Why a Video Marketing Strategy Will Skyrocket Your Business
Aug 12, 2019
Content is all the rage among digital marketers. We know that from the fact that we’ve seen a 78% increase in content marketing budgets since last year. We can also see it from the fact that more than half of business-to-consumer marketers, some 57% of them, planned to increase their content expenditures.
However, to truly understand what works and what doesn’t in the content world, you have to look at where the money is going. Last year, content creation saw the biggest increase in budgets. That makes perfect sense – the more marketers use content, the more they need to up the production value to stand out.
The type of content they got the highest production increase since last year is audio/video content. The platforms where this content gets posted, websites like YouTube, Facebook, or even LinkedIn, are increasing their video offering to users, Influencers, and brands. So, what gives? What’s so great about video, and is it possible to take advantage of it without a clear marketing strategy? Let’s find out.
Video is an effective form of communication that needs to be integrated into each and every aspect of your existing marketing efforts
James Wedmore
What Makes Video so Effective?
The easiest way to answer the question of what makes video such a great form of content is, at least from the marketer’s perspective, by saying that video is great because people like to watch it. You understand, instinctively and from personal experience, that video is an easier type of content to digest than text.
If this argument doesn’t impress you, video’s ability to engage should. People are more willing to engage with video than text content, whether it’s to share it, comment on it, or like it. That’s even without mentioning live video streaming and its ability to boost audience engagement.
You might also notice that videos are everywhere online. Every social network allows users to watch, share, or interact with videos. All of them will also give users the ability to create videos of their own. In 2019, all the major social networks even have native live video streaming capabilities. And that’s without mentioning YouTube, Twitch, and all the other video hosting and streaming platforms.
Of course, you can also say that video marketing has an incredibly low barrier to entry. Sure, it’s always best if you can flex by making high end, expensive-looking videos. But in the online world, a video shot on a smartphone can become viral and more effective than a video with much higher production value. Video is a type of content that rewards creativity and knowledge of the zeitgeist, both of which are fields that marketers should dominate. So, if you need video production in Perth, contact us to see how we can make your business stand out.
More Than 90% of Mobile Users Watch Videos
People are more likely to view videos on their mobile than desktops or television. Mobile devices are very personal and easily accessible. Since mobile’s are with the customers practically all the time, it’s easy to kill time through boredom with entertainment, education or to help make a purchasing decision.
The mobile age has allowed the convenience of customers being able to look up interests, solve problems, search/compare products, explore the news and many more. It’s these micro moments throughout the day and night that businesses are battling for and if you’re not utilising video marketing, you’ll be missing this massive audience.
Types of Videos for Marketing Purposes
There are many types of videos that businesses can use for marketing purposes. Here are a few:
- Product Demos
Product demos are a great way to highlight a product’s features and benefits. They allow customers to see the product in action and understand how it works. Product demos can be used on a company’s website, social media channels, or in email marketing campaigns. - Brand Stories
Brand stories are a powerful way to connect with customers on an emotional level. They allow businesses to share their values, mission, and vision with their audience. Brand stories can be used in a variety of ways, including on a company’s website, social media channels, or in advertising campaigns. - Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are a great way to simplify complex concepts and ideas. They allow businesses to educate their audience on topics related to their industry or product. Explainer videos can be used on a company’s website, social media channels, or in email marketing campaigns.
What Really Makes Video Such a Great Content for Marketing?
So far, video seems like the perfect type of content for the purposes of marketing. And that’s without mentioning the best thing about video content: its versatility.
What are the goals of your video content in marketing? You can use it to increase your reach, improve recognisability, solidify branding, and do things that improve awareness of your business. The types of videos you can use for those purposes include:
- Behind-the-scenes videos, where you let the viewers see how you make your products, or deliver your services
- Interviews, where your business’ higher-ups can demonstrate company values
- A video about your business and the people who work there, to give your business a human face
Increasing Awareness
These are only a couple of types of videos that can be effective for increasing awareness. You’ll be able to produce a few more. If you want to boost viewer engagement, you can create:
- Videos with viral potential, with humorous or interesting content
- Live video streams, such as AMA sessions, or live product demonstrations
Convincing Potential or Existing Customers
If you want to sway potential or existing customers into buying your products or using your service, you have a couple of choices for that, too:
- How-to and explainer videos, to educate the audience
- Product reviews, which can work very well to demonstrate potential use cases
- Testimonial videos because we’re talking about marketing here and testimonials work
As you can see, there’s little you can’t achieve using video content as a marketer. But all these benefits should come with a warning sign: video content requires a strategic approach.
Crafting a Video Marketing Strategy
To create an effective video marketing strategy, businesses need to identify their goals and target audience. They should also consider the types of videos that will resonate with their audience and the channels they will use to distribute their content.
Here are a few steps to follow when crafting a video marketing strategy:
- Identify goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your video marketing strategy. Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales?
- Define your target audience: Understand who your target audience is and what types of videos will resonate with them.
- Create a content plan: Develop a plan for the types of videos you will create and the channels you will use to distribute them.
- Set a budget: Determine how much you are willing to spend on your video marketing strategy.
- Measure success: Track the success of your video marketing campaigns and adjust as needed.
Tips for Creating Effective Marketing Videos
Creating effective marketing videos requires careful planning and execution. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Keep it short: Attention spans are short, so keep your videos under two minutes if possible.
- Focus on the message: Make sure your videos have a clear message and are easy to understand.
- Use visuals: Use visuals to tell your story and keep viewers engaged.
- Add music: Music can help set the tone for your video and make it more engaging.
- Include a call to action: Make sure your videos have a clear call to action that encourages viewers to act.
Measuring the Success of your Video Marketing Campaigns
Measuring the success of your video marketing campaigns is essential to understanding what works and what doesn’t. Here are a few metrics to track:
- Views: The number of people who have viewed your video.
- Engagement: The number of likes, comments, and shares your video has received.
- Click-through rate: The percentage of viewers who click on a call-to-action in your video.
- Conversion rate: The percentage of viewers who act after watching your video.
Case Studies of Successful Video Marketing Campaigns
To understand the power of video marketing, let’s look at a few successful campaigns:
Dollar Shave Club’s “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” video went viral in 2012, generating over 28 million views. The video’s humor and irreverence helped the company establish itself as a disruptor in the razor industry.
Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign was a huge success, generating over 50 million views on YouTube. The campaign’s humorous and memorable character helped the brand appeal to a younger demographic.
Airbnb’s “We Accept” campaign focused on the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. The campaign generated over three million views and helped the company establish itself as a socially responsible brand.
Conclusion
The low barrier to entry might make you think that it’s easy to make videos and get them in front of an audience. That’s only half of the story though. Good video content isn’t that easy to create and place. If you start making video content for your business without a clear strategy, you can avoid using every benefit of video content to your advantage.
For example, you can spend too much money to create videos, and drain your content budget too soon. You can also miss your target audience because of poor research, or even post content to a completely wrong social network or video platform. You can make the wrong type of content for the goals you want to achieve. The list goes on and on.
A strategic approach to the creation and publishing of video content will help you navigate these complexities with ease. At the very least, it will reduce wastefulness, which is always a good thing. Not to mention that having a well-developed and documented strategy can put your miles away in front of the competition that’s still using a hit-and-miss approach.
You have video, a type of content people finds easy to consume. People like to do more than just consume video, however, as they clearly like to interact with it. Even more so if there’s a chance to interact with the content creator in real-time, like in live-streamed video. Then there are all the networks you can post videos to and all the tools they have that make your videos appear in front of just the right type of audience. Plus, it doesn’t have to be expensive to make, and you can do a whole lot of different things with it. To get the most out of all these great things, you will need to create a good content creation and placement strategy. Then, you can see how video marketing can skyrocket your business to new heights.
So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your video marketing strategy! Need help with video production? Contact LINE IT today.
