Sprout Social’s “Simply Measured” blog has great articles on planning, executing and evaluating video for social media. This one is about what you need to do before you even start shooting!

The article has a rich and in-depth treatment of 4 areas.

1. Consider the Stage

As you create a social video marketing strategy, you must nail down which audience you are trying to target and which themes will resonate with this audience. Find out how.

2. Consider Video Length

You want to make sure your video is capturing your audience’s attention, and length plays a huge part in that. There are easy tips for optimizing on your video length.

3. Consider Your Reporting Structure

How you report on your own videos can have various formats. Remember that there is a time and place for every kind of analysis. There are some effective ways to parse and explore the data so that you understand the specifics of what’s working, what’s not, and how you need to optimize your video. There’s another full article on that here.

4. Inhabit the Testing Mindset

The great part about social video marketing and trying something new is that you have the ability to test your strategies and make tweaks accordingly. Don’t be afraid to try things as long as you evaluate and analyze well!

Are you taking the time to plan, build, execute and evaluate your video used on social media? If not, you’re just wasting your time — and mine if I’m watching it! Read the article for a full treatment.