IT decision-makers rely on social media more than we think they do, according to research from IDG. Since video plays such a big role in social media, using video more effectively than your competition can pay big dividends.
IDG’s 2019 State of the CIO Report notes a “surge” of IT decision-makers into social networks this year. YouTube is now attracting two-thirds of IT execs to watch videos — up from 46% in 2018. Use of Facebook and Twitter by IT execs nearly doubled. The Twitter chat #IDGTechTalk draws hundreds of comments from IT leaders about hot button tech issues. 42% of executive IT managers post content on LinkedIn.
Why so much social media?
IDG’s Social Media Director Ginevra Adamoli said in an interview that she thinks the explanation behind the surge of social media interest is that IT execs aspire to be thought leaders, and want to associate their companies with trusted brands.
She suggests that marketers should try to insert their messages into these conversations “to piggyback on the credibility others have established.” Messages that succeed in social media should be short, and contain strong visuals. “Make it fun and flashy,” Adamoli advises, and not “overly technical.”
Obviously, short videos work best in social media. And you never want viewers to have to stop and think — you want them to go with the video flow. So, we can all agree that “not overly technical” is sound advice.
But, you don’t want to be underly technical, either — not if you’re talking to technical people. You need to be sure the message is clear before you make it flashy or funny.
- If you’re not 100% sure your flash-and-fun will hit the mark, give it a miss. Short and informative always beats doubtful humor.
- Come up with a headline/video title that tells the viewer why the video is worth watching. Put it on the opening screen (poster frame) or video button. That’s how you stop people from scrolling past.
- Identify the smallest number of subjects you need to cover to make the video worth watching by the person it’s aimed at. Limit yourself to one subject, if possible.
- End with a call to action.
