Creating social media posts with visuals is a must. Brand strategist are not looking to increase followers on Twitter and Facebook, they’re looking for engagement on their posts. If you want engagement, add videos. Video marketing for social media is effective and can be an inexpensive option.

Videos are increasingly becoming the focal point on many social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram now auto play, while Snapchat, a video messaging platform is growing in population. Don’t believe me? Entrepreneur.com states that in 2015, YouTube was the second largest search engine after Google. And according to a Cisco study, by 2017, videos will take up 69 percent of the internet. For marketers, that’s great news. According to this same study, that means that people who watch videos are 85 percent more likely to make a purchase. Sounds good, right?

Creating the right kind of video isn’t hard, however, there is something to keep in mind: social media isn’t about throwing content online, it should be strategic and well thought out. Here are four tips for building a strong video marketing strategy.

1. Keep the videos short. Know that many users are watching the brand’s video on their mobile device. More than likely, they can’t turn up the volume and are quickly scrolling through their feed. The thumbnail, title and start of the video should “pop.” Keeping viewers’ attention for longer than two minutes is nearly impossible. Make the video short and powerful.

2. No pushy brands allowed. According to the New York Times, consumers see more than 5,000 ads per day. Videos are a great way to break through the clutter if it’s not too “adsy.” Make the video personable and engaging. Allow it to speak to the viewer; make them happy or inspire them while incorporating key messaging. They may not remember what was said, but they will remember how you made them feel. Give them a great big dose of “the feels” to remember the brand!

3. Be personable. Social media is about communication. We visit sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to interact and engage with people, maybe even people we’ve never met. Being personable is important. If your video marketing efforts sound like a robot reading cue cards, people will run away…fast. Delete the pushy ads and salesy verbiage. Imagine your brand as a person. Who would it be? What would it sound like? How would it interact with its mom or best friend? Those are the types of questions you should ask as you brainstorm your video concept.

4. Tell the (not any story, but THE) story. We are all storytellers and have some story we’d like to share. Video is the most powerful way to get the narrative across. Every video should have a beginning, middle and an end. Seems simple, right? Videos like “How To Highlight and Contour For Beginners” and “Single People Get Married for a Week” are two examples of completely different stories. However, at one point, both videos were trending and told a great story directed to a specific audience. While thinking of your story make it simple. Start with the title and break it down into three or four words. As you’re writing your video go back to those three or four words and make sure you’re in line with your end goal. “Highlight and Contour for Beginners,” “Single People Get Married,” those titles were thought out before the video was shot and you can tell by the way the story is told. It doesn’t matter if your story is sexy or not, it just has to have a clear beginning, middle and end.

The right video at the right time can push your brand to superstar status. One share can catapult a brand, making it a viral sensation. As a brand marketer, make sure you’re staying on top of the trends, and that you are creating content that positively push the buttons of your target audience. As video marketers, create videos that are short, not salesy, personable, and tell a story. With those four tips in mind you’ll quickly become an expert!