There’s no denying video marketing is crucial for captivating audiences in this ever-changing digital landscape.
For more than a decade, thought leaders have exalted the power of video in countless articles and marketing conference sessions. And you’ve likely also read many compelling statistics. For example, 85% of U.S. internet users watch online video content, according to data from Statista. Video drives a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines results pages (SERPs), according to HubSpot.With new platforms increasing the demand for fresh video content, it’s become even more critical to a brand’s success.
But even if you already know video is valuable for your business, you may still be facing a major hurdle: you don’t know where to begin.
You’re not alone. From developing a strategy and producing videos to determining the best tactics and platforms for delivering your content, video marketing is a complicated endeavor. However, given its significant ROI potential, it’s also well worth the effort. Once you’ve learned the basics, we promise it becomes much easier.
Here are several tips and best practices to help you succeed.
While video marketing may seem challenging, the concept is simple. Video marketing uses video assets to increase engagement, educate your audience and promote your brand’s products or services.
You may use videos on your website, social media, emails, ads and anywhere else your brand connects with its audience online. The type of video content you produce, as well as the length and style of your videos, will vary depending on the platform.
As a modern marketer, you already know great storytelling is useful for persuading people to connect with your brand or buy your products or services. In addition to being more entertaining and easier to digest, stories are more memorable than facts and figures alone. That’s largely why content marketing has remained one of the best methods for engaging audiences and earning qualified leads.
But while a message conveyed via text can be effective, adding visual and audio elements increases its power and can be even easier to consume because the human brain is wired to process images much faster than text. We’re also more likely to remember information that’s delivered with sight and sound.
In other words, when you take a piece of text-based content (like a blog post), distill down the message into a simple script and complement the message with visual aids, you can help viewers better comprehend your message. You’re more likely to elicit a stronger emotional response, too.
There are several different types of videos you can create. Here are a few of the most popular:
One important thing to keep in mind is not all video marketing assets are created equal. Many factors will impact your video content and production. Here are seven questions you should ask yourself before you begin creating a video for marketing purposes:
There are a few things you’ll need to do to produce videos that captivate your audience and drive action. Here are a few necessary elements for effective video marketing:
Once you’ve filmed and edited your video, it’s time to send it out into the world so it can engage your audience and drive results.
First, you’ll need to choose a video hosting platform, such as YouTube, Wistia or Vidyard. (However, if you’re publishing a video as an ad, the ad network you use will usually act as the video hosting platform.)
Next, you’ll need to determine how you’re going to promote your video. If you’re using social media, you might publish the video with a brief intro and a few relevant hashtags to help people find your content. You can also use a code snippet from the hosting platform to embed your video on your website — such as in blog posts and landing pages — or into emails.
You may also choose to create a video library where your audience can quickly locate the information they need. Remember: just because a video was created for one platform doesn’t mean it can’t be shared elsewhere.
Today, the demand for high-quality video content is greater than ever. While delving into video marketing for the first time can be overwhelming, it can also help you engage more of your audience and get your message to the right people faster. By leveraging these video marketing best practices, you can ensure your brand remains competitive today and well into the future.