Roll out the red carpet! Are you ready for the silver screen? Or maybe a phone or computer screen? Welcome to the world of video marketing - a dynamic force in the digital marketing landscape. By creating video content, your audience is able to see your brand’s true identity, the natural, human people behind the typical static social media content your brand produces. Check out our best tips for your video marketing endeavors and hop on this show-stopping digital trend because critics say it’s here to stay.
The “Wow” Factor: Why Video Marketing?
- The Shrinking Attention Span Epidemic: It’s estimated that the human attention span is about 8.25 seconds. Yikes! That puts a lot of pressure on marketers. But video content can lift some of this weight. Blending visual and auditory senses to create the most engaging type of content, video marketing leaves a lasting impression that static, image-based media can struggle to achieve.
- You Get a Video, and You Get a Video: Lucky for you, there’s no “right” location or platform for video content. Depending on your brand identity and audience, experiment with different types of video content in different locations. You can use video in email, social media, or your brand’s website. We’ll touch on these different outlets and best practices a bit later in the blog.
- More Emotion, More Drama: Why do consumers buy a product or service? It all comes down to the biggest driver of purchasing behavior: emotions. The goal is to help your audience authentically connect with your brand. Let your guard down. By displaying behavior and visuals that resonate with your audience in a way that draws out strong emotions, you are likely to trigger a desired response. Work on humanizing your brand through your digital strategies, an enormous task more likely achievable through video marketing.
The list goes on. In 2023, it was estimated that online videos reached 92% worldwide. We live in a digital age where adapting video marketing strategies can significantly benefit your brand. Still not convinced? Let’s check out what marketers say are the best things they get out of their video marketing.
5 Benefits of Video Marketing
Although there are many benefits to incorporating video content in your marketing strategies, we had to narrow it down for the sake of both of our time. From increases in social reach to better relationships with your audience, it’s clear that video marketing can upgrade your digital game.
1. Increased Engagement
In 2023, the global average for online video consumption was 17 hours per week. Clearly, social media users enjoy video. By providing valuable content to your audience, your brand will likely see engagement numbers increase. Whether your purpose is to entertain, educate, or attract, your video content should provide viewers with a value proposition or a promise that they will gain something from engaging with your video and your brand.
2. Increased Social Media Reach
Social media platforms can be accessed on the web or mobile applications on your phone, tablet, or computer. Needless to say, your audience can reach you just about anywhere. Using video content to showcase your offerings, users can perform thorough research and authentically connect with your brand on multiple platforms. Produce videos with special effects incorporating trends and flair, likely leading to increased engagement and reach with social users.
3. Improved SEO
Chances are, when your audience is typing something in their search bar, they are looking for an answer to a question. Google’s algorithm prefers video content because it can efficiently provide consumers with solutions to their problems. By creating rich, informative video media on your socials or website, users are likely to organically interact with your content, especially if it provides much-needed answers.
4. Easier Way to Communicate
When your audience views a video from you, they can read your facial expressions, body language, and tone, a luxury not provided through typical social content. Besides being in person, video marketing provides a business with the best way to communicate with its intended audience. There’s no BS with video; all messages come straight from the horse’s mouth.
5. Strong Emotional Connections
Depending on your brand's video content, your team can leverage emotions and relatability. For example, emotional testimonials resonate strongly with viewers who have similar experiences. However, there are many ways to use video marketing to create emotional connections with your audience. Find out what tugs on their heartstrings, excites them, or even makes them shed a tear.
5 Types of Video Content
Your content should always align with your brand's core message. Video content is no different. Once you’ve identified what you want to say to your audience, the next step is deciding which type of video content works best for your business and resonates the most with your listeners. Certain video-based strategies may fit better than others, depending on your marketing goals. Below are some of the many types of video content your brand should check out.
1. Tutorials
The good ole’ “How-To” video. These types of videos create the perfect combination of solving consumer problems and showcasing your brand’s services. You can build brand loyalty by walking your viewers through their unanswered questions and establishing yourself as a trusted source of information for all their future concerns. Use a mix of high-quality visuals, text, and effects to create videos that provide simple, actionable tips that keep your viewers engaged and coming back for more.
2. Testimonials
Nothing gets the job done like social proof. Testimonials produced by your trusted customers are one of the most impactful forms of marketing. Although you aren’t always creating the testimonial, guiding your brand’s users through making content about their experiences with your business via video content can positively impact your engagement and customer satisfaction. Testimonials can evoke strong emotions and develop authentic relationships between you and your audience.
3. Demos & Explainers
Action! Your product or service is on the big screen. To make a good demo video, make sure you’re demonstrating the features, functions, and value of your brand’s offerings. By sharing a step-by-step explanation of how to use the products you offer, your audience can interact with your brand before making the purchase decision. Educational and explanatory videos make up 47% of video uploads. Consumers like to see them!
4. Live Streams
Live streaming is just as it sounds: streaming content live. How can this form of video content benefit your brand? With the ability to stream on almost every social platform, your brand can connect with its audience in real time. 80% of audiences prefer live video to written content because of its dynamic nature. Remember what your purpose is. We don’t recommend hopping on a live video with no structure. Prepare a loose script and focus on your brand and its listeners.
5. Behind the Scenes
The core of authenticity is showing your audience your imperfections. Whether it’s a blooper reel or the extensive planning behind your video masterpiece, consumers love seeing content that makes your brand feel real. Behind-the-scenes clips allow customers to see the people behind your brand. Play on emotions by being a relatable face; you never know which of your posts could go viral. Be real, and let your audience see the passion that goes into your mission.
With endless ways to do video, make sure your team does proper research on your desired audience. Find out where they spend their time online, and meet them there with your quality video content. Depending on your audience’s demographics, certain strategies work better than others. Take the time to find out what sticks.
The Different Platforms for Your Video Content
Now that you understand the different kinds of video marketing strategies, where do you go next? Well, you’ll need somewhere to put these killer videos, right? On the bright side, almost every social platform is designed for a form of video content. The hard part is deciding which platform is right for your business, your content, and your intended audience. The type of video content you produce should vary depending on your chosen platform. Trends also have a huge impact on video marketing, with the ability to make your video top the charts or barely see the light of day. Use your audience and your brand identity to determine your next steps, and check out which of these top-performing social platforms your content is meant for.
YouTube: With a monthly active user number of over 2.5 billion, YouTube can be a marketer’s secret weapon. With the ability to create organic and paid approaches to video content, your brand can reach large numbers of consumers by showcasing its products, services, and personality. 70% of consumers report buying a product after seeing it in a YouTube video. Leverage livestreams, influencers, and other video-based tactics.
- Instagram: Because Instagram has the ability to post videos via Reels, share video content on stories, and live stream on IGTV, this social platform is a great place to start on your video marketing journey. 70% of a branding campaign’s success comes from its creatives, so play into the trends and tools on Instagram. Video has grown quickly on this platform, which initially did not support video functions. Now, viewers retain 95% of a message when it's shown via video compared to text-based. Use this to your advantage.
TikTok: Deemed the fastest-growing social platform of all time, TikTok has made its name by producing entirely video-based content for its users. Because of its dynamic nature, ensuring your brand identity is cohesive across all your social platforms, including TikTok, is crucial. As the birthplace of many viral trends, this application allows marketers to go viral fast. Short-form video content is ideal for a population with a shortened attention span and a craving for entertainment.
With many social platforms to choose from, your intended audience should be at the core of your decision. Make videos that resonate with their passions and interests, and put these videos on their preferred platforms. You won’t know how you’re doing unless you track it, so take the time to study feedback and performance.
Measuring Your Success
With multiple content now on multiple platforms, it’s crucial to maintain constant, up-to-date analytics of your video marketing content. Many social platforms, such as those listed above, have in-app features allowing you to track your metrics in real time. Similar to other forms of social content, focus on likes, comments, and shares when analyzing your engagement rates on video content. However, watch time, repeat watches, and click-through rates are metrics unique to video, adding extra measurements to a marketer's plate. Video marketing analytics provide insights into how your videos are performing, as well as how your brand as a whole is performing. By measuring performance in real-time, your team can depict which video content is well-liked, which products are flying off the shelves, and which consumers are here to stay. Stay up to date on trends and use your videos to learn more about your audience.
Integrating Video Into Your Digital Marketing Strategy
With all the tools you need to succeed, are you ready to take on video marketing? Whether you’re a small business with a low marketing budget or a retail powerhouse, video marketing can work. Tap into social trends and listen to what your audience wants to see. With that as your starting point, integrating new strategies and experimenting with different platforms should be a walk in the park. Picture what video can do for you. With endless benefits, social platforms, and reasons to try it out, your brand can find its voice through its digital marketing strategies, specifically through video content.
