Why Does Your Business Need Video Marketing?
Video gives you the opportunity to interact with your customers by allowing them to get to know you and your business, and feel comfortable with you. This is especially important for small, local businesses. 90% of online shoppers say they find video helpful in making shopping and buying decisions, while 75% of executives told Forbes that they watch work-related videos at least once a week.
100 million Internet users watch online video each day – now to be fair, most of them are watching silly cat videos and their friend’s latest ALS Ice Bucket video - but millions of other users are looking for advice on how to do something or information on a product or service.
This is a massive audience.
Regardless of your industry - if you have a website and a camera - start producing video content. Aside from the vast amount of people you can reach with video, you can more effectively work to build relationships and trust with these new found viewers. Video allows you to be more personable, more relatable, and memorable. They can be funny, exciting, and informative all at the same time – making them sharable and engaging.
Video Marketing for any Business
Videos work for any industry, and they can actually make a content marketing strategy easier by allowing you to create great content quickly while appealing to a large audience. Great content provides entertainment, information, and/or provide a solution to the viewer’s question or challenge; video is great for this.
Some of the simplest topics are done best with video. Sometimes, it’s easier to make a video to answer your audience’s questions rather than write about it. For example, imagine an online outdoor shop that sells fishing and camping supplies. One of their easiest, most popular questions is, “How do you tie a fishing lure?” Instead of writing an article trying to explain how to tie a lure, they decide to create a video that shows the audiences instead. This is not only more valuable for the viewers, but establishes their brand as a trustworthy source of information – when it comes time to make a purchase, where else will the audience want to go?
I know, I know – weird example. But I wanted to show that video content can work for any niche industry. Creating simple videos can save time, money, and actually provides more value for your audience depending on the subject matter.
One of the greatest aspects of video marketing is that it allows your brand to be fully original with expert insights, product promotion, or fun entertainment – you don’t have to just film yourself talking to a camera by yourself, either - you can demonstrate a product, narrate a slideshow, or even compile customer testimonials.
Creating Great Videos for Marketing Success
Get creative and have fun when you are producing videos, but remember to stick to certain guidelines -Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when producing great videos:
- Viewers have a short attention span: This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Our attention span has dropped over the years, and overly-long videos are an internet user’s nightmare. Keep it short. 1-3 minutes of lightly branded video shows the best results.
- Add a personal message: Potential customers want to relate with the person or company they are buying from. A personalized message or using a customer testimonial as a call to action is a great way to nurture leads or convert those leads into business.
- A little humor never hurts: Now, this obviously depends on topic matter, but I am a firm believer that comedy is the most popular genre that gets shared around the web. If you are dealing with really “dry” subject matter, video can be a great way to lighten-up and make the content fun.
- Include a Call to Action:Make sure your viewers know how to find you, and remind them to share the video to help boost promotional efforts. Don’t forget to include your contact information to generate more leads for your business.
- Distribute and promote your video in every way possible: Promote your video through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you are currently running an e-mail campaign, include a link to your video.
Creating a winning formula for video involves trial and testing. It’s important to remember that while video’s can be very effective, it should be used as part of a robust portfolio of quality content. The most successful websites or blogs use a combination of video, articles, SEO and promotionto reach their audience. Every company, however, should use video marketing as a tool to not only promote their business, but provide great content to a enormous number of potential customers - and turn those leads into big sales.
Brad Kuenn is a Content Writer, Editor and Strategist living in Nashville, Tennessee, and he provides research, content topics, writing, editing, and content development expertise to clients. He has a passion for writing as well as art, which shines through in his work. His creativity and attention to detail makes him a valuable asset for a wide range of clients. During his time off he enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and his two dogs Brutus and Kane.
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