The popularity of interactive and social content has paved the way for the booming success of video, especially in the marketing world. Video marketing has a way of captivating audiences both young and old. This trend has gained momentum around the globe and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, by 2021, video traffic will account for 82% of all consumer traffic.
Video content lets your brand connect with your clients in highly unique and emotional ways. Video is much more personal than text, allowing customers to put a human face to your name. So, if you’re still stuck in the mindset of relying on text content in hopes of gaining new leads, this is the year to embrace video marketing.
Here are 7 surefire ways to use marketing videos in your upcoming campaign.
Brand Films
Brand recall is an important factor in gaining new leads and retaining existing customers. However, even the catchiest content can fall flat. Much of it lacks that “wow” factor that videos innately possess. According to HubSpot, about 80% of customers remember brand videos that they viewed in the last month. When clients can recall your content faster through the use of video, they are in turn more likely to remember your brand.
As part of your video marketing strategy, be sure to create unique branded video content. Show your audience what your company is all about, your visions, values, and goals. Let viewers see the inner core of your company through a well-designed video-based story.
Go Live
Video doesn’t have to be static content.
With the widespread popularity of Facebook Live and other live streaming applications, companies can now communicate with their audience in a highly intimate and engaging way. Static video only goes so far in opening a line of communication and connecting with your viewers. With live video content, you can interact with your audience in real-time. Telescope found that the engagement rate for live videos was 4.3% compared to the 2.2% of pre-recorded videos – nearly 200% higher!
With live video, you can host a Q&A session, demo a product, discuss an upcoming product release, and so much more. They are unrehearsed and offer an effective way of humanizing your brand. Live video lets you pull back the curtain so customers can see the emotion and personality behind your company.
Product Explainer Videos
We all like to feel confident in our purchasing decisions, especially when buying a product or trying out a new service. Empowering customers with knowledge is a great way to get them to better understand your brand and the value that it provides.
While you could post a lengthy blog about your product and its benefits, customers are more likely to be receptive to video about the same subject. Video can be used to make mundane products more exciting or to bring a highly-technical service down to the consumer level.
When using video to educate and empower viewers, remember that the content isn’t about you; it should be about your customers. Explain your product or service and then move onto the most important question: value. How does your product bring value to your customers? How will it make their life easier or more convenient?
This is what will really make your video content memorable.
Educational Videos
Did you know that more than half of the human brain is involved processing visual data? Humans are (mostly) visual learners, so one of the biggest drivers behind video content creation is to educate viewers. Chances are that your target audience will come across your product or service during a search for new information. By using video content, you can make learning easier and more fun for your viewers.
Adding educational videos as part of your video marketing strategy will give your audience useful information that they can use in their everyday lives. Think about your industry and niche and what people want to know about it.
Maybe you’re a marketing company and can post a video about the ins and outs of creating content that Google will love. Or maybe you’re a veterinarian and want to educate pet owners on the importance of year-round tick protection.
Teaching your audience valuable information gives your brand more authority. Customers will turn to your company to learn and to make life easier for themselves.
360° Experience
Video content in itself is captivating, but if you’re looking for a novel way to immerse your audience, consider creating 360° experience videos. This form of video content is relatively new. Uploads of 360° videos doubled in late 2017 and that number continues to rise. Travel, real estate, and even automotive industries have all embraced this high-tech form of video content, but it can be used by companies of all sorts.
Get creative with your video marketing by creating:
- Event sneak peaks
- Behind-the-scenes captures
- Immersive product testing
With 360° experience videos as part of your business video marketing, you can count on your brand standing out in the video crowd.
Testimonials
Testimonials can play a huge role in a consumer’s decision to do business with your company. In fact, research shows that more than 80% of people read customer reviews and check company ratings before making a purchase.
But we’ve all come across that reviews that are either extremely outlandish or read like the company’s CEO wrote them.
To build trust and credibility, use video testimonials as a way to showcase your brand value while also giving insight into what real customer’s think. The key to video-based testimonials is then need to feel real, organic, and unrehearsed.
Consumers won’t be fooled by a video of someone reading from a script (we’ve all seen this). You’ll want to instead focus on raw and real content that feels as unrehearsed and genuine as possible. Try gaining testimonials at a trade show or asking customers to record their own testimonials.
Video FAQs
Do prospective buyers seem to have similar questions about a certain aspect of your product or service?
Instead of posting a text-based answer on a page full of other text-based answers, put your response into video format with catchy visuals and audio. Explain to customers where your organic ingredients come from or give them the inside scoop on how your product is made. A video FAQ can answer any remaining questions and settle any fears that a buyer may have, persuading them to do business with your company.
Conclusion
Video marketing is the way of the content world and without it, your brand visibility and recognition could be limited. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve and captivate your audience in new and exciting ways, creating video content should be a top priority.
Keep these 7 options in mind as ways of sharing information, educating your users, and putting a face and voice to your brand. 3…2…1…ACTION!
