If you’ve spent even a small amount of time on social media in the last few years, you’ve probably noted videos appearing more frequently. On any given day, you might see your best friend’s GoPro video from their last vacation and a clip of that great play your team made yesterday. Don’t forget about the millionth recipe video your grandma felt the need to share.

Video has become the social media marketer’s go-to for increasing engagement, and there’s a good reason for it. Consumers are demanding more video content on all fronts. The American Marketing Association reports video content will drive 85 percent of search traffic in the US by 2019. In 2017, Snapchat generated 10 billion video views per day. And in total, about one third of the time people spend online is dedicated to watching video content.

Video presents an opportunity to condense information into interactive and easy-to-understand content users want to watch. Read on to find out how your brand can leverage this tool in your social media plan to increase engagement and get more results.

Lower Your Expectations

One of the biggest mistakes companies make when trying out video is trying to create the next viral sensation. Social media video production company Wochit analyzed more than 5,000 Facebook videos from 2017 and found only one percent went “viral,” or reached one million views. Sure, going viral is a great way to spread your brand name, but you shouldn’t bank on it. It certainly isn’t the only way for your video to be successful.

Instead of trying to reach every user on social media, focus on connecting with your brand’s specific target market. If you try too hard to appeal to everyone, you will miss out on connecting with the users who are most likely to take an interest in your brand. Focus on the quality of your views over the quantity. Quality content specific to your brand will attract the viewers who are more likely to engage as a customer.

Types of Content

There are a number of different routes to take when planning what kind of video content you want to create. In each case, consider where consumers are in their relationship with your brand.

For potential viewers who may be unfamiliar with your brand, entertainment videos are a great way to grab their attention. These videos are often short, creative and showcase your brand’s personality. It could be a video from a recent event you hosted, a highlight of your company culture, or even a funny or emotional story related to your brand.

Once your audience knows more about you and you hook their interest, consumers will go looking for more information. Offer educational videos to inform them about your product or industry. You can try showcasing product reviews, behind-the-scenes looks or customer testimonials.

Lastly, if they are thinking about making a purchase, viewers will find value in instructional videos. Create content explaining how to use your product, unexpected uses or show how it’s made.

Go Live

Want to create a sense of urgency and grab your audience’s attention? Try using live video. All of the major social media networks, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, have a livestreaming feature you can use to record live videos. These platforms will send a notification to your followers when a live stream is started, making it easy to cut through and connect with your audience. Live videos help create relationships and interactions with followers. It gives them a behind-the-scenes look into your brand, which promotes trust and shows you care about them.

You can use live videos to do the same things as traditional video, such as conduct an interview, show a product review or give a tutorial. Because it’s happening live and is less polished, the videos will be more transparent and feel more “real” to viewers.

Long vs. Short Form

One factor which will determine the success of your strategy is the run time of your content. When you think of social videos, the first examples to come to mind are probably 10-second Snapchats and short videos posted on Facebook. These short-form videos are great for creating content people can watch easily as they scroll through their news feed. They’re easier to watch to completion and capitalize on people’s shorter attention spans.

However, there are situations where long-form social video can be just as effective. Long or short, the key is keeping the viewer engaged. If you only have enough to say to engage them for 60 seconds, stay short. If you have a compelling story to tell to tell, don’t shy away from long form. People will take the time to watch it: YouTube reports one third of all their views are for videos longer than 20 minutes.

Conclusion: Have Fun with It

Remember: you’re not producing a Hollywood movie here. Have fun with your videos! No one will expect all your content to be perfectly filmed and edited. Ultimately, people want to watch and share content that is fun, unique and adds value to their lives. Just like that millionth recipe video.