Twitter aims to turn into more of a visual medium. Adding to its ever-expanding suite of offerings, Twitter unveiled earlier this week new capabilities for online video.

The feature allows users to film, edit and share clips up to 30-seconds long, all within the Twitter app. Twitter's Product Director Jinen Kamdar explained that this new feature came as a result of Twitter striving to be more of a visual platform, a shift many companies are taking. If you're sharing a video on behalf of your brand, here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure your message is more engaging than your competitors'.

Cut to the chase
Twitter allows videos filmed within the app to be up to 30 seconds long. That may seem like a good amount of time, but getting your key messages packed into that time frame may end up being tricky. Be sure to identify who your target audience is first and think about the message you want them to take away from the video before you start filming. Take a deep breathe, then press record.

Put yourself in the audience's shoes
When you're done with the video, ask yourself "Would I watch the whole 30 seconds? Do I understand the message? Is there a clear action item?" Be sure that if you were to show this video to someone who knew nothing about your brand, they would understand the who, what, where, when and most importantly, the why.

Be relevant
Find out who is chatting about topics similar to what your video is about and join those conversations. Include appropriate hashtags and try to engage with influential users. This may take a bit of research, but the benefits are worth it. If you get the message just right, others will share and engage with your content, increasing the amount of exposure the video and your brand receives.

Twitter estimates that there are 284 million users active on the site every month. Having easy access to this massive online audience is a huge benefit brands need to be taking advantage of in this digital age. Don't get lost in the feed.