Video Marketing Tips & Strategies

Video marketing has emerged and risen to the top of online marketing as the most engaging content type. It is projected that by year 2021, almost 80% of all traffic on the web will be video content with live videos representing about 13% of all web traffic. If you have ever felt that you are not prepared to produce quality video content that can compete in the mass of videos already out there, fret no more. In this article, I am going to share with you tips and a few strategies to help you create a strategy and tactics to deploy an effective video marketing strategy.

Video content is probably the most versatile type of content that is also very easy to absorb and digest. Videos depict a story in a real life format. They are highly entertaining and highly engaging. They are easy to digest. The power of videos is that they captivate both the eyes and the ears and therefore they can better convey the message to the recipients. If you want to describe a product, videos do a better job than written text. They are also easy to share across multiple channels and are easily accessible online and offer the potential for a high ROI (Return On Investment). This is why marketers love video marketing and it is now gaining in popularity. As of 2017, YouTube reported that we were consuming over a billion hours of video per month on its platform.

With the availability of mobile devices, it has never been easier to produce a video. Smart phone cameras are capable of producing videos that are of an acceptable quality that an average person may not be able to tell the difference between a video produced with a professional camera from one produced from a smart phone. As a small business, this is probably the easiest way to produce engaging content with your smart phone, to tell your story to your audience. I will describe below the different types of video content that resonate with your audience and will drive traffic to your website. I must stress that every businesses need to begin to see themselves as media entities because of the increasing value of communication with the client. We now live in the age of conversational commerce and there is no better way to produce that rich conversation than with a video. It is a powerful tool for building your brand. Your story!

TYPES OF VIDEOS

Videos represent a type of content. The largest video platform in the world is YouTube. And depending on your niche, video marketing space is highly competitive. This means that you must bring your A-Game in order to make it. There are many types of videos and you have to choose which type meets the content needs of your audience. Remember, just like with all other types of content marketing, the focus in video marketing must be on what your audience needs. It’s not about you. It’s connecting with your audience and delivering what they need and want.

The first step in being successful with your marketing in general and video marketing in particular is to set your goals specifically. You must define your desired outcome. You must also conduct thorough research to determine what your audience wants and needs. And your video marketing strategy must fit into your overall content marketing strategy. There is a need to be consistent across the board. Another thing that you need to clearly define is the marketing channel(s) that will help you meet your goals.

The following types of videos can help you provide a mix of video content that can meet your audience’s various needs:

• HOW-TO VIDEOS: This is a popular type of video because people are always looking for how to do things. Even if people are not going to reproduce what you are showing, it helps them understand how things are done. It will also help people appreciate your pricing when they see how complicated it is to make what you make. It has the advantage of displaying your expertise and building trust and authority. It does not have to be complex. You can make it simple.
• INTERVIEW VIDEOS: Interview videos show two or more sides having a conversation, in which you can feature experts discuss topics of interest to your audience. When you have a guest expert discussing certain aspects of what your business offers, this helps to validate you as a leader in your niche and build trust in your audience.
• PRODUCT OR SERVICE / DEMO VIDEOS: Research shows that about 90% of consumers claim that they are more likely to buy a product or service after watching such a video. Explainer Videos fall into this category. They help educate your audience about your products and / or services. You can use them in conjunction with your Instruction Manuals, Customer Support or Knowledge Base Content, and many other applications.
• PRODUCT REVIEW VIDEOS: These are videos recorded by neutral parties who are willing to provide product reviews, this can also be a source of feedback for you as you learn what people think about your products and services. If you can find people who want to boost their Social Media following by posting a product review video, this will also help them increase the engagement rates by generating more comments because people tend to want to share their experiences with various products. You can also use this as a type of market research. This also gives you free advertisement.
• HOW MUCH DOES IT COST VIDEOS: One of the things that people want to find out is how much a product or service costs. I know that many business owners hesitate to put their price out there out of fear that this could scare away potential customers. In my experience, many prospects want to have an idea of your price before they would contact you. If you offer a range of prices for your products or services, you can also describe the range. Many times I asked how much a website costs and I generally answer, ‘It depends. It’s like building a house.” And then I provide the range of prices to explain the various plans or options available and their respective features. So, this is a highly searched information in search engines.
• FAQs VIDEOS: The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) types of videos can boost trust in a prospect about your business. Take questions that are most frequently asked and make a video where you answer those questions and then place it on your product page. By anticipating the questions that your prospects ask themselves, you are removing potential objections and building confidence in them to take the next step towards the end goal of making a buying decision, thus increasing your sales.
• LIVE VIDEOS: Live videos offer the best chance of directly engaging your audience. This works so well on Social Media platforms. Facebook Live is highly popular.
• WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER: In other words, this type of video describes who your best customer is. If your business services other businesses with an annual revenue between $5 Million and $10 Millions, you will thus eliminating unnecessary inquiries from customers who do not fit your profile. This can save your team countless hours of interaction with the wrong audience who will not buy from you.

BENEFITS OF VIDEO CONTENT MARKETING

The purpose of content marketing is to build a relationship between your business or organization and the people who willingly signed up to receive this content from you. So, no matter what stage you find yourself today in content marketing development, your focus must be on building your audience. Audience development is therefore one of the key objectives of content marketing. This applies to all types of content that you produce, whether through videos, newsletters, podcasting, blog articles, reports, etc.

Video Marketing offers many benefits. Below, I am going to list some of these benefits and provide some important statistics to help you understand not only the benefits of Video Marketing today and also video marketing trends going forward.

• Videos are good for on-page SEO: When you have a video on your page, people will tend to stay a bit longer on your page watching the video, compare to a page without a video. This is good for your SEO because Google consider page view time per session as one of the metrics used in ranking your website. So, since videos tend to keep visitors on your web page, the longer visitors stay on your page, the better because it sends a signal that your content is interesting. So, videos tend to reduce bounce rates.

VIDEO MARKETING BEST PRACTICES

In a crowded landscape such as video publishing, you cannot simply throw in videos casually without preparation. You need to take time to learn how to create videos that will not only give the information that your audience needs, but videos that are also awesome and eye-catching. I will devote an article on this topic because this is a vast area to discuss in a couple of paragraphs. Remember that the purpose of publishing your videos is to generate engagement. Your videos must therefore be engaging and fully optimized in order to rank high in YouTube. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world. It is not simply a video library.

Here are a few tips you need to get an effective video marketing strategy rolling:

• Define the topic you will cover in your video: You should not just stand in front of a camera and start talking. Even the best in the industry always prepare ahead of time. You must prepare a script for your video and then rehearse several times. Do your research properly so that you may speak with authority. Do not be casual with this. You could hurt your credibility very quickly. Today’s consumer is an educated consumer. Once the trust is gone, you will not regain it easily, if at all. Remember, you are providing content that is interesting to your audience and not just something you are excited about. This is why before you go into video marketing, or content marketing in general, you must get to know your audience. You need to find out what your audience needs and wants. You need to conduct your market research so that you can bring answers to their questions and help solve their challenges.
• Video Length: Decide the length of your video in advance. Remember you are delivering a message to a specific audience. Just because someone you admire on YouTube produces videos that are 5 minutes long, does not mean that is proper for your audience. You must give your audience what they want. There is a myth out there that your video must be short. When I come across a video with a good content that I need, I will watch it several times even if it is 2 hours long. But you can break your video into chunks that fit the appropriate lengths for various social media platforms in order to catch people’s attention. Then link them to the long video where they can watch the full session.
• Video Captions: Both YouTube and Facebook have features that generate captions. Many people watch videos while around others and they will prefer to turn down the sound while reading the captions.
• Monitor Your Video Performance: Both YouTube and Facebook provide good analytics. Make sure you practice good SEO on your video and monitor your analytics in order to improve your videos. By checking your metrics you will be able to make all the necessary adjustments in order to better achieve your video marketing objectives.
• Include Your Call To Action (CTA): Never forget to emphasize your CTA in your video. On YouTube, these are the “SUBSCRIBE” and “NOTIFICATION BELL” buttons. You should mention the call to action early in the video. This enables you to make sure those who watch your video for a few minutes hear it. Also, include it at the end of the video as a reminder for those who will watch your video fully.
• Video Equipment & Lighting: I will discuss this topic in another article, but suffice it to mention here that the cost of video production has consistently been coming down. You can start with your smart phone. However, you must ensure that your sound is PERFECT. You must also ensure sufficient lighting. Framing your video is also another key element to take into consideration. The head space in the frame must follow the rule of thirds. Put the person in two-thirds of the frame and the head to the top on the right hand corner. Many people place the heard in the center spot. This is a mistake. It leaves too much empty space around the frame. By following the rule of thirds, you also leave sufficient room on the frame to add some text. Also, get the person closer to the camera because it is important for the eyes to be visible so that people can connect with you. People are not interested in the background or the room. It is you, the speaker they want to connect with. Use a three-point lighting to focus the light on you.
• Other Tips: When you place your videos on your web page, turn off the auto-play and keep the videos on silent mode otherwise you could scare your visitors away with a sudden loud noise.

CONCLUSION

Video increasingly the most important and popular form of content. It is easy to digest and more engaging. Video are also fun and entertaining while also being informational, educational and inspiring. They enable you to tell your story in a real life context. It brings you up-close to your audience. Tell your brand story with video and bring your audience into deeper intimacy with you and your brand.

Videos are great for increasing your conversion rates on your website because they can keep your website visitors longer on your website, which will result in them moving around your website. Videos are therefore a must for every business. Small businesses can create and publish creative and great videos without spending a lot of money. The key is to know your audience and deliver the message on the platforms they hang around and in the format they desire.

The greatest benefits of video marketing include increasing your credibility and authority. Videos will also generate more leads to your business. It is not too late. Video marketing is in its infancy. It’s not too late to jump in. Facebook is predicting that in the next couple of years, all content is going to be almost totally videos on mobile. You must not miss out on this action.

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