Gulftech – Likee, one of the most popular short-video platforms in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, shares four secrets with content creators to boost audience engagement on their short videos. The popularity of short-form video is booming as our lives have become increasingly fast-paced; however, creators today compete over people’s limited time and attention. For many creators this has been a challenge, however, others have demonstrated creativity and ingenuity, developing strategies to consistently engage millions of people with their content.
“Short-video creators and Likers in the MENA region are highly motivated to stand out among their peers during this era, where one’s personal brand can yield countless benefits,” said Gibson Yuen, Head of Likee Global Operations. “Users have seen many of their peers rise to fame and collaborate with global companies, so they are excited at the opportunity to do the same for topics and products they are passionate about. For both hobbyists and professionals, it is important to find new ways to efficiently produce high-quality videos, in order to better connect and engage with their audience, expand their influence, and benefit from the creator economy”.
There are numerous techniques and details to pay attention to in order to develop a highly engaging short video. Among them the most effective strategies for the highest engagement are the following four:
Narrow Down Your Target Audience
There is a wide range of users on Likee of all ages and cultural backgrounds, meaning the topics of content that cater to each group or type of users is equally vast. Therefore, any creator’s very first step must be to determine the niche they want to target.
The easiest method to determine a niche is by understanding a creator’s own personality, skills and interests, and most importantly the field you are passionate about. Making content about something that they love puts them in the best position to engage the right target audience, as users can sense a person’s enthusiasm through the screen.
Different audiences have different needs. For younger Gen Z and Millennials, funny videos often record great success, so entertaining elements are necessary to engage them. Whereas, older audiences enjoy informative and educational content more.
Once your audience is clearly defined, you are on the way to incredible engagement numbers and success.
Prepare Your Video and Make the First Seconds Count
Before producing content, the first step is to clearly define the key messages that need to be communicated to the audience. Make a storyboard with a script and revise it until it is concise but delivers the main messages in the best way possible. The story needs to cater to the interest of the followers and the type of users that are being targeted, as that will entice them to share their reactions in the comments.
The next step in preparation is proper lighting which will flatter your image, as that will keep users from swiftly scrolling past content due to poor quality. Start recording in front of solid-colored background and utilize windows for natural sunlight, an excellent light source for beginners that cannot afford a professional setup. Avoiding the midday sun which is too bright or overhead lighting that casts unflattering shadows is essential to maintain clear image quality. A well-done setup captures attention and helps keep people invested in the video.
The last step in this phase is to use the best attention grabber for the first five seconds and maintain confidence throughout the story. This is the most difficult part to master; however, with practice, creators will become comfortable speaking to the camera and begin to notice additional details like peak times to post for viewer interaction such as after school or work hours, when people have free time.
Bringing together all the elements of production and preparation – especially ensuring that the story flows well – hooks the audience’s attention encouraging them to share their thoughts.
Participate in Trending Challenges and Sounds
On Likee, there is a constant flow of new trends, from dancing videos to lip-syncing and reverse videos. Being among the early users to make a video in a viral challenge and adding a unique touch to the video, increases views tremendously and chances for more engagement. To do so, the key is monitoring trends through the Likee Discovery page, where users can find trending content relating to games, movies, sports and more.
Likers that aspire to be influencers can also follow their favorite content creators to see what they are doing and get inspired by them. It is also quite helpful to understand and analyze what kind of content followers appreciate. This is everything from themes to stories to the music they like. Experimenting, asking them, and listening to their feedback is a great way to optimize and know which trends are most relevant to each content creator.
Additionally, getting creative with trending sounds on Likee can enhance engagement tremendously, because often a trending sound becomes a viral sensation due to the unique way a creator used it. When users see a creator be their authentic self and implement a sound in fun way, they relate to them and that encourages them to start a conversation with the creator.
Collaborate with Content Creators
A powerful way of expanding a fan base is to team up with other content creators. It’s best to collaborate with users that are directly related to a creator’s niche or industry, and the synergies during the video can kickstart conversations between followers of both creators in the comments section.
Moreover, becoming a key opinion leader by commenting on other popular creators ’posts within a content niche will not only attract users to check out a profile but also eventually build rapport with fans and other creators leading to more engagement on your page. This strategy also applies to interacting with brands you are passionate about until they choose to collaborate with you, granting more credibility to your page.
More than any of these strategies, maximizing engagement requires creators to be authentic, genuine, and original. Simply copying everything everyone else is doing might get you views but to truly stand out and create “thumb-stopping” content, content creators need to add their own twist to make it personal and entertaining for viewers. In other words, be yourself and the fans will come.
