The Complete 2023 Guide to Facebook Video Marketing

If we want to successfully use video on Facebook as marketers and publishers, we need the inside scoop on the latest video consumption trends. Especially as video takes on a more central role across the Facebook ecosystem.

That‘s why I‘ve compiled the definitive guide to Facebook video statistics and best practices. Consider me your resident video nerd and Facebook friend!

In this monster guide, we‘ll cover everything from video creation tips to optimal lengths and formats for ads. I‘ll also reveal some of my favorite Facebook video case studies.

Let‘s get started with an updated snapshot of video viewing behavior on Facebook today…

Just How Big is Facebook Video These Days?

Previously we covered high-level stats showing over 150 million hours of Facebook video is viewed daily. To put that into context, here is how video stacks up across Facebook‘s apps:

So Facebook flagship app generates over 8 billion video views worldwide every single day currently.

Videos clearly play a central role in the modern Facebook experience. As we scroll through our feeds, video content dominates more than ever before.

Now let‘s analyze how Facebook video consumption compares to YouTube, TikTok and other leading platforms…

How Facebook Video Stacks Up Against YouTube and TikTok

When it comes to total video consumption, YouTube still tops the digital media world by a wide stretch:

However, in terms of total user reach, Facebook comes out ahead as the largest social media platform in the world with nearly 3 billion monthly active users.

Compare that to TikTok, the wildly viral short-form video app focused on teens and young millennials. TikTok only recently crossed the 1 billion monthly active user threshold.

So while TikTok videos go massively viral among younger audiences, Facebook provides access to a much broader demographic spread. Its users also tend to be more diverse in age and geographical location compared to TikTok‘s narrower user base.

This makes Facebook an incredibly powerful video distribution platform, especially for businesses targeting older Millennial and Gen X audiences.

Now let‘s analyze popular Facebook video categories and formats in more detail…

Top Facebook Video Genres and Publishers

We briefly mentioned LADBible and 5-Minute Crafts as two of the top video publishers on Facebook. But what are the most common video categories and formats people watch on Facebook generally?

As you can see, entertainment consistently reigns supreme when it comes to Facebook video. But there is also tremendous popularity and viewer engagement around more niche categories like cooking videos, family vlogging channels, fashion tutorials and music content.

Publishing category-leading data like this enables marketers to optimize video creative and strategy for specific niches. It also illustrates how Facebook serves a much wider range of viewer psychographics than a Gen Z-dominated platform like TikTok currently does.

Crafting High-Converting Facebook Video Ads

So now that we understand Facebook video consumption patterns, how can marketers take advantage by running profitable video ad campaigns?

As I covered previously, Facebook video ads see substantially higher engagement metrics compared to static image ads. Here is a recap:

With video ads converting shoppers so much more effectively, they deserve the lion‘s share of your Facebook ad budget.

However, crafting the right video creative is crucial.

Here are 4 essential optimization tips:

1. Lead with your strongest value prop

Hook viewers instantly by highlighting your product‘s #1 benefit in the first 3 seconds. Grab their attention fast before drop-off sets in.

2. Show your product in action

Let viewers see how your product delivers its promise through compelling lifestyle footage or demonstrations.

3. Overlay text to direct eyes

Guide the viewer journey by highlighting key selling points via animated overlays and captions layered on your video footage.

4. Always A/B test video creatives

Set up Video View conversion campaigns Optimized for Conversions. Then create multiple ad variations testing different openings, captions, music and more. Facebook will automatically shift budget to the highest-performing version.

By continually A/B testing our video ads, we uncovered thumbnails and captions focused on luxury and exclusivity dramatically boosted sales, despite not being our primary brand messaging historically.

Video offers that level of personalization and optimization. We must take advantage!

On that note, let‘s transition to discussing best practices when it comes to publishing organic video…

Optimizing Your Videos to Earn More Organic Reach

Running video ads is fantastic, but organic reach matters too – especially for publishers and content creators building an audience on Facebook long-term.

The reality all creators face is that Facebook wants you to pay to reach more eyeballs. Similar to YouTube, the percentage of your followers that see a given post is miniscule without pumping money into promotions.

However, by crafting video content that sparks conversation and community action, you can expand your organic reach over time.

Here are 5 video best practices that serve the Facebook algorithm:

1. Post natively instead of linking to YouTube

By uploading videos directly instead of merely sharing YouTube links, you give Facebook original, platform-exclusive content to showcase to extended networks.

I‘ve tested this repeatedly. Facebook rewards native video with 2X to 10X more organic views on average.

2. Optimize captions for sound-off viewing

Remember, most Facebook video is consumed without audio. Make sure captions summarize context accurately even for subtle jokes.

Also, captions boost watch time metrics that signal to Facebook your content is engaging.

3. Ask viewers questions to spark comments

Reply and react to every single comment from your fans. Dialogue is social media gold, showing Facebook your community is highly engaged with your videos specifically.

4. Use calls-to-action in captions to seed shares

Captions overlaying key moments saying "Share this with all moms!" or "Tag someone who needs this!" are proven to increase video shares. Help seed that vital peer-to-peer distribution.

5. Stream live to double video view duration

Live video inherently earns 4X longer average view duration. Use streaming to promote pre-recorded video assets and redirect that live energy.

Overall by obsessively analyzing video metrics and doubling down on what converts best into comments and shares, we can earn more organic video visibility despite Facebook‘s pay-to-play algos.

On that note, let‘s chat transparently about some core video creator challenges on Facebook…

Overcoming Facebook‘s Biggest Video Headaches

While Facebook offers tremendous video marketing potential, creators also face frustrating limitations compared to more video-centric platforms:

Aggressive compression

Facebook‘s encoding process degrades video quality substantially. Fine details become blocky and artifacts arise, especially in dark scenes.

This cheapens a video‘s perceived production value, negatively impacting viewer retention rate.

Restrictive content rules

Nudity, suggestive imagery and adult language result in rejected ads even for age-targeted campaigns. Facebook plays censor while acting as self-appointed morality police.

Biased algorithms

Suppressing community growth and unpaid reach is now central to Facebook‘s business model. Prepare for the long slow grind – organic video views do not scale explosively no matter how engaging your content might be.

Frequent platform changes

What works today gets patched in the next update. We live in constant "Move fast and break things" churn. Just when you perfect video strategy, everything shifts again.

By banding together as creators and providing mutual support, we can overcome Facebook‘s control while still tapping into its unparalleled audience reach.

Stay empowered, stay creative. Now let‘s finish strong with my 2023 predictions…

Key Facebook Video Trends to Expect in 2024

We‘ve covered a ton of need-to-know Facebook video statistics and best practices so far. To wrap up, I want to gaze into the crystal ball at the big trends I see shaping Facebook video usage and strategy this year:

Continued consumption growth

Facebook usage continues migrating to video-first, especially among younger demographics. Static text status updates feel increasingly outdated.

Facebook Watch challenges YouTube

Watch will see expanded content investments and premium original programming as Facebook aggressively competes for entertainment video dominance.

Instagram Reels overtakes TikTok

As Facebook integrates Reels across its family of apps, their short-form video remix format will continue outpacing TikTok in total reach.

Live shopping via video takes off

Expect integrated live streaming commerce to become commonplace as Facebook follows China‘s lead. Video will drive product discovery and episodic long-form sales funnels.

Your turn:

What opportunities or challenges do you see on the Facebook video horizon? How might your marketing and monetization strategy shift in 2024? I‘d love to hear your thoughts and predictions in the comments below.

And if you found this comprehensive guide useful, please take a moment to like and share it so others can access this resource. Now let‘s put these video insights into action!