How to Get More Views on a Facebook Video

Co-authored by Sarah Harkleroad and Sam Browning

Last Updated: March 27, 2022 References

Are your Facebook videos underperforming? If so, there are a few different tips you can use when filming, editing, uploading, and promoting videos to get more views. This wikiHow article will teach you how to boost the views on your Facebook videos.

1

Create an interesting title.

Your title should describe the video while pulling the viewer in. Try to make it as engaging as possible while still remaining true to the content you are posting. If your title is misleading, your video will likely be taken down as spam.

2

Choose an engaging thumbnail.

Viewers can decide if they should watch a video from the thumbnail alone. Find the most interesting moment in your video, then take a screenshot and use a photo-editing software to add interesting graphics, arrows, and more to grab viewers’ attention.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}
- To upload a custom thumbnail on a Business Page, upload your video, then click Edit Video under the Media section.^{[2]
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  Research source}
- Next, choose Thumbnail from the menu on the left, then click Manual and upload your custom thumbnail.
- To take a screenshot on Mac, press Command + Shift + 3. For Windows and Linux, press the PrtScn key.

3

Catch viewers’ attention.

Make the first few seconds of your video interesting. Start with a high energy intro, a question, or something else equally attention-grabbing. Otherwise, you can try showing a preview of the most interesting part of the video in the opening moments to pull people in.

4

Make the right type of video.

Your style of content should be tailored to your desired audience. For example, if you tend to make informational videos, a comedy skit will likely not perform as well. Try to build a brand with consistent types of content as well as fonts, thumbnail designs, and so on.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}

5

Add captions.

Captions make your video more accessible and allow viewers to watch without audio. As many as 85% of Facebook users watch videos without sound, so optimizing your videos without volume is hugely important.^{[4]
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Research source} Additionally, captions make videos much more understandable for deaf and hard of hearing people, expanding your audience.

6

Use the square video format.

Square videos are better for mobile devices, one of the most popular ways to access Facebook. As of July 2021, 81.8% of users only used Facebook on their cell phones.^{[5]
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Research source} Therefore, we recommend sticking with square format for best results.

7

Write a description.

Descriptions can summarize your video and include important keywords for searches. Try to keep your descriptions short to maintain interest and encourage people to watch the video.

8

Upload your video directly to Facebook.

Natively uploaded videos perform better than links to other sites. Additionally, posting the exact same content on multiple sites could hurt its overall performance. Try making tweaks and customizations to your video based on the platform it will be uploaded to.

9

Include a call-to-action.

Ask people to write a comment or go to a site somewhere in your video. This engagement will boost your video in the algorithm, helping you get more views.^{[6]
X
Expert Source

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.}

10

Tag Pages and people.

Tagging others will send them a notification and hopefully prompt them to share the video with their audiences. When using tags, be sure to keep them relevant. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to tag people who are in the video, discussed in the video, or inspired the video. Otherwise, if you use pointless tags, your video may be marked as spam and removed.

11

Feature the video on your Page.

If you change your Page’s template, you can display a set of featured videos at the top. This way, the videos you choose to feature will be one of the first things visitors to your Page see, encouraging them to watch and helping boost the views on each.
- To change the template you are using on a computer, go to your profile, then scroll through the menu on the left side of the screen and select Settings.
- Next, select Templates and Tabs, then click the Edit button next to “Current Template”.
- Then, scroll down in the pop up that appears and choose Video Page, then press Apply Template.
- Finally, return to your Page and press Choose Video next to “Showcase Your Best Videos in Spotlight”, then select the desired video(s).

12

Use Business Page Insights to improve your content.

The Insights tab will help you learn when to post, what type of content to post, and more. This tab can be found at the top of your Page in Business Manager. It includes a number of statistics that you should keep in mind when creating your next video.

13

Go live.

Live videos are promoted over regular videos due to their higher levels of engagement.^{[7]
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Research source} Therefore, if you can livestream your content, you should, since you will likely get more impressions and bring more people to your Page.

14

Share your video outside of Facebook.

Linking to your video on other social media or your website will also boost your views. Additionally, you may reach different audiences on different platforms, increasing your chances of bringing new people to your Page.

15

Buy ads.

Facebook Ads are designed to target audiences with specific views. You can build an ad campaign focused on video views and select your target demographic, increasing both impressions and the chance of engagement.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is the first thing you should do to start sponsored posts on Facebook?

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Sarah Harkleroad is a Marketing & Branding Expert and a Co-Founder and Brand Manager at Daor Design. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in brand strategy, logo design, website design, and marketing for small businesses. Sarah holds a BA in Graphic Design, a BA in Fine & Studio Arts, and a Minor in Business Administration & Management - all from Cedarville University. To date, she and her team at Daor Design have helped over 450 small businesses across the country build their brands.

Sarah Harkleroad

Marketing & Branding Expert

Expert Answer

If you want to start sponsored posts on Facebook, first do some free content. It will help you to test and see the things people find engaging.
Question

How can you have a successful campaign on Facebook?

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Sarah Harkleroad is a Marketing & Branding Expert and a Co-Founder and Brand Manager at Daor Design. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in brand strategy, logo design, website design, and marketing for small businesses. Sarah holds a BA in Graphic Design, a BA in Fine & Studio Arts, and a Minor in Business Administration & Management - all from Cedarville University. To date, she and her team at Daor Design have helped over 450 small businesses across the country build their brands.

Sarah Harkleroad

Marketing & Branding Expert

Expert Answer

Tailor the campaign to who you are trying to reach specifically. So that you can target and pay to get in front of people who can be your customers. Make sure that any of your graphics or images in the campaign or the sponsored posts look good. They should not be cluttered. They should coordinate with or support the destination graphics. When somebody clicks on a sponsored post and goes to your website, it should have a similar design feel and branding.