Is it right for your business? Is the outcome worth it? Devan is a Senior Marketing Advisor at Spotlight and he has the top 10 tips for video marketing.
1. Video > Audio > Text
Video will always be more powerful than audio and text. People of all ages consume video more than any other medium. If you have a message to get out there, video is going to be your best medium as you can provide audio and visuals – not just one or the other.
2. Start Strong
The first few seconds are pivotal to your video. This is when what people see before deciding whether they want to continue watching or move on. If you don’t capture their attention immediately, they will not receive your message.
3. Location, Location, Location
You must know where it is best to engage with your target audience. If you create a video targeted at business owners and share it on a platform that reaches children, it will not perform as well as it could. A great video will fall short if it is not placed in front of the right audience at the right time.
4. Know Your Platform
One video will not work on every platform – you must use different lengths, formats, orientations, and more to get the best results from your video on each platform. Once you know which platform your target audience engages with the most, you must create a video that is suited to be seen on that platform.
5. Be Wary of Length
A longer video doesn’t mean it’s going to be better than a short one. The fact that you have audio and visuals in one medium means that you can provide a more impactful and powerful message in a shorter period of time. You want to be short and concise so you do not lose your audience’s attention before you get to tell your entire message.
6. Use Closed Captioning
Did you know that 85% of videos are viewed without sound on Facebook? Facebook auto-plays videos without sound. If you are sharing on Facebook, be sure to include closed captioning to engage those that are not watching your video sound. Added bonus, this helps with SEO!
9. Repurpose Your Video
Videos have a longer shelf life than any other medium – they can be usable for 5+ years! This can be done by sharing it periodically and using it in more than one place – have you ever thought about including a video in your email signature? This can also be done by having different lengths of the same video message so that you are ready to share it on more platforms from the get-go.
8. Tell a Story
Video allows you to dive deeper into stories, so do it! Consumers like to see and hear how your product or service can fit into their daily life and alleviate a pain point more than you just talking about your brand and how great of a product it is. You can build trust much faster by having a member of your target audience discuss how you helped them. The same goes for recruiting!
9. Have a Call to Action
Have a clear and concise call to action in your video. This way after people watch it, they know what to do next. A great video without a next step will not get you the results that you are hoping for. Make sure you are asking viewers to do something next to maximize and measure your ROI.
10. Plan for Measuring Success
Having a video is great for content, but if you don’t know why you want a video or the purpose of having one, how do you know if your investment was worth it? Having a goal and message in mind at the beginning will help craft your video in a way to accomplish your goal. This way you can plan your call to action to lead you to results and you know what those results are.
Bonus: Don’t Overcomplicate Video
You don’t have to include every detail about your product or service in your video. Be yourself and relay your message in a way that positions you as the expert and somebody viewers want to work with. Don’t be afraid to use humor and show your true colors either. Remember, people like working with people, not organizations – you can be the difference maker.
