Video marketing has finally transitioned from a “maybe” to a “must.” With more than 1 billion people using YouTube – one-third of all Internet users –the importance of video marketing cannot be denied. If your business isn’t in front of the camera…there’s a good chance you’re falling behind.
It’s easy to see why. In our fast-paced world, we have evolved to process images faster than text. So, when you combine written and visual content, there’s a significant increase in understanding, which leads to brand engagement.
Therefore, video marketing has the potential for incredible ROI. The reason is simple: videos get more views, shares, and likes than traditional text content or simple photos, meaning higher conversions and sales for your company. In fact, according to a 2017 study by Wyzowl, 84% of consumers reported that they were convinced to make a purchase after watching a brand’s videos.
Some More Quick Statistics About Video Marketing:
- Video shared on social media generates 1200% more than posts that
only include text and pictures, combined.1
- The typical consumer will spend 88% more time on a website if it contains video.2
- Placing a product video on a website’s landing page can increase conversions by 80%.3
- Recent studies have shown that nearly 3 out of 4 users who watched an explainer video about a product subsequently bought it.4
- According to a 2017 study by RendrFX, “4 out of 5 shoppers say a video showing how a product or service works is important.”5
- Consumers want high-quality “explainer” videos, which in turn boosts sales. Almost two in three people say they would share a video if it was informative.6
- Businesses using video are able to grow company revenue 49% faster
year-over-year compared to those not using video marketing.7
9 Steps to Planning Your Video Marketing Strategy
Having an effective video marketing strategy is key to reaching your intended audience – and these 9 steps are crucial to your organic video success.
- Organize your goal. How will video marketing help your company? What do you want to achieve? Some answers might include: educating your consumers, increasing engagement, promoting your brand, and bringing in new leads.
- Remember that keywords are still important. Although often neglected, optimizing your content with keywords is crucial, even in video format. Don’t expect that your videos will rank and convert simply because you uploaded an interesting video that is funny and outrageous. Very rarely do marketing videos rank without the help of relevant keywords in the title, video description and in the video content itself.
- Know your audience and what they’re looking for. Millennials consume the most video content of all age demographics (primarily on their mobile phones). They are a key consumer group for brands to focus on, and they look for videos that are to the point (shorter videos tend to perform better), entertaining and informative. According to social media management platform Hootsuite, consumers especially like “hero” stories, where someone faces a certain struggle and overcomes it by using your brand’s product or service.
- Craft your video. Important aspects of effective videos include the tone, structure, visual feel, and any music/or sound effects that you want to use. For example, think of “we are/we are not” statements and build from there. Create an outline for your video so you clearly represent what you want to portray to your audience, whether it’s a one-person video, an interview, panel discussion, voiceover, and so on. Remember to use subtitles, because most viewers want to be able to watch videos with the sound off. Maybe they’re at work or out in public while taking a look – so make it easy for them to view no matter where they are.
- Steer clear of these pitfalls. What don’t consumers like to see? Most consumers will bounce if your video is unclear, low quality, or too long. In fact, you have approximately 10 seconds to clearly communicate your proposition if you want to gain a few minutes of the user’s attention. What’s more, 62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of your brand if you publish a poor-quality video.
- Monitor your results and track your efforts. Using Google Analytics can help you evaluate if you have more views, likes, shares, profits, and referrals as a result of your video marketing. Also, G.A. helps you see how many views you’ve received and helps you refine your target demographic. By monitoring your campaign details, you can see the number of views your videos get and the amount you pay for each viewer who sees your video, which is called cost per view, or CPV. While a low CPV may seem like an appealing prospect, sometimes you will want to spend a little bit more on targeted keywords.
- Promote and distribute your videos on multiple platforms. Putting your videos on your own site and on social media networks can help boost visibility, not to mention conversions and sales. You may want to embed your videos in email marketing campaigns, press releases, and landing pages on your website…and don’t forget about social media! CoSchedule found that video links to YouTube get a 75% higher share rate on LinkedIn. It doesn’t hurt to ask your fans and followers to share, comment and subscribe, either.
- Embed your videos in written content. To bolster your video’s performance, embed the video in an accompanying blog post. Introduce the video by answering your viewer’s inevitable question: “What’s in it for me?” and include a clear call-to-action to help interested viewers find out more about your product or service.
- Get backlinks. The more reputable websites that direct to your video and back to your website, the better. Reach out to brands that have websites related to your video content. For example, a video about fashion trends should be on a website related to that topic, instead of on a travel website. Always keep in mind – quality backlinks reinforce the value of your video content.
If you want your videos to get views, your channel to get subscribers, and your loyal fans to get excited about your content, you now have a plan. Don’t get left behind in the video marketing revolution. Contact a digital growth agency for expert advice, customized to your audience needs. It’s time to find out how you can crush your competition in the 2017 (and 2018!) video marketing race.
Sources
- https://www.brightcove.com/en/blog/2017/01/how-transcripts-boost-video-seo
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2015/09/10/using-video-in-marketing-why-wouldnt-you/#75a2accc697c
- https://unbounce.com/landing-page-articles/the-benefits-of-using-video-on-landing-pages/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/8-powerful-reasons-you-need-use-video-marketing-maureen-kane-