Mobile and Social Video: Facebook’s Creative Lead Explains What Works Best in Our Feeds

Video is taking over and we’re mostly viewing it on mobile in todays world. Embracing video for companies is important. In this session, G. Andrew Meyer, Creative lead at Facebook and Instagram took the Social Media Week Chicago stage and shared what is happening with video.

Below are some takeaways from the session. To watch the entire talk, plus access more than 100 hours of other SMW events, presentations, and interviews, sign up for SMW Insider.

At Facebook and Instagram, Meyer is constantly working with agencies and clients to enhance advertising on their platforms. “Video is everything, today people check their mobile feed at least 30 times a day. We have to think about feed based environments.”

The generation that we are in, everyone’s attention span has shortened. “The three second rule has become the one second rule.”

4 simple rules for video on a mobile-feed:

1. Does it have humor
2. Does it have heart
3. Does it have brains
4. Is it brave?

The shift to mobile has already happened, desktops are becoming irrelevant. Everyone is on a mobile device. “That means if it doesn’t play on mobile, it doesn’t play.” People spend 2.5 second on desktop and only 1.7 view time on mobile. 95% of Andrew’s clients videos are viewed on mobile. Since 2015, there has been a 800% increase in video views. It is important as your brand to embrace video. If you can do video, do video.

How do we create for a mobile feed?

• Cinemagraphs, we’re finding that simple pieces of video can perform well.
• New Story Arcs which means ‘Heartbeat Frequency’ of video, pulling along someone through the message; you’re seeing something every few seconds.
• Zigs and Zags, hook and a product, hook and a product.
• Start with the end and flipping the narrative backwards. If the content is good people are actively viewing it.

Facebook is focusing a lot on ‘Live Video.’ For marketers, having a reason to be live is key. When you can marry up the live experience to activate the people in the real world, that is when it is successful.

Session Takeaways:

• If you can do video, do video.
• The shift to mobile has already happened, desktops are becoming irrelevant.
• If a video doesn’t play on mobile, it doesn’t play.
• The three second rule for grasping attention has become the one second rule.

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