re you looking for a little extra boost in your advertising/marketing, online presence, and SEO? Incorporate social media posts into your daily and weekly routine. This can easily be done by either the manager or the owner. You can post pictures or videos and add text, shorten clips, add music, ask survey questions, use “stickers,” add captions, and so much more. All the pictures and videos you see in advertising have something tweaked to make them more appealing and draw more attention. If you aren’t using social media, then you are missing an entire medium of advertising. There are countless apps or agencies that will aid you in your social media journey, but much or all of this you can do on your own with a little practice and being open to learning more and improving. At Storage Authority locations, social media is incorporated into the daily and weekly marketing plan.
When creating marketing videos, you should make one point or possibly no more than three to five points. Of course, this really depends on how long you will take to get your points across to the viewer. Just remember that most people only watch for about 15 seconds unless they are truly engaged or are really interested in your points. If you catch the viewer’s interest, you might keep them for two minutes. So, the next time you believe that you are making the “greatest video ever,” you might want to remember to make it great within two minutes or less, because your viewership drops off drastically after that point.
Consider creating videos of your showroom supplies and security monitors, gate entrance functionality, various storage unit sizes, wide aisles, or a view from the street. You can include your voice or add a voiceover, captions, and even some music.
How long will you grab the viewer’s attention? Here are some averages:
- YouTube – Up to a few minutes to possibly an hour (training videos, etc.)
- TikTok – 15 to 60 seconds (and watch multiple related videos reels up to 90 seconds)
- Instagram – 15- to 30-second stories
- Facebook – 24 to 90 seconds (up to three minutes)
- LinkedIn – 30 seconds to five minutes
- Twitter – 20 to 45 seconds
Check out these links for examples: www.facebook.com/StorageAuthorityFranchise and
www.linkedin.com/company/43372522/admin/feed/posts/.
Let me provide an example: I recently spoke with a friend about this topic, and he stated that he was looking up how to play something on his guitar. He found numerous short videos that were 30 seconds to two minutes long. He also found a video from a guitar legend that discussed the same aspect he wanted to learn. He watched about five short clips, but never bothered with the guitar legend’s tips simply because it was just too long.
Most people watch complete business-related videos if they’re less than 60 seconds long, but less than 25 percent will complete a video that is longer than 15 minutes. Platforms offer what is called analytics to view your detailed results on how your video is doing. This will also clue you into how you should create future videos and what is catching the views. If you really feel the need to make a long video, then consider splitting the video into shorter video “chapters” to gain a higher SEO. The shorter durations will maintain viewers and make the eager viewers come back for more.
As far as grabbing attention with your video, you will want to jazz it up with the various options available during the posting process. Adding text, voiceovers, music, colors, stickers, captions, sparkles, surveys, and GIFs (even the way you move your hand, eyes, and head) make it more attractive. When you watch a video where the person constantly moves their hands in a small window, remember they are doing that on purpose. Once you notice this, you can’t unsee it! There is research available and all sorts of video editing apps for these little details that make your video more appealing.
As far as making the videos, give it a shot. You might make a few bloopers along the way, but just try to be natural. Scripting a video ahead of time is great, but when it comes time to shoot the video, have it memorized. Don’t read from the script. Pay attention to your lighting and background noises that may distract a viewer or make it hard to hear your voice. Have fun with it and figure out what works best for you. In self- storage, don’t be afraid to do a selfie video or an interview. Consider a video from the street or of your product in use (units, gate, security, showroom, etc.). You can make them fun, educational, and/or to the point.
You can do basic photo editing on your phone with the included editing tools or use an application on your phone or computer for more complex editing. Social media platforms offer a variety of tools to make these pictures pop even more.
Consider various angles of your facility and landscaping, unit sizes with added text, or other images/stickers to grab attention. Products in use bring the photo more “life.” Any other features you wish to promote should be included.
Don’t be shy about commenting or responding to comments. Be interactive with your posts and you will attain higher activity and improve your ranking. Ask your viewers to “like” and “share.”
Generally, the use of social media will add another aspect to your advertising and get your business name out there. Short reminders and consistency are the keys to having good penetration on any platform. Have fun with it and learn along the way. You can always hire a company to do this for you, but there are so many simple actions you can take to make a huge difference right away and for little to no cost. This information only scratches the surface, or maybe it was too long? Did you read the first paragraph and move on? Did you make it to the end? Hopefully you did, and you can venture into social media make an impact on your business. Gain some viewers’ attention to promote your self-storage by making some creative and informative social media posts.