Who doesn’t love a good internet video? Whether it’s exhilarating drone footage of an event, an inspiring slice of a life well-lived, or a funny video meme best friends, internet multimedia has become an essential part of our shared experience. In fact, we love videos so much, that by 2019 it’s projected that 1 million minutes of video will be shared online every second and 80 percent of all internet traffic will be attributable to video.
As a social media platform on the forefront of global conversations, it’s only natural that Twitter has become a go-to site for video-viewing. Since the beginning of 2016, video Tweets on Twitter have increased by over 50 percent.
Making a Twitter video doesn’t have to take a lot of effort. Services like Vine can help you easily capture and share a six second video that loops and delights. Considering broadcasting an event live to a massive audience? There is perhaps no better option than the Periscope app for Twitter. If you’re intrigued, but still not sure how Twitter video fits into your marketing plan, let us show you the way.
Why should you use Twitter video?
There’s no doubt that people are using Twitter video and will continue to use it as Twitter develops new features. Research shows that 90 percent of Twitter video views happen on mobile devices. This makes Twitter video an ideal way to reach consumers on their phones in real-time, even when they’re out and about. A Promoted Twitter video can take consumer action even further. Twitter users exposed to a branded video have 28 percent higher purchase intent than the online norm.
In our exclusive behind the scenes film, watch @007 be pursued through Rome by @DaveBautista in the #CX75. #SPECTREhttps://t.co/NMHCcwg5eC
— Jaguar (@Jaguar) September 25, 2015
Twitter users don’t just absently view the Tweets of others—they engage. Twitter found that uploading a video natively to Twitter drives 2.5 times more replies, 2.8 times more Retweets, and 1.9 times more likes than simply including a link to a third-party video in your Tweet.
If you’re wondering why you should choose Twitter video, there’s some compelling research to make the case. Seventy percent of Twitter users say they only/mostly watch videos that they discover in their timelines. Only 11 percent say they use search on Twitter to find specific videos. On YouTube, the inverse is true with 20 percent of consumers only/mostly watching videos that they discover on YouTube and 63 percent always/usually using the platform to find specific videos. That makes Twitter video a standout platform for less recognized brands to get noticed and grow their following.
What types of video do users enjoy most on Twitter? A Twitter survey found that 37 percent of Twitter users would like to see more Twitter videos from their favorite brands. Perhaps that brand is you!
Twitter video requirements and specifications
Just last month Twitter adjusted its video requirements to meet the increasing demand. Previously, uploaded videos were limited to 30 seconds but now users can create Twitter videos up to 140 seconds long. Select publishers can post promoted videos up to 10 minutes long through Twitter’s professional publisher tools.
For the technical member of your team, here’s the rundown on everything you need to know about Twitter video specs.
Twitter video length
- Twitter video length should be between 0.5 seconds and 140 seconds.
Twitter video file format
- Twitter supports MP4 and MOV video formats on mobile apps.
- On the web, Twitter supports the MP4 video format with H264 format with AAC audio.
- You can upload videos up to 512MB, however you will be prompted to edit videos to two minutes and 20 seconds or less in length.
File size/resolution/dimensions
- Twitter video dimensions should be between 32 x 32 and 1280 x 1024.
- Twitter video file size should not exceed 15 mb (sync) / 512 mb (async).
- Twitter video resolution must meet a minimum resolution of 32 x 32 and a Maximum resolution of 1920 x 1200 (and 1200 x 1900).
Specs for other types of Twitter video
Promoted Twitter videos specs
- File type: MP4 or MOV
- File size: Under 1GB strongly recommended for optimal performance.
- Max time: 10 minutes
Twitter video app cards specs
- File type: MP4 or MOV
- File size: Under 1GB strongly recommended for optimal performance.
- Max time: 10 minutes
Twitter video tweet
- Tweet Copy: 116 characters
- Title (under video): 70 characters
- Description (under video): 200 characters
How to upload video to Twitter
Once you have your video created, you’re in business to upload it to Twitter. Share your video from your iPhone or computer immediately, or schedule it on Hootsuite for publishing later. We recently announced our new integration with Twitter video as well as more support for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram video. Check out our step by step directions below.
How to upload a video to Twitter on your computer
- Click the Tweet button.
- Click Add media.
- Choose a video file stored on your computer and click Open. (Note: You’ll be prompted if the selected video is not in a supported format.)
- In the Edit window, you can trim the length of your selected video to between one second and two minutes and 20 seconds.
- Click Done when you’re finished with your edits.
- Complete your message and click Tweet to share your Tweet and video.
How to upload video to Twitter from your iPhone or iPad
- Tap the Tweet icon
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Find the video you’d like to Tweet and tap to select it.
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You can trim the length of your selected video by dragging either side of the bar at the bottom. (Note: Maximum video length is two minutes and 20 seconds.)
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Tap Trim to finish your edits. (You can preview your video by tapping the play button before Tweeting it. This also allows you to make additional edits to your video before sharing.)
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Tap Tweet to share your message and video.
The great outdoors are calling. Time to show them some #SWColorLove. https://t.co/BFLsUEwzY9 pic.twitter.com/EOmqHGAgdy
— Sherwin-Williams (@SherwinWilliams) July 25, 2016
How upload video to Twitter via Hootsuite
You can use Hootsuite to schedule a video for an optimal engagement time or a more personal response to any customer inquiry that pops up in your @mention stream.
- In the compose message box, click Attach media.
- Click choose files to upload, select the video file and then click Open, or drag-and-drop a video file from your desktop.
- Click post later to schedule a specific time or autoschedule to take advantage of Hootsuite’s spectacular algorithm.
Voila! Once your Twitter video is out in the world, users will have the opportunity to watch and engage with your brand like never before.
8 ways to use Twitter video
There are zillions of ways to use Twitter video and innovators are devising new strategies everyday. Here are just a few of the many options available to help you spread your message and raise brand awareness.
1. Reply to Tweets
Responding to Tweets demonstrates that your account is active and engaging with people, which may inspire new people to follow you. Replying to a Tweet with a video is a meaningful way to engage with your audience. Rather than a generic message, a video gives you room to surprise, delight, and hopefully inspire Retweets.
2. Host Q&A sessions
Offering your audience the opportunity to ask questions directly via video, shakes up the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain vibe and humanizes your brand. Twitter is an excellent place to host these sessions because of the millions of users engaging with the app at any one time.
#TDF2016 The answer to the fan Q&A question – by @RSinkeldam, @simongeschke and @RoyCurvers.https://t.co/PKLM2xI3f3
— Team Giant-Alpecin (@GiantAlpecin) July 18, 2016
3. Share real-time updates and events
With Periscope, you can broadcast live video on Twitter. You may consider doing this from a fun promotional event or just an average day at the office. Live videos should feel like a conversation between you and the viewer.
Periscope Tweet Embeds are here! You can now play and share Periscope broadcasts directly in embedded tweets! 🐥🎥💙 pic.twitter.com/pMjtAtshky
— Periscope (@periscopeco) July 21, 2016
4. Educate
Internet users are curious! Teach your audience something interesting about your brand or teach them something fascinating about the world with a Twitter video.
Amsterdam is using refugee boat tours through its own canals to teach a lesson about the city's history.https://t.co/lG1GZu3282
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 23, 2016
5. Promote, advertise, and share teasers
Promoted Video on Twitter allows you to target specific, engaged consumers. With Twitter’s recent addition of auto-play, all videos automatically begin to play as users scroll through their timelines, encouraging interaction with the video by tap or click.
To all the artists, designers and creatives who educate, entertain, and help make the world a better place. #Oscarshttps://t.co/a3YvdfpGkq
— Adobe (@Adobe) February 23, 2015
6. Offer exclusive content and behind-the-scenes peeks
Offering a sneak peek is a great way to generate excitement for your brand. A video that stirs up emotion, fascinates, or leaves the viewer in awe can prompt your audience to share and return for more content to see what wild and crazy thing you post next.
Here's a sneak peek of opening rally at SMU!! The college camp circuit has officially started! pic.twitter.com/COAK4EJf6x
— NCA Updates (@NCAupdates) July 27, 2016
7. Entertain
You can’t really go wrong if you create something truly entertaining. Men’s odor defeating product maker, Old Spice went above and beyond with this hilarious video of a face painting robot. No doubt this video took time, effort, and creativity. Worth it!
A robot arm that paints nacho decals on football fan’s faces… who needs universal healthcare?https://t.co/LSGCUOxsBo
— Old Spice (@OldSpice) November 29, 2015
8. Collect and share user-generated content
People love to be recognized. Challenge your audience to submit fun videos around a brand-related theme and then reward them with replies and Retweets. A user-generated content campaign can take your social media marketing to the next level.
A great Twitter video can help you get more followers and boost your impact on the platform. The Hootsuite dashboard can make sharing Twitter videos more effective and easier than ever. Get to work!