In a world of consumable, convenient content, video marketing is a trend you should be on top of. Videos used to be hard videos to create requiring expensive equipment and gallons of time, patience and the right software. But they are significantly easier now and in the most basic form all you need is a smartphone. With more online users than ever turning to videos for information and entertainment, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon and get profiting from video marketing.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is basically any video that you use to promote your brand or product. This can be anything from promotional content, to testimonials, to how-tos, or even entertainment content that may (fingers crossed) go viral. While that may be the ultimate goal, it’s not your only one. As always, your focus is on quality content creation; it’s what gets and keeps people engaged.
Why it works
If you were trying to find a quick how-to, would you rather read a few paragraphs of instructions or watch a short video? Herein lies the pull of video marketing; they’re consumable, eye-catching and convenient.
Visuals are proven time and time again to be more effective and attractive than plain text, and the stats don’t lie either. By 2019, video is estimated to take up around 80% of all web traffic and YouTube states a mobile video consumption growth rate of 100% every year. Add to that, videos in marketing emails can boost click-through rates by 200-300% and around 64% of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it.
Your video not only attracts viewers, but can encourage them to click through to your site and buy something, perhaps becoming a regular and loyal customer.
Tips for video content creation
Make it brand relevant: your video should reflect your brand or product. Keep it within the brand theme and style. Aim to create something potential customers will want to watch. How-to video tutorials are really handy for homeware products, hair products, electronic items or anything that people use at home. Testimonials can connect to customers deciding about which real estate agent or travel agent to choose to make their life easier. If you run events through your company, consider live streaming one on your website for people to get a glimpse of who you are and what you do.
Tell a story: a video is your chance to connect to your audience, so take this opportunity to tell a story. Content creation is important, whether it’s text, image, or video, so focus on the message you are sending.
Presentation: while you may not need expensive equipment for your video, the quality should be good. Make sure the video is be well made, well edited, and well presented. If a customer is scrolling through a site, the thumbnail and title are what will catch their eye.
Be succinct: don’t labour the point in your videos. Video content should be quick and consumable. Aim to giving people everything they need to know in 1-2 minutes for how-tos, promotional videos, and testimonials.
SEO: video tagging is your opportunity to add your SEO and get found online. The title should be short and engaging, with a keyword or two in there. Make sure you add all the relevant tags like brand, location and key search words. Remember: Google owns YouTube…
Be original: if your brand allows it, don’t be afraid to be funny, original or even weird. The most popular videos out there are the ones that are unusual or take a risk. You never know, maybe you’ll get the elusive ‘viral’ status one day.
Nothing gives your business a shout-out quite like high-impact video and graphics! From small businesses and start-ups to industry leaders, videos put you up there with the pros - and customers love it too. From product launches and brand videos to how-to content and social media videos, I'll put you in the spotlight.
