Using video as part of your marketing strategy is probably the single most powerful tool you have in your marketing arsenal right now. Since 2016, the power of video has grown exponentially and has become the most preferred way for an audience to engage with a brand or product.
This video marketing guide was designed to give you tips for video marketing and help you on your way to bringing in more consumers through engaging video content.
Video marketing is a way of using videos as part of your marketing strategy to promote and market your brand, product, or service. Video marketing can increase engagement on all of your digital and social media platforms as well as educate your audience about your product or service.
You may find yourself on this page to figure out how to begin video marketing. The days of needing a professional production crew to create quality video content are over thanks to easy access to affordable and high-quality equipment. With a vision, creativity, and planning pretty much anyone can be a producer of content that is going to engage your audience.
Don’t just take our word for it. There is plenty of research to back up that video is helping businesses get the word out about their brand, provide information about their product or service, and bring in profits from increased sales.
According to a study conducted by HubSpot, 50% of consumers want to see videos about the brands they are interested in more than any other type of content including social images and blog articles. Viewing the video isn’t where the engagement ends, however. Including video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by over 80%. Mentioning the word “video” in an email subject line will increase open rates by 19%. Including a video in the email then improves the Click Through Rate by 63%.
Additionally, 90% of customers state that when it comes to making buying decisions, videos are the source they turn to for help and guidance. In fact, according to SmallBizTrends, video drives sales with 77% of consumers saying they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.
As we move full-steam ahead into 2020, there are many trends that are starting to take shape in the kinds of video content that are receiving the most engagement from audiences. Some of these trends, according to Envision Creative include:
Each platform has its own specific style, and creating video content that will stand out on each different platform is key. Content developers are now keeping an eye on things such as horizontal or vertical perspective or square-shaped videos to make sure they look ideal on mobile devices.
Most social media platforms now have a feature to include “stories” where subscribers can see brief (usually 20 seconds or less) video clips that could be promoting upcoming events or products, flash sales, or behind the scenes looks at the brand.
Making online shopping even easier is going to play a huge role in video marketing this year. Statistics show that consumers are more likely to buy after watching a video, so look for more videos being used embedded right in the advertisement.
Ready to start creating content that is going to catch your consumer’s attention? Here are some tips and tricks on how to engage them using the following types of video content:
Because of its time-consuming nature, timelapse video requires going in with a plan. Some suggestions would be to choose the music you will be set to before shooting to make sure it matches the movement in your video. Also, be ready to wait it out. Timelapse videos use an average of 24-30 images per second. Just 10 seconds of video will require 240-300 images. Make sure you have enough images for the video you want to create.
With the sophistication of technology when it comes to animation and 3D Motion graphics, expectations of the audience have also become more sophisticated. Make sure you are using quality software to create your graphics and that you are employing the skills and expertise of a professional to create the look you need.
Make the first few seconds count when it comes to using a commercial to reach your audience. Consumers are exposed to a lot of commercials on any given day and making sure the first few seconds of yours creates enough interest to continue is vital to the success of your commercial.
Using drone footage among your regular footage is a great way to make your audience feel like they are part of the action. You can also use a drone to film anything that would have been hand-held camera footage to cut down on the shakiness of the footage and increase the quality of the video.
These types of videos can be used to help your audience build a foundational knowledge of your product and how to use it. Try utilizing these videos through your sales and service teams as they work with customers to show customers the ease and enrichment your product or service can bring to their lives.
Use video to engage people joining your team as well as consumers. Using video to engage your new team members helps with onboarding information, educating them about the mission and scope of your brand, and ensures a unified message across the board.
Video content for social media is all about the story, so you want to make sure that it’s a compelling one. Audiences are compelled to action when they connect to a story on an emotional level. Make sure your story is well planned before you even think about shooting. Also, know your platform and tailor accordingly. For example, Instagram has a length limit of 60 seconds as opposed to Facebook’s 240 minutes. While sound is also important, keep in mind that sound may be muted on devices, so you want to make sure your content is as visually compelling as can be.
With live streaming, consistency is key. If you want your audience to tune in, they need to know where and when. Make sure you are consistently using the same social media platform on the same day of the week at the same time of the day. Speaking of platforms, live stream on ALL the platforms you can. Different target audiences frequent different types of platforms from Facebook to YouTube, so make sure to take advantage of the different forms of exposure.
Interactive videos, or videos with clickable, interactive content, can be used to deepen the engagement of your audience. Like live streaming, consistency is important when using these videos. Audiences may not be very familiar with interactive videos, so keeping the technology used for interaction the same helps with the frustration level of viewers and keeps them watching. Also, use video branching, a technique that allows viewers to choose their own path of the video and skip to the parts they are interested in most.
Virtual reality, or VR, videos are a sure way to put your audience right into the action with its use of 360-degree content. However, make sure that your audience can be a part of it no matter what kind of device they are using. While best viewed on a VR headset, the average consumer is not going to be wearing a headset when they encounter your content. Make sure to use a platform to share content that will allow your user to experience it on desktops and mobile devices as well.
Video marketing is not only important to your marketing campaign, but it has grown every year into the most vital component. Start increasing engagement with your brand and product today with the help of video marketing.