This post is sponsored by Videvo
YouTube is the second most popular search engine after Google with 2 billion users worldwide and a billion hours of footage being watched every day.
Considering the huge reach of this platform it should not be surprising that 79% of online marketers consider Youtube to be the most effective platform for digital marketing and 63% of marketers say that video gets the best ROI as compared to other forms of social media.
Despite the massive potential of video, many companies drag their heels because they see it as too difficult. Blog posts and pictures are easy whereas hiring a film crew and shooting a video might seem a more daunting task. While that can certainly be the case, there are some excellent reasons to take the plunge and some cautions outlined below.
Improve Customer Engagement
Make sure you are not just producing content because you feel like you should or because everyone else is doing it. Create engaging content that is well-produced and is based on some kind of strategy just as you would do in any other part of your marketing mix.
There are millions of hours of video being watched every day and you have to give people a reason to watch yours. This can get a little pricey if you start to use outside agencies or dedicating people on your marketing team to video but it is possible to do it cost-effectively by doing a “day in the life” video of one of your employees with a little royalty free music over the top.
Try to tell a story with your video and finish with a call to action. Storytelling is key to communicate your message and engage your customers; if people watch your video and have no idea what your point is and do not know what to do next then you have failed. Maybe tell the story of how your company started, what kind of problem your products solve, and how your product can be used to help them. Then tell them what to do next by inserting a clear call to action:
- Want to know more? Click here
- Buy now
- Subscribe
- Register
Alternatively, you can make a video about your customers’ experience rather than yourself. Explain what it is like to be your customer and it may feel less like a hard sell but more like a natural story.
The type of video you produce will depend on what kind of service you provide but in general short videos are viewed more than long ones. That being said, if your video is an in-depth how-to then it will be very hard to keep it under a minute so a longer video may be more appropriate.
Remember, not every video you produce has to drive sales. Sometimes inspiring a more emotional connection with your brand is an excellent target to shoot for to aid audience retention. An example of this is Edeka’s controversial and provoking Christmas ad “Time to Come Home”.
Supplement and Expand Your Existing Content
Video can be used to support and enhance other marketing efforts like SEO, blogging, social media. You should supplement your existing company blog with an engaging vlog building on the topics discussed in your written blog.
Take existing content and précis it into a short video which explains the content and is easily accessible to the viewer. If you have some long text-based content that you feel your customers need to know then you might consider creating some video content that succinctly explains your text content. People are far more likely to watch a one minute video than trawl through thousands of words of text.
If you are low on ideas in your blog posts then there are tonnes of other pieces of video content you can put out:
- Testimonials from customers
- How-to instructional videos
- Webinars
- Events
- Infographics
- Executive interviews
- Panel discussions
- Explainer videos
Given the number of people involved in making purchasing decisions in businesses, using videos to communicate your message can be a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page in as short a time as possible. For B2B, video marketing is the most powerful tool there is for reaching and engaging customers.
About Videvo
Videvo offers thousands of videos, motion graphics, sound effects and music for free. Perfect to use within your digital marketing campaigns
