Long gone are the times when the video was reserved for family reunions. Today, video content plays a significant role when it comes to sales. Being heard and seen on the noisy Internet is a challenge by itself. It is no longer enough to have a great product or service if no one has heard about it. Consumers are more keen to watch the review videos before committing to purchase.
With such fast-paced development of technology, the brands are fighting to place their products and services before consumers. Recent research shows that almost 80% of the world’s population owns a smartphone. However, living in a hectic world, a potential customer has only a few minutes to use their phone before returning to the previous activity. Thus, internet ads should be engaging enough to catch their attention.
Even when at home with family, the consumer is more likely to search for a product of interest online. The trends show that almost half of consumers watch a video before making a purchase. Instead of shopping almost blindly while knowing nothing about the product, the consumer gains confidence by watching a video. The statistics show that 84% of consumers buy something after watching a commercial for it.
What Is Video Marketing?
Video Marketing is a way of implementing relevant and engaging visual content into a brand’s marketing strategy. Sometimes, a brand is more easily remembered by an engaging video than thousands of testimonials.
Furthermore, video can become part of your brand through many channels and in different ways. Video marketing is versatile and can even complete a brand’s outreach from building a customer base to promoting services or products. Video marketing can serve as an agent to present product, promote customer testimonials, stream events, and deliver engaging, shareable content.
Blog posting and other textual content still play a significant role in marketing. So why is visual content marketing more effective? Studies show that there are 79% of consumers who would prefer to go quickly through visual instead of written content. The numbers show that video is no longer just a piece of a marketing strategy but a central act to enhance the outreach. Visual content is especially relevant when it comes to social strategy. A recent survey shows that it is dominating social networks.
This is where it gets interesting. Four out of six channels where global consumers watch videos are actually social media networks. There are many social media platforms which can benefit the video marketing strategy, but let’s name just a few.
- YouTube
YouTube
The platform was once a website created by PayPal employees, which allowed users to upload, view, and share videos. In the beginning, it was a platform with random videos of people and funny pets. In 2006, YouTube became one of Google’s largest acquisitions worth over one billion dollars
The platform is now home to smart, quirky, unique, and engaging content of all niches. Many companies have their channel to promote a brand, product, or service. YouTube is a social and visual platform, which allows brands to communicate with their customers. Social interaction, which might even help solve a consumer’s problem, builds trust toward the brand in question.
The key to a successful YouTube channel, and marketing strategy in general, is to present yourself to the general public. If someone is at a brand’s platform for the first time, they might be wondering what the channel is about.
The banner and profile image should follow the brand since they are the visitor’s first impression. To complete the introduction, “About” page should contain a written explanation of your brand. The most important is the video that is auto-playing on the page when a first-time visitor arrives. It is short (no more than a minute), clear, and compelling. It should also answer the following three questions.
- What or who is it?
- What does it/ do they do?
- What makes it/them unique?
When it comes to video, SEO tactics to target your audience still apply. The title, description, and tags are your tools for ranking on search engines like Google. They might even help you get your video among the first ones on YouTube. If your strategy works, and a user is engaged, then you should implement a clear call to action when creating a video.
The most successful videos on YouTube are reviews, How To’s, entertaining and funny videos. Writing a script for a video will help you stay on the path to your goal. While providing information, education, or entertainment, 54% of video marketers achieve better brand awareness.
YouTube offers a variety of tools as well as adds to promote your channel. The strategy behind the visual is to create an entire campaign at once, including the thumbnail. Although many have tried to create a clickbait, they have failed because YouTube, as well as Google, punishes irrelevant content. Make your thumbnails stand out visually while following the topic of the video.
The Types of Marketing Videos
Many brands use different video content, depending on what their goals are.
Demo Videos — Showcasing the product or service in the form of a review or unboxing.
Explainer Videos — Dealing with customers’ problems or issues.
Brand Videos — A part of a brand’s campaign explaining their mission and vision.
Event Videos — Dealing with a special even a company is hosting.
Educational or How-To Videos — The best performing since many people are seeking to learn something new.
Animated Videos — The videos that keep the audience engaged while explaining difficult topics and are convenient to explain the issue visually.
Augmented Reality Videos — Often used to engage the audience and immerse them into a brand’s world.
Live Videos — For example, behind the scenes of a company.
YouTube is all about being the next show, which will provide consumers with entertainment or education. Starting a video campaign can become a key element of your marketing strategy. Turn your written content into a video and watch your conversions grow. Ready? Action!
