How can you balance the message and medium in social media videos?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start producing your video, you need to define your purpose. What is the main message you want to convey? What is the objective of your video? How do you want your viewers to feel and act after watching your video? Your purpose will guide your decisions on the tone, style, length, and format of your video. For example, if your purpose is to educate your audience about a complex topic, you might want to use a longer, more informative, and more visual video. If your purpose is to entertain your audience and increase your reach, you might want to use a shorter, more humorous, and more catchy video.

2 Know your audience

Another key factor to balance the message and medium in social media videos is to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your video? What are their interests, needs, and preferences? How do they consume video content on social media? Your audience will influence your choices on the language, tone, style, and format of your video. For example, if your audience is young, tech-savvy, and active on TikTok, you might want to use a shorter, more dynamic, and more creative video. If your audience is older, professional, and active on LinkedIn, you might want to use a longer, more formal, and more informative video.

3 Know your platform

The third factor to balance the message and medium in social media videos is to know your platform. Each social media platform has its own features, rules, and best practices for video content. You need to adapt your video to the specific requirements and expectations of each platform. For example, if you are posting your video on Instagram, you need to consider the aspect ratio, the length, the captions, and the hashtags of your video. If you are posting your video on YouTube, you need to consider the title, the description, the thumbnail, and the tags of your video.

4 Know your story

The fourth factor to balance the message and medium in social media videos is to know your story. Your story is the core of your video content. It is what makes your video unique, engaging, and memorable. Your story should have a clear structure, a strong hook, a compelling narrative, and a powerful call to action. Your story should also be relevant, authentic, and emotional. Your story should connect with your audience and inspire them to take action. For example, if you are telling a story about how your product or service solved a problem for a customer, you should show the problem, the solution, the benefits, and the testimonial of the customer.

5 Know your style

The fifth factor to balance the message and medium in social media videos is to know your style. Your style is the way you express your message and your brand through your video content. Your style should be consistent, distinctive, and appropriate for your purpose, audience, and platform. Your style should also reflect your personality, values, and voice. Your style should make your video stand out and resonate with your audience. For example, if you are creating a video for a fun and casual brand, you should use a colorful, lively, and friendly style. If you are creating a video for a serious and professional brand, you should use a sleek, elegant, and authoritative style.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?