10 Ways to Use Video Content in Facebook Groups

Let's start this paragraph by understanding what video content means. Video content is closely related to video marketing. This means that every video you create with the purpose of promoting your service or products can be defined as video content.

Now, there is one idea of mine (and I'm sure I'm not the only one) that I would like to write here. In my experience and from what I'm seeing every day, marketing has become very hidden, at least in some situations. I don't see this with bad eyes. My generation (those born in the early 90s) is very skeptical regarding ads and any type of persuasive promotion. They (we) don't react to simple ads anymore, at least not in the way previous generations do. We see the add, check the website, but then start checking the internet for reviews, start asking friends, analyzing the website and so on. It's hard to get our trust.

Therefore, marketers started to do more, companies begun to promote their products in uncommon ways. As technology is developing with each passing day, most of them try to use every way to make us buy their product. They saw that we like to be somehow involved and that we like to have a relationship with a company. They try to make and to keep us interested in their content.

One of the most common types of memory is the visual memory. Since the day marketing appeared, marketers have used banners and all sorts of visual promotion, as it is known that people will recall something visual more easily.

This is why video content has gained popularity. If used well, it combines subtlety with memorable information. This leads me to the idea that even live videos, stories and similar videos, fall into the video content category. A company doesn't necessarily have to actually create a video where it talks about its product; that company has to gain customers' trust, therefore it has to share 80% content and 20% real selling.

Having all these in mind, I would say that

video content is whatever video you create that somehow it's linked to later selling your product and gaining customers.

I hope I'm making myself clear. Let me give you a basic example: you are now sharing a video about peeling potatoes efficiently. You've created it because you genuinely want to teach people this, but also because you'll know your followers will find it helpful. This will lead to another point in their trust level, that will lead to later selling your recipes book.

It kind of results from what I wrote above. Still, the reason comes also from the fact that Facebook Groups are created for the community. Especially inside a Facebook Group, people will not enjoy direct selling (unless is a specific selling group). You as a company,

I believe that no matter what's your domain, you can definitely use video content in your Facebook Group.

There are two categories I thought about. First one is about the actual type of video, and the second one is about the content of the video. You'll get it in a few seconds.

Types of videos:

1. Live Videos
2. Classic Videos
3. Stories

Types of videos based on their content:

1. Testimonials;
2. Product Demonstration;
3. Behind the Scenes;
4. Selling your product;
5. Tutorials;
6. Courses;
7. DIY Videos.

Live Videos can be used in many situations:

• if you have a brick&mortar business, you can “take” your members to a virtual-live tour; as they ask questions, you can respond to them instantly;
• in case you are a trainer, you can plan your Live Videos ahead, so that many of your members will be able to join you; it will be better than an online course because members can share their opinions and ask questions just as you talk; besides, you can also share your screen;
• maybe you own a cooking Facebook Group; why not share a new recipe exactly when you are making it?
• any type of business you have, you can show your members (which can totally be your clients) what are you up to;
• hold some Q&A sessions, but you be the one asking them about what they want from you, what new things, how can you improve etc.
• gaming night? You can stream what you're playing!
• if you own a sports Facebook Group, then share your Live Videos in a 360 mode (you have to have a special camera for this);
• and many, many other situations.

Another cool thing that recently appeared in Facebook Groups is Stories. Created by Snapchat, they were implemented by Instagram and then by Facebook, too. They've come a long way, as now business are using them more and more. So if you own a Facebook Group, for a business purpose, how do you think you can use Stories? I believe that in the exact same way you are using them in other places.

Stories are a great alternative to Live Videos. I mean you may want to present some things to your audience, but maybe it's not the right time, literally. So why not share a Stories, and give your community the chance to see it for 24 hours.

There's one catch: you can only post Stories from your smartphone. It's a two-sided situation: it is great because you can post the Story from wherever you are, but it's sometimes inconvenient as you are working on your laptop and you don't want to switch. Third-world problems, nonetheless. The good thing is that the Stories you share can be viewed even on desktop.

Stories will be posted in your group's story. Other members can add Stories, too. To make sure everyone is acting nice, you can choose to approve all of the Stories. It can be a bit of a burden, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

In a past article, about ways of engagement in a Facebook Group LINK, I mentioned that you can choose a day when you and your members can share things from your life: how's the weather, what activity are you doing etc. Just a few weeks ago, I was saying to use this in a simple post, where members will comment with text and photos. Now I'm suggesting you use Stories for this kind of Facebook Groups engagement. They can be much more fun.

To create a Story, just go into your mobile app, in your group, and right at the beginning you'll see this:

After you take the picture/video, you can quickly add it just to your group's story:

Or you can hit the Next button, which will allow you to choose other groups and friends that you can share the story with. Sharing this story with your friends means that they will receive it privately, in Facebook Messenger. Otherwise, you can share it as your own story or as a Facebook post.

In terms of content, you should always think about how can your video help, entertain or teach your audience. Your Facebook Group members joined it for meeting you and others that share the same ideas. They don't necessarily want to feel the “pressure” of buying something. They want to learn about you and from you.

Also, keeping a relaxed and happy vibe inside your group will definitely loosen them up. You'll benefit from this because a happy mood leads to trust and to a sale.

Sometimes you just have to show how your product works. Or you just have to put it in real life, in order to help you members image themselves in the situation of using your product.

For this kind of video, you can use any of the types above: live video, classic, story. Create a more detailed one, making it more professional, as the classic video. You can use it as a presentation, but make sure not to overpost it. I advise you to also not include a link to or an offer in this video (the one that you are sharing with your Facebook Group community). Keep those for your Facebook Page.

Here's an idea. Do some stories where you are casually using the product you want to later talk about. Of course, it's best to use products that you really believe in. Just wanted to say that. People feel when you are promoting something just because you want money. Getting back, try not to use the product's name, but simply use it as it's been in your life for so long. After that, plan a Facebook Live Video – announce your community that some (or many) members asked more details about that product you kept using in your stories.

Try to be genuine in using that product; maybe even present it in a fun way. Ask your members to think of ways to use it, then apply their ideas right on the spot. This is a great way of engagement in your Facebook Group.

Later, ask your community about how they would create a video about that product. Do a poll. Then analyze the results, and let them know what you found. After that, create that professional video. Many of your members will feel good that they participated in this mini-research, and they will really like that you wanted them to participate in it. Great engagement right here!

This kind of video can be made, again, with all the types above. Stories, I must say, can be the most popular, as you can quickly choose them whenever you have an interesting situation going on behind the scenes.

What's your Facebook Group about? It doesn't matter that much, you are creative and can always think of something you can share with your members. For example, if you're a blogger, you can quickly share some aspects of your day to day life. You can also share how are you preparing to write: where do you find ideas, what apps are you using for higher efficiency and so on. As you can create them with your smartphone, Stories are a super convenient way of sharing immediately a situation you're finding yourself in.

Live Videos are useful as well, as you can respond to your members' questions in real time. Just be sure to properly announce that you are going to do a Live Video in your Facebook Group; give to as many members the chance to watch it live.

Even though they may be a bit harder to obtain, testimonials videos are a great way of engagement. I don't think that Live Videos can be so popular – you're members may not want to be at the center of attention. Still, Stories and Classic Videos can be really helpful.

Ask your members to do a short story about how they like you or your products. Tell them that, if they agree, you'll use all of the stories to create a more professional video, which you'll share across social media.

You have to accept that some of your Facebook Group members will accept this proposal, some will not. Don't try to persuade those that don't want to, and don't try to bribe them. You can offer them something only after they chose to film a testimonial. Otherwise, you'll risk having many video testimonials created just because you were offering something.

The classic video you'll be able to create after all of the stories will help you not only in your Facebook Group but also outside of it. More people will know that you have and are part of a community that really enjoys what you're doing, and they will want to join, too. It's a win-win situation.

Basically, these kinds of videos are the closest to commercial ones. You may even call them commercials. That is why I won't advise you to use them in your Facebook Groups as “Hey, this is our product – buy it”. Maybe use it in your group's stories.

If you are going to create this kind of video, and if you have the possibility, before promoting it online, ask your members about their opinion. Or even ask them to participate in the video. Perhaps you can do a small research, and find out exactly what they would like, before creating the video.

Engagement in Facebook Group is a really important aspect. So whatever you are doing, make sure you involve your community. Creating a Facebook Group will help you be closer to your customers and followers, therefore precisely knowing their behavior, likes, dislikes etc.

If you think about it, you'll be the one that has a secret weapon when it comes to creating that perfect video commercial. And your Facebook Group members will feel valued, as they contributed to its creation.

These three have the same purpose: to teach people about things. That is why I believe these are the ones you should post in your Facebook Group the most. Each of them has a unique way of teaching your community about things, but I think they will all end up with the same benefit: Facebook Group engagement.

It doesn't really matter what type of video you'll use for them, just make sure they are appealing enough. Still, if you really want to define something, here you go: you can use Live Videos for tutorials, classic ones or courses, and DIY for Stories.

Precisely for Courses videos, you can use the new Facebook Group feature, called Units. Your members will learn in an organized way, and you'll know how many of them completed the courses. Besides, this will be useful for every member, no matter if it's new or old.

You can gather some members and watch Facebook videos with them, live. This is great not just for personal use, but also for business. Let's say you uploaded some videos a while back and you have since gained a lot of new members. They certainly don't know about those videos, so why not pick a day of the month and invite all of your new members to watch those videos? Ask them to comment right then, have a conversation with them. Answer their burning questions. I'm sure that this will be a great first-time activity.

Not only this, but you can watch old videos with old members, too. Perhaps you uploaded a video that didn't bring you many reactions, or maybe you want to discuss a topic all over again, or perhaps you want to freshen their memory about something you talked about. Gather them to a Watch Party!

Old and new members of the group can be put together to engage in a Watch Party. You can even use the situations I mentioned above. In this way, you'll see how different are the new members' opinions vs the old members' ones. No matter your choice, a Watch Party is definitely a great way to engage with your members.

Here's how you start a Watch Party. You go in the Discussion Tab, and right in front of you, there is the Watch Party button. Click on it and you'll see this:

Click on Add Video; you can choose from Search (videos from Facebook), Watched (videos you, personally watched), Group (videos from the Group), Live, Saved and Suggested. To watch a video you created and uploaded in the group, click on the Group tab. In the Search tab, Facebook will show you what are your friends watching, and Recommended shows.

You'll have to add all of the videos you want to watch, in a Queue. After this, hit Done, and then Post. This is how your Watch Party will appear in the group:

You've probably noticed on our blog that my colleague also wrote about Youtube Video Tips. I strongly believe that creating Video Content in Facebook Groups can easily borrow some of the tips and ideas she wrote about.

Let's put a pin on some and see which one of the YouTube situations apply to Facebook Groups as well.

If you can, ask your Facebook Group community about what they would like to see. Let your members comment on your post, or do a poll. Either way, read every ideas and request. This is similar to responding to viewers requests.

Still, there will be situations when some of your Facebook Groups members will give you some negative feedback on your videos. Be prepared for this. Maybe they are new members, maybe they simply don't like the video. Even if this situation will not be at YouTube videos' level, you should be prepared for negative feedback LINK. You have to keep in mind that your Facebook Group, if created well LINK, will have members that will not be so aggressive as the ones from YouTube can (because there is a whole other type of public community). If anything, you will see only comments that you could use for future improvements. Your audience won't be harsh, they will just try to tell you what they didn't like about your videos, so be prepared to consider their opinions.

Another YouTube Videos tip is to keep a content plan. Yes, this applies also to Facebook Groups videos. After you've analyzed what your community likes and dislikes, it's better to make a video content plan, just for you to know exactly your schedule. Maybe you can choose a day of the month to post that commercial video. You can do Live Videos every week or every month – for this, you'll need to know what you should talk about, in order to be able to talk about as much information as you can. Posting Stories can be integrated into a content plan, as you can post daily about something you want to talk about. Take those “on the moment” Stories as they are – surprising and unplanned.

Teasers for your videos can also be used as a tip for video content in Facebook Groups. These teasers can actually be parts of your full video that you can use to get some reactions from your audience. You can post these and ask your Facebook Group members about what they think about them. After that, you will know if you should change part of your video or not. And again, you'll involve you followers in big decisions, which will make them feel happy and appreciated.

If you are scared of filming yourself, try to think that you are talking with a friend. After all, that's what you'll do. Your Facebook Groups community will be your community of friends, so don't be afraid.

In case you are filming courses, try to look into the lens. It's common knowledge that it is best to look into people's eyes when you're talking to them. Giving the fact that “you are talking with your friends”, look them in eye, try to make some virtual eye contact!

Finally, for Live Videos and for the classic ones used for various courses and tutorials, try to have a script. In this way, you'll be more efficient and you'll not feel nervous; you'll know exactly what are your key points, therefore you will not get lost in thoughts, making your video look unprofessional. Of course, Live Videos will be a bit complicated to do with a script, but I strongly advise you to try as hard as you can. Your members may constantly ask you questions, and you may be tempted to answer them immediately. Instead of doing this, tell them that you'll answer at the end of the Live Video.

Another reason to use scripts for Live Videos is that I'm sure you don't like it when people are starting a Live just to do it, and then they sit and smile in front of the camera. They look like they don't know what to talk about. A successful Facebook Group is all about organizing (and many others).

So be professional, and try to really put some effort into creating video content in your group.

I hope that all these tips and ideas will help you to use video content in Facebook Groups. Of course, you can test out any ideas, and apply only what's best for you. Just be a part of your group's community, in order to have a successful Facebook Group.