After analysing 100 million Facebook videos, BuzzSumo has uncovered the top tips for making yours more engaging
BuzzSumo’s findings on LinkedIn headlines made for fascinating reading. Now, the data gurus have revealed the secrets to Facebook video engagement.
Looking at likes, reactions and comments, the aim was to find out what types of videos performed best and underlying trends among the top scorers.
The full blog post offers an insight into the dominance of video on social media. For content marketers looking to give their videos a boost, 4 key points stand out.
1. Food glorious food
Food is the runaway winner when it comes to video content. The average culinary video obtains twice as many engagements as the next most popular topic (fashion and beauty), with animals, DIY and humour completing the top 5.
2. Short and sweet
BuzzSumo found that 60-90 seconds is the sweet spot for video engagement – the average number of interactions in this range stands at just over 3,000. It then declines substantially, leveling off at the 6 minute mark.
Don’t be too brief though – videos under 30 seconds in length were the least engaging of all.
3. Live and kicking
Don’t forget the value of live video. Engagement increases up to 15-16 minutes, after which it remains stable. Taking the top performing 10,000 live videos alone, the average length was 20 minutes.
Investing some time into a live strategy can pay off. Engagement was higher among the top performing 10,000 live videos (1,043 interactions) than their non-live counterparts (928).
4. First impressions
Brevity is your friend here. The 10,000 most engaging videos surveyed by BuzzSumo had very short introductions – the average opening paragraph clocked in at just 84 characters.
Facebook might not be the channel of choice for many B2B businesses. But its preeminence in our lives, professional and social, shows no signs of abating. The rise of video content is an important associated trend.
The habits developed by consumers on Facebook establishes behaviours reflected in their working lives. Any B2B firm worth their salt must be aware of what their audience is consuming, and how they are consuming it.
