Sharing Your Video on Facebook
Having videos on Facebook is a marketing must for a photography business. Lately, there’s been a surge in people using video on Facebook to market their business, and with good reason. Though YouTube has tons of SEO value, Facebook videos can drive more engagement.
But changes to Facebook’s algorithm mean that videos with more engaged viewers will rank higher in Newsfeeds. And Facebook now takes into account whether people unmute your video or watch it at full screen, even if they don’t like or comment on it.
Obviously this means you want to hook viewers in right away – even before your video starts playing. In other words, how you upload your video can make or break your video’s success. So take a look at our guide to uploading videos to Facebook and make sure — whether you’re uploading directly to Facebook or through Animoto — your video looks enticing even before it starts playing.
Uploading Directly to Facebook
This option works best for videos you’ve downloaded directly, either from Animoto or another source. Here’s how you do it:
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Add Your Video. In Facebook, click the Add Video button just above where you’d normally add a comment. Select the video you want, add a comment if you’d like, then click Post.
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Edit Video. Here’s where you can involve your audience even before the video starts to play. Choosing the right thumbnail helps create anticipation for your video, even before it start to play. Though Facebook will choose a thumbnail for your video, it also lets you set your own description and choose different thumbnails when you’re editing your video.
When you post your video, you’ll see it upload, then get a message that your video is processing.
Wait until Facebook finishes processing, then edit. You can either select the Edit Video button (shown in the screenshot above) or you can go back and edit later. Open your video, select “Options”, then select “Edit This Video”.
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Editing Options. Once you choose to edit your video, you’ll be give options to add titles, tags, descriptions, and thumbnails for your video. When it comes to the thumbnails, Facebook selects 10 images from which you can choose. Save your changes and your video is all set.
Sharing from Animoto
If you don’t want to download your video, or would like to use our simpler, one-click sharing tool to put your video on Facebook, this is a good option for you. Here’s how to upload directly to Facebook from Animoto:
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One-click Sharing. Click the Facebook icon to the right of your produced video. If you haven’t already done so, you can link your Animoto account to Facebook, so that Facebook can receive your video. (Once you’ve linked your account, your Facebook profile picture will show up next to your name in Animoto. Just remember, if you aren’t logged in to Facebook, you can’t upload to it from Animoto.)
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Post Your Video. You’ll have the option to post to your timeline or to one of your pages. Choose your preference, and hit Post. If you want, change the thumbnail on your video the same way you would if you uploaded directly to Facebook. (See the instructions under “Uploading Directly to Facebook” above.)
Uploading videos to Facebook can be easy with a little know-how. And once you’ve learned to basics, you can be sure your videos look their best when you show them off online.