Lights, Camera, Action… Are you on? | Video Marketing

Are you directing success in your company’s marketing strategy? Video marketing is not a new trend and continues to grow in value across the digital marketing universe.  More and more businesses are starting to adopt video marketing as an important part of their online marketing strategy. If video marketing isn’t already a part of your marketing campaign, it’s time to get on set and get rolling with it (see what we did there?).

For those of you not familiar with video marketing, or who just need a little refresher, we are here to help. Video marketing is basically the new form of TV commercials, but in the space where the majority of your audience is now spending most of their time, online. Video marketing is using videos to promote and market your product or service, increase engagement on your digital and social channels, educate your consumers and customers, and reach your audience with a new medium.

As consumers continue to “cut the cord” with cable and traditional television services, it has become more difficult for companies to reach them via a television commercial. As a business, this is likely a good thing for you, because TV advertising is one of the more expensive forms of reaching consumers and is very difficult to use to target specific demographics. The pricing for OnlineVideo ads is less than 1/2 of what it is, per rating point, with traditional television advertising. With TV advertising, you can select a time and place you think your ideal audience may be; however, it is really a guessing game and limited to as far as the signal can reach. With the current streaming behaviors, the concept of “prime time” is basically out the window.

According to a report from HubSpot Research, more than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands … more than any other type of content. Videos on landing pages are capable of increasing conversion rates by over 80%, and 80% of users recall a video ad they have seen online in the past month. The mere mention of the word “video” in your email subject line increases open rates by 19%. 90% of customers also say videos help them make buying decisions (HubSpot). Isn’t it crazy just how much consumers want to watch to learn about your brand rather than just read about it?

Videos are a quick, easy, and entertaining way for you to reach viewers who you may not have captivated with other forms of marketing. 65% of your audience are visual learners and video marketing gives you the opportunity to grab their attention and turn them into customers, where other forms of marketing may not.

Below we have shared some tips to help you create compelling, inspiring and actionable video marketing videos.

Center Your Video Around Your Story: Your audience does not want to see another sales video; there are plenty of them on the Internet already and it becomes overwhelming and annoying to viewers. Your business’s videos should be centered around the brand’s story and not the sale. Concentrate on the value you’re providing for your customers. Your video, like text ads, should appeal to your consumers’ needs and hidden desires. To ensure you get leads, place a strategic and relevant call to action alongside a tracked URL at the end of your video (make sure it fits into your overall story).

Focus on the First 10 Seconds: One fifth of your viewers will click away from a video within 10 seconds or less (Digital Marketing Institute). Keep your videos short and get right to the point of the story to manage expectations from the beginning (within the first 5 to 10 seconds). To engage your audience early on, you can try to spark their curiosity by asking questions and using teasers to hook their attention right away. Your video should immediately convey its value and answer that “why should I watch it?” question that will be on your audience’s mind. Should they watch it because it will make them laugh, because it will inspire them to act or because it will teach them something new?

Make your Audience Laugh: While humor may be a scary marketing concept for some brands; your audience wants to laugh, they want to feel enlightened, they want to be pulled out of their boring 9 to 5’s and forget about their realities. They want to see something that will set you apart from the other marketing videos they have seen. Don’t feel constrained by what’s gone before in your industry and don’t try to rival your competitor’s stiff tone and boring script. Stand out and take a chance by being funny.

Optimize Your Video for SEO: While having videos is great, if they cannot be found, they are not useful. When it comes to video for SEO, descriptions are everything. Descriptions allow search engines to make sense of your video and understand what the content entails. It is important to ensure that your videos are tagged with relevant keywords and fully explained with detailed descriptions and unique titles.

Become the Teacher: One of the most powerful methods you can use for video marketing is to educate your audience. You can teach your customers how to use your product or service and provide useful tips on how to make the most of it. You can create a video series to showcase your industry knowledge, position your brand as a thought leader, and add value to your consumers’ lives, all while collecting leads in the process.

Let your Customers Speak for You: Videos can provide social proof for your brand and your products/services. When creating video marketing success stories, focus on the story of your customer and the success they achieved from using your product/service. 70% of consumers say they trust online reviews and believe other consumers opinions (even strangers). Let your customers tell the story for you.

Video marketing allows you to be the Director in your business’s online marketing strategy to lead your business to the Walk of Fame. Video marketing is a very powerful tool and should be a part of your digital marketing strategy to help you gain a competitive advantage.

Water Bear Marketing is here to help with all your video marketing needs. Contact us today for a free consultation and to learn how we can take your video marketing campaign to the next level.

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