Have you ever watched a video online and just connected to it? I know I have. In today’s world, video marketing grows exponentially every day. A study done by Google showed that 6 out of 10 people would rather watch online videos than television. Considering how often people are on their phones and on the web it is normal to expect those numbers to just keep rising.
Why is this important you might ask? Well, it is simple really, MARKETING! Think of all that time your potential customer is spending in front of their phone, it is only natural that you try to seize the opportunity to put your brand on their phone content and create a connection maybe even a lifetime customer. Did you know that viewers retain 95% of the message when they watch it, compared to 10% when reading it in the text? (source) Now your audience is not only getting your message but retaining it better too!
Videos are an amazing way that brands can not only put their business in front of their customers but also how they can create an emotional-based connection with their audience. Just think back to those all-time favorite videos/commercials you have watched that literally left you feeling sad, happy, reminiscent, etc. That short little video was able to trigger an emotion inside you which your brain then ties those emotions to memories making it easier to make you’re video memorable.
The Mindless Scroll
Video is also important today because it is more likely to be a “scroll-stopper.” Think of all the mindless scrolling you do online, what makes you stop? Certainly not the miles of text and comments that you see over and over. A short little video with something interesting that catches your interest might make you stop and pay attention. Not only are videos something to stop the mindless scrolling but they are also preferred by your customers. According to a study recorded by Hubspot, 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. (source)
So with videos making such a lasting impression and being a top performer in the marketing world what are some important details to know about the video world? One is to not fall victim to the thought that you have to have a long video in front of your audience, short and sweet is key. In fact, two minutes or under is optimal for the most engagement. The first 30 seconds being the most important. After the first 30 seconds, you can lose viewers by 33% according to a study done on Ad Age, and the viewers just keep going down from there! (source)
Next, make sure you are thinking of your video message with and without audio. Since you can not control if your audience will turn their audio on or not. They should be able to receive the same message with or without the sound on.
Another fun aspect of the video is allowing your audience the ability to learn more about your products and services from the comfort of their own lives. You can use videos in so many areas for your business. You can create video blogs or podcasts for your website. You can start a YouTube channel with informational or helpful videos, and linking your business. You can create promotional little short videos to put on social media platforms. You can also put videos directly on your website to engage readers and possible customers. The possibilities are truly endless!
Another approach of the video world is allowing the customer the “try before you buy” concept. If you make informational videos about your product it allows the customer to better imagine it in their everyday life. For example, say your target audience is middle-aged women, and you are trying to sell a new face washing tool. Many companies have started using influencers to share their products and business on their page. They will send their product to these influencers to review their product on their Instagram stories, Instagram TV, etc. They then use the face washing tool and show demonstrations on their stories or videos on their page. Allowing the prospective customer to see the product in action, see the immediate advantages to having said product, and seeing direct results of the product.
These influencers usually have a large “following” and make purchasing or visiting your business page from theirs as easy as “swiping up” on their story. I personally can’t count how many things I have purchased, websites I visited, or businesses I have used all because my trusted influencer said on their video it was a “game-changer” for my life. I know it may sound silly but there are more people out there with the same mindset as me. In fact, 86% of women use social media for purchasing advice! (source)
So now you know videos can create an emotional connection to the clients. They can be informational, showing what the product can do or how it works, etc. allowing them to visualize your product or business directly into their everyday life.
Aside from all the positive contributions video gives your customers. Let’s dive into more of the benefits video brings to you and your business! Videos can boost conversion rates, increase sales, promote website visits, engage your audience, better track your ROI (return of investment), increase your retention rate, increase your content, and more. Videos make it easy to have more brand awareness and reach a large variety of audiences. Trust me you do not want to miss out on creating videos for your business. The digital, video world is growing bigger every day. With mobile video consumption rising by 100% every year, it just might be one of the smartest things you do for your business. (source)
What are you waiting for, now is the time to step into the video world for your business!
Now you may be thinking “you are right! My business needs video but how and where do I start?” It’s simple really, start at the beginning. You need to know what product, feature, or key to your business you want to cover. Remember this video should be under two minutes so knowing an exact topic for the video will help in its success. Next, you want to make sure you have a killer introduction considering you only keep 100% of your initial audience for the first 30 seconds. You want an introduction that hooks the viewer encouraging them to watch the entire video. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous with this video! Seriously, there is nothing worse than a boring video; besides who said marketing had to be boring?
An extremely important feature of video is to make triple sure it is mobile friendly! As discussed above we know more and more people are watching videos on their phones. Therefore assume your market is going to be enjoying your video on their smartphones. You have the ability to make your video relatable or include a well-loved individual. It can have sad or happy background music to better set the mood of the video. Remember, video allows you the opportunity to connect to your customer on an emotional level. You can come in at different angles or have fun with colors and effects. There are so many tips and tricks to make your video stand out and really grab your audience! If you are wanting to add audio to your video check out this blog over sites to find music. (insert Shane’s blog link)
Once your video is actually made you need to keep in mind the analytics of it all. To put it in simple man’s terms how are you going to get your video out there in front of your audience. Then once it is there how are you planning on tracking where it has been, how long they watched it, did it inspire a follow-up action, etc. This means SEO (Search Engine Optimization)! An effective video campaign should keep SEO on the top of its priorities. If you want to maximize the effects of the video, making sure you have a really awesome, smartly worded description that goes along with it is key! Be sure to include keywords that will help boost your video and put it in front of more viewers.
If you made it this far though and you’re thinking of having an anxiety attack of all the equipment you need, skills to create, time to put into it, plus learning how-to on all things editing. Stop worrying! Really though, while videos are important you can make simple, quick videos with your phone for quick and consecutive content. Then you can outsource big video campaigns you would like to do to marketing firms who specialize in making really awesome videos. See, I told you there was nothing to stress about. The key is to have video content available for your audience and give yourself the opportunity to be seen and propel your business to GREATNESS!
