 minute long
(without going to IGTV), but keep them short
because people are used to scrolling quickly on
Instagram.
Source: Mention @chrissnider @csnider

26. INSTAGRAM
• Tips: Instagram is still where you show the best you,
so your videos should reflect that by including
beautiful, colorful, striking visuals.
• Content should be inspirational - tell a story that
inspires, share a quote or show something interesting.
• Use hashtags.
• Set your cover image.
Source: Animoto
@chrissnider @csnider

28. FACEBOOK
• Key stat: The average engagement rate for
Facebook video posts is 6.13 percent,
compared to the average engagement rate
overall of 3.6 percent.
• How long? Videos longer than 3 minutes get
shown to more people.
• Facebook wants videos to capture people’s
attention for at least 1 minute.
Source: Hootsuite, Facebook @chrissnider @csnider

30. FACEBOOK
• Tips: News Feed ranking favors video content that people seek
out and return to regularly, and that inspire interaction and
conversation among people watching that content.
• Publish on a regular schedule.
• Respond to comments and questions.
• Consider how people might use Facebook search to find your
video. Write comprehensive descriptions for each of your posts.
• Instructing viewers to like, tag, or share may result in your
content being flagged for engagement baiting.
Source: Facebook @chrissnider @csnider

31. TWITTER
• Key stat: Tweets with video attract 10X more
engagements than Tweets without video.
• How long? You need to grab people’s attention
quickly, especially on Twitter where so much
other content is competing for your audience’s
attention.
• HubSpot data says 45 seconds is ideal length.
Source: Twitter, Hootsuite @chrissnider @csnider

32. TWITTER
• Tips: Twitter is a real-time network, so share real-time or live video.
• Show something interesting in the first few seconds to hook
viewers.
• Including people in the first few frames has been proven to
significantly increases view rates and drive 2x higher retention.
• Think sound off. Use captions and visual cues to pull the viewer
through the video and make it easier to process.
• All videos posted to Twitter that are 6.5 seconds or shorter will
automatically loop.
Source: Twitter @chrissnider @csnider

33. SNAPCHAT
• Key stat: More than one-third of Snapchat’s
audience can’t be found on Instagram or
Facebook.
• How long? Engagement drops by 36 percent
once users reach the fourth snap of a story, so
keep your stories short.
• Most people see your story in first 5 hours, so
it’s safe to post again then.
Source: Snapchat, Quicksprout @chrissnider @csnider

34. SNAPCHAT
• Tips: The best Snapchat Stories are typical yet
surprising. That is, they follow a standard
narrative arc: rising action, climax, falling action,
resolution.
• They’re also unexpected, delivering humor or
suspense or educational value.
• Follow the monthly Snap Chatter to see what’s
trending with Snapchat users…
Source: Hootsuite @chrissnider @csnider

35. November
October
September

36. Grandmas
House on
Snapchat
Discover

37. TIKTOK
• Key stat: No. 4 most-downloaded app in App
Store in 2019 (#16 in 2018), only behind
YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.
• How long? You can record for up to 15
seconds within the app, or can choose option
for 60 seconds long. Or upload longer videos
recorded outside the app.
Source: Apple, Slate @chrissnider @csnider

38. TIKTOK
• Tips: Be genuine, and get immersed in TikTok
culture.
• Approach content creation with an audio-first
mindset.
• 69 percent of users are age 16-24 and users
spend 46 minutes a day on the app.
Source: TikTok @chrissnider @csnider

39. YOUTUBE
• Key stat: YouTube is used by more Americans
than any other social network - even Facebook!
• How long? YouTube’s recommendation
algorithm rewards creators with longer watch
time, and longer videos are key to that.
Anywhere from 7 to 20 minutes seems to be
ideal.
• According to Backlinko, the average length of
the highest ranking videos is 14 min., 50 sec.
Source: Pew, Backlinko @chrissnider @csnider

40. 19 minutes
3 minutes,
but from Google
18 minutes
@chrissnider @csnider

41. YOUTUBE
• Tips: YouTube is the No. 2 search engine in the
world, so optimizing for the right keywords is
important. Start typing into the search bar to get ideas.
• People search trending topics and evergreen
content
• Trending - elections, holidays, news stories, events
• Evergreen - how-to videos or topics that never die
(Star Wars, Justin Bieber)
Source: Backlinko,
YouTube, Copypress
@chrissnider @csnider

43. YOUTUBE
• Tips: Thumbnail is important. Don’t repeat the
headline in the thumbnail but rather tease with
something interesting.
• The first 15 seconds are important, so get right
into the content without any fluff.
• End at the last second so people go all the way
to the end so you have a good session duration.
Source: Backlinko,
YouTube, Copypress
@chrissnider @csnider

44. YOUTUBE
• Tips: Use pattern interrupts: on-screen
graphics, animations, new background or
setting, B-roll video, different camera angles,
sound effects.
• Post on a regular schedule
• Have a call to action - not necessarily at the end
• Respond and engage with your audience
Source: Backlinko, YouTube @chrissnider @csnider

45. YOUTUBE EXERCISE
• Use the worksheet
• Choose a topic you or your brand currently posts videos
about on YouTube OR pick an idea you might start
• Let’s see how well it fits with YouTube’s fundamentals
@chrissnider @csnider

46. YOUTUBE EXERCISE
• Shareability - Will viewers share your video? What will they write when they share it?
• Conversation - Are you looking at the camera and speaking directly to your
audience?
• Interactivity - Is the audience involved in the video? Are you answering their
questions or asking them to answer a question in comments?
• Consistency - Are there strong recurring elements to your idea (when you post,
consistent elements or formats, consistent voice)?
• Targeting - Is there a clearly defined audience (for your channel, series or individual
videos)?
Source: https://youtu.be/6R6UO_a34FM
YouTube's 10 fundamentals (from Creator Academy)

47. YOUTUBE EXERCISE
• Sustainability - If the audience loves it, can you make more of it?
• Discoverability - Will your videos get discovered through search or related
videos?
• Accessibility - Can every episode be fully appreciated by a new viewer?
• Collaboration - Is there room in the idea to feature other YouTube creators?
• Inspiration - Is this idea coming from a place of genuine interest? If you love
the topic, videos are easier to make.
YouTube's 10 fundamentals (from Creator Academy)
Source: https://youtu.be/6R6UO_a34FM

48. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP
• Dec. 17, 2019
• Focused on building a strategy for using social media successfully
in 2020
• How to reach your audience
• How to make them take action
• How to make them love your brand
• Use the code AAF to save $50 (search “des moines social
media” on Eventbrite)

49. APPS FOR
EDITING VIDEOS

50. A BETTER VIDEO APP: FILMICPRO
• $15 for iOS and Android
• Professional video tools such as smooth zooming, lock focus, lock
exposure, sound monitoring.

51. CREATIVE VIDEOS: QUIK
• Free for both Android and iOS
• Quickly make videos, add text and music

52. I created this in less than 60 seconds with Quik app.

53. ANDROID AND IPHONE EDITING: VIDEOSHOP
• Free & quickly turns multiple clips into one video, add
music, text and more

54. IPHONE EDITING: IMOVIE
• Free
• Includes many of the same features as the desktop version

55. MUST-HAVE:
GOOGLE PHOTOS
• Free for iOS and
Android
• Edit and backup your
videos

56. PRO EDITING: LUMAFUSION
• $20 for iOS
• Powerful multi-track video editor

57. Mojo
High-quality motion graphics
templates. $40/yr for pro.
Unfold
100+ templates for Stories
photos. 25 for free.
InShot
Convert shape of videos
and add text.
TOOLS FOR CREATING STORIES

58. MORE VIDEO APPS TO TRY
• YouStar - add special effects to videos
• Jumprope - create step-by-step how-to videos
• Action Movie FX - add Hollywood special effects
• Adobe Rush - shoot, edit and share videos
• Cinamaker - shoot videos with multiple phones

59. THANK YOU!
@chrissnider @csnider