Social media is affecting the way we watch video.  And it’s more than just YouTube.  Mobile apps like Vine and Instagram are making viewers more accustomed to shorter length videos and, with the help of Facebook and Twitter, these shorter videos are what people watch on a daily basis.

Business Insider has an interesting article based on a recent BI Intelligence Report stating that many video production companies are catering to the modern viewer. These new viewers seek shorter durations and demand online videos, so staying current means getting people to view and share your stuff.

Here are a few changes to the rulebook:

• Social media-influenced videos are skyrocketing: Online video audiences are expected to double in 2016, reaching 1.5 billion. A majority of viewers watch video on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and mobile apps.

• Social media is shortening your videos: To accommodate social media audiences, videos are becoming shorter for easier mobile and online consumption. You must make your point quicker.

• Advertisers are using video to make their brand memorable: Video advertising is now up to 13.2 billion monthly views in the U.S. alone. Keep your advertisements interesting, short and available on social media.

So how do you get your video found, watched, and shared on social media?  Here are 3 quick tips:

• Get it on YouTube.  If you didn’t know already, YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine (behind Google of course) and is transforming the way consumers discover information.  They also make it extremely easy to share your online video on social media channels.

• Include keywords in the title and description.  Help searchers find your online video by including the main keywords that your video is about in the title and description as this will help in the search results.  Having the right title could be the difference of someone clicking “play” or moving past it to the next online video.

• Keep it less than 5 minutes (when possible).  In November 2012, ReelSEO posted that the average length for the top 50 most shared global video ads on YouTube was 4 minutes and 11 seconds.  If your online video runs a little over that, it’s not the end of the world.  Just make sure you are keeping your message concise.

These tips will also help with search engine optimization as discussed in our “Why Video Will Help With Your Search Engine Rankings” blog post.  Social media is here to stay, so make sure your videos are social enough to make an impact.