How to Use Facebook Video to Increase Sales

For four years, Facebook has allowed users to upload videos directly to its online platform. A way to compete with YouTube and ensure that you retain your users for as long as possible.

In 2018, Facebook already represented 1.47 billion daily active users and 4.75 billion pieces of content shared every day. It must be said that with 100 million hours viewed daily, Facebook video has established itself as an essential tool for any digital communication strategy.

Video content can be shared directly on your Facebook page (free), or via a paid advertising campaign. The only difference is that Facebook advertising allows you to highlight your products or services on Facebook, but also on Instagram and Messenger. In both cases, the content creation advice is broadly the same. Find out how to successfully optimize your sales using Facebook video!

Why use video in your digital sales strategy?

The advantage of using this medium is its ability to easily generate interaction between the advertiser and their target audience. Video is above all entertainment that captivates the mind, so it is easier to reach customers via this medium. Video content has the advantage of conveying emotion, which is more difficult with text or an image.

Here are some figures that will certainly convince you to use video to increase your sales:

• In 2019, 80% of global data traffic will be linked to video;

• 73% of Internet users are more inclined to buy a product online after watching a video;

• Sharing a video on social media multiplies the engagement rate of your audience by 10;

• More than 50% of videos are viewed on a smartphone;

• And more than 8 billion videos are viewed every day on Facebook.

Whatever your sector of activity, video represents the most consumed and most shared content on the web. With the development of smartphones, Internet users spend a large part of their free time on social media, a boon for advertisers who use video in their commercial strategy.

Read on the same subject: 6 reasons why video represents the future of advertising on the web

The success of Facebook videos: a business algorithm

For several years now, Facebook has dethroned YouTube in terms of video viewing. This growing success can be explained by the creation of an algorithm designed to promote the success of Facebook videos. In 2015, the social media almost doubled the number of videos viewed on its platform by modifying its algorithm.

The way algorithms work is quite complex, especially since they are constantly changing, but the goal remains the same. The algorithm alone decides who will or will not see the shared videos. It determines the relevance of videos based on the number of views, viewing duration, likes, shares and comments.

Just like the majority of social media, Facebook places the user at the heart of its priorities. As a result, Internet users who have the habit of skipping videos will see fewer of them on their news feed. On the other hand, people who tend to consume a lot of videos will be even more tempted by the content that will be offered to them.

The advantage of this approach lies in the fact that advertisers will have a real stake in sharing relevant content. In addition, Internet users who view the videos will be selected according to their consumption habits, which makes them a better quality audience.

Note that Facebook's algorithm only favors videos uploaded directly to its platform. This therefore does not concern YouTube videos which are shared on social media.

Do you have a project regarding advertising on Facebook?

Contact us to be put in touch with certified suppliers!

How to use Facebook video to boost your sales?

Bet on the first seconds

On Facebook, when a video appears on a user's news feed, it starts automatically. However, the sound is not played until the user activates it manually.

When you share a video on social media, the first few seconds are crucial, this is what we call the hook or the tease in English. Moreover, according to a Facebook study, 43% of the value of a video must be delivered in the first 3 seconds, and 74% in the first 10 seconds.

Definitely avoid placing your logo at the start of the video, particularly if the logo display time represents several seconds. This is wasted concentration time, which could have been used for the benefit of the advertising product being marketed. Therefore, the branding must be integrated into the video, with a maximum of 5 seconds of display.

Understanding storytelling in silent mode

If the content appeals to the user, then they will activate the sound to continue reading. The latter may also decide to view the video in mute mode for various reasons, so think carefully about this aspect when creating your videos! You will have no excuse not to subtitle the videos you produce. Use beautiful images, impactful text and emotional storytelling to bring your content to life.

Add a call to action

The call to action is used to encourage the user to take action. It is carefully placed at the end of the video because a user who has made it this far is more likely to be interested in your products or services. Buy, Register, Find out more, Book now, are among the most used and effective calls to action.

Specify the content of the video

If Facebook asks to add a title and a category to your video, it is mainly with the aim of best reaching your target audience. Opt for a short, evocative title that will include keywords relating to what you offer and select the category that best matches your content.

Study statistics to optimize your performance on Facebook

Facebook offers you a range of options to allow you to measure the performance of your videos. This data is valuable in the development of your digital communication strategy and will help you determine the expectations of your audience.

Never forget that the web is a domain where everything is subject to change. Have you launched a video that is struggling to count views? All is not lost. Study the collected statistics and decide which content needs to be adjusted. The web is above all learning by trial and error, where practice and continuous improvement are the basis of each success.

Facebook's advice for increasing sales through video

• Create short videos that do not exceed 15 seconds;

• Quickly capture the user's attention by starting the video by impactful aspects;

• Concerning the format, use vertical or square videos so that mobile ads take up as much of the screen as possible;

• Quickly present the product or brand message;

• Use subtitles.