It was not too long ago that Video Marketing meant TV advertising. Things have changed in a hurry. Only 2 years ago YouTube reported that it averaged a billion hours of viewing every day. Facebook now sees over 8 billion videos viewed every day. Part of the attraction of video marketing is that unlike TV advertising, it does not require as large a budget for production or media. Video has gone from being a fun way to entertain (cat videos anyone?) to a key component of many marketing plans. If video marketing seems too time-consuming for you, hire an Advertising Agency or Videographer. However, if you want to try it yourself, here’s how you can get started.
Ways to Use Video Marketing
There are many strategies for video marketing. Depending on your business and objective the following are a few options to consider.
Product Demo – Showcase how your products or services work. A prospective customer may not be convinced that your product will solve their need but if they can see the product in action it could sway their decision.
Testimonials – You can easily film customers or clients who love your service. Many people enjoy being in a video. Appeal to their vanity and get them to have fun. A montage of people raving about you is powerful viewing.
Get-To-Know-You’s – A great way to build trust in your company and make prospective customers feel comfortable with you is video that explains your firm, brand, ideals etc. Let viewers see your personality. Film quick interviews with employees discussing what they like about their jobs. People like putting a name with a face. Make the audience feel they know you and they will want to do business with you.
Webinars – A great way to demonstrate thought-leadership is by hosting webinars. They can be live or prerecorded. Demonstrate your knowledge in various aspects of your business and bring in outside experts to round out the presentation.
Advertising – Most businesses want more customers and video has long been one of the most effective ways to attract new customers. Don’t be afraid to sell.
Create Your Online Video
Creating a video can be intimidating. You aren’t a Hollywood producer so it might not seem feasible. But there are some great free tools that allow anyone to create a story. If you are an Apple user there is iMovie and for Microsoft folks there is Movie Maker. Both provide robust features for a newbie editor.
Before you begin filming, start by defining your goal for the video. What do you want the viewer to do? Will you have a specific Call To Action (CTA) or is this just for brand awareness? Then identify your target audience. Create a profile including their age, gender, interests, geography etc. Use the information to script your video. Your script should be written with the understanding that the majority of online video is watched without sound. Eighty-five percent of Facebook video is viewed without sound. The action in your clip should tell the story along with on-screen graphics. Plan carefully. Online video can be viewed in many lengths, but shorter video is still the most popular. Ideally, create :15 second videos to maximize storytelling and views.
Video marketing is not a fad. One Facebook executive even suggested the platform could be entirely video in 5 years. More than ever video is part of the online landscape. People prefer to watch a video than read. Smart marketers are leveraging that behavior to substantially grow their businesses. You can too.
