We shed light on the secrets to creating compelling video content marketing.
Earlier this year, the number of monthly active users on YouTube climbed to a whopping 1 billion. This is significant because it proves just how powerful video has become as a medium – not only for clips of fluffy animals and ‘fail’ videos, but for big brands to promote themselves.
Video is now a lucrative content marketing stream; businesses small and large are harnessing it as an opportunity to connect with their audiences through storytelling, and armed with expert videography they can create videos that are rich in sound, high resolution and artfully shot. What’s more, videos can be shared across multiple platforms – social media channels, on landing pages and embedded into emails. The possibilities to market and engage with your customers are endless through the use of video.
If your business has not yet jumped on the video bandwagon, here are the 3 ways you can utilise it to effectively market your business, and the 3 tips you should consider.
- Show off your product and what it can do
If the purpose of your marketing is to show off a new product, video allows you a lot more scope to do so than imagery does. Video gives the opportunity to bring a product to life; to show a product from all angles, to go inside of it, and to show it in action. Customers are much more likely to respond positively to something when they can see it being used and see its benefits.
Additionally, if you are an e-commerce business that sells apparel, accessories or footwear, for example, you have a great opportunity to show your products on models. Customers like to see clothes worn by a person, not just on a hanger.
- Use testimonials
Testimonials and reviews are a key ingredient to successful marketing, and you can bring them to life through video. You will be familiar with TV ads that have real people (actors or otherwise) talking about how a product or service has changed their lives for the better, and this is something you can choose to use in your videos.
Collaborating with well-known industry professionals or online influencers to review your products and then endorse them will help to build brand awareness and gain trust with customers.
- Share value or a look behind the scenes
Another way to effectively market your business through video is to share valuable information, tips or advice. If you are a marketing agency or consultancy, for example, you may already have onsite blog content where you impart industry advice and tidbits. However, you can enhance your marketing efforts and reach more people if you turn those articles into a video series.
Alternatively, if you are a restaurant business, you may choose to film a behind-the-scenes look at the food being prepared or an interview with the head chef. Showing the people behind the magic of your business gives it a human element that customers can connect with.
3 tips on creating videos
- Make your videos shareable
Videos that do well online and attract a lot of viewers are the ones that are shared by customers/fans across all platforms. For example, if you own a hair salon business, creating a quick hair tutorial video featuring one of your head stylists will attract your target audience and entice them to engage with your video (like, comment and share). In turn, more users will see your video and your brand awareness will skyrocket.
- Keep your videos short and sweet
Humans are innately visual and react well to video, but according to research social media users are not likely to watch videos that are longer than 2 minutes in length. The sweet spot is said to be around 60-90 seconds, and on Instagram videos are cut off at 60 seconds. If edited well, this is enough time to effectively communicate a message through video.
- Create a series
Don’t start and stop at one video; create a series. Strategically plan out a video series to keep your audience engaged and wanting more. If you’re sharing valuable nuggets of advice, for example, you could stick to one tip or topic per video. If you are showing off a new clothing collection, tease certain products in each video.
Whatever your business, and whatever its size, there is scope for you to utilise video to enhance your marketing efforts and connect with your audience online.
Shaq Abboud is the Creative Producer of Scope Productions.