We are at the point where video marketing stands at the forefront of content marketing strategies. The year 2015 was predicted to be the year of video marketing and there are various tools to integrate videos as a crucial part of marketing strategy. Businesses are utilizing video marketing to reach out to a vast audience, in a more interactive and unique way. Ever since the birth of digital marketing, videos have somehow been an element of promotion but it never has been as essential as it is now. From Snapchat, Vine, and YouTube, to the more recent and highly recommended Periscope, all have something very useful to offer to various businesses, with their diverse niches. Users of a product can now get a quick and useful overview in a video in less than thirty seconds versus having to read (or sometimes ignore) overwhelming amount of text.
Digital marketers and content strategists have fully embraced this new tool and have taken their marketing strategies to more visually appealing platforms and are now coming up with new ideas to make engaging videos. If you have a small start-up and are devising a video marketing strategy, here are a few tips to increase the prospects of your videos getting viral.
Whats more important?
Youre wrong if you think that you have to spend a hefty amount on video creation to get you the desired results. Thanks to a number of innovative tools, almost everyone with or without a studio or top notch videography equipment, can create videos. It is suggested that you at least invest in hiring a videographer with an HD camera, but you really dont need a full fledge studio, with flawless lighting and everything. What you should be more concerned about is keeping these videos real with relatable content, and without too much of perfection because youre not shooting a Hollywood movie. What people want is something that gives them authenticity about you and your business.
Where can they be seen?
Traditionally, businesses, brands, services and people used to upload their videos on their YouTube channels. However, things have changed with new tools to make videos and platforms to upload them. If you really want to capture your audiences attention then utilize every channel along with a dedicated video hub on your own website. You have to play smart with your videos and consume all the benefits of each and every platform.
Listen to what the analytics say:
Like every other marketing strategy, video marketing demands performance analysis. Dig deeper into getting out the real analytics rather than just being satisfied with the number of views, likes or shares. Monitor if your videos are being watched till the end, how people respond to the content, if people view your videos on repeat, and how many of them stop the video before its end. Individual viewer statistics can help you create and deliver quality as well as keep your brand or business strong. The idea sounds tiring and useless, but just like social media, in just a short time, you will be enveloped by the world of videos. So if you make the foundation strong, youll already be a step ahead in this game.
Give them stories:
If we take a look at what goes viral on the internet and what falls down to the circle of oblivion, we realize its mostly content that has more relatable value to it, something not presented as a long, boring presentation of nothing but your products and business. The key to do it right, is to keep the content audience in mind. Find out what your audience really wants to see, and what kind of videos do they usually enjoy? You can start out with a story type introduction of your company or service. A fun, humorous campaign can be run with nothing but videos; you can engage your audience along by featuring their videos related to your campaign on various social media channels. Videos work their magic in humanizing your brand.
Quick Tips:
- Keep it short and succinct.
- Never leave them with nothing at the end. A blank screen at the end of your video is something that could turn people away.
- Things like tutorials, demos, behind the scenes, white board lessons, with a hint of humour, animated info graphics will keep your videos fresh and worth watching.
- Talk about your brand, product or business in a smart, subtle way. Dont come off sounding too full of yourself.
- Interviews are a great way to build trust and inspire your audience.
- Personalize your videos as much as you can to personalize your identity.
- Live-streaming through Periscope is something you should start integrating in your video marketing strategy.
So how do you plan to get the most out of video marketing?