Facebook allows its users to post all types of media. Video is one of if not the most captivating media there is, so as online marketers it is up to us to use it wisely and effectively. But how should you be using video on your Facebook page, and how can you keep getting new video to post? These are great questions, but with just a little bit of effort on your part, you will be posting effective video on your page in no time.

The first thing you will want to do is to have a target audience for your video. If I am selling fishing equipment, I am probably going to want to target fishermen. Knowing who your target audience is will help you create or find a video that will better speak to them. I’m not going to post a video with a hard rock soundtrack and expect my senior engagement on my site to increase. The days of the rocking grandma are long gone. She found her beef and now she is living a quiet life somewhere in Florida. One of my first tasks during my YMCA internship was to create personal trainer fitness videos. My target audience was people who might be interested in hiring a trainer. These people would want a trainer who is knowledgeable as well as personable. I did my best to showcase both of these attributes in our trainers by having them introduce themselves and demonstrate exercises they know and love. This gave my target audience a chance to get to know our trainers personalities and education.

If you have a video you really want people to see, you can always pin it to the top of your page. You can use this technique with other types of posts as well. This will ensure that everyone visiting  your page will see your video right at the top. This is great if you have an awesome ad you are trying to promote. The more they see the ad, the more it gets into their brains, which is where we want to be.

Your videos should be humorous. Life is serious enough as it is, so let’s keep our videos on the lighter side. Americas Funniest Home Videos has been around for a long time for a reason. People like to laugh and Facebook is no exception. Know your target audience when using humor to avoid alienating anyone. Good humor can be clean, it just might be a little harder to find. Obviously there will be some situations where a serious tone is warranted, but these are few and far between.

Be consistent in posting the right amount of video. This is a bit more complicated than the other steps because it will differ from business to business. You will want to find the right amount of video content your Facebook fans want. To do this you will need to experiment with bi-weekly, weekly, and daily videos. Then poll your fans to see how much content they would prefer. Once you are able to determine how much they want, you need to consistently provide them with it. People like to see structure in their lives, so provide it to them with a little bet of consistency in your posts.

Start making your own videos. Everyone has a phone, and with a little bit of practice your video making and editing skills will grow naturally. Keep your videos to about two minutes or less. Anything longer becomes tedious and boring to most Facebook users. Short and sweet is always our goal when making a video. Remember the more videos you make, the more experience you will get. I look back on my first video I did for the Y, and it looks like a dried up banana peal on a lonely stretch of highway compared to the videos I’m putting out now. Just by making more videos, my skills have improved naturally.

Now that you are armed with video making and promoting skills, use them wisely. One of your video posts could go viral, and that would mean a lot more traffic for you and your page. Wow, only in online marketing are the words “viral” and “traffic” good things. What other ways can you use video to help promote your business on Facebook? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Don’t forget to hit the share button below because gaining knowledge is the first step to wisdom; sharing it is the first step to humanity.