By Lilach Bullock
The importance of using video to promote your business cannot be understated. With 82% of Twitter users consuming video content via the app, and close to half (45%) of individuals devouring over an hour of visual content on either Facebook or YouTube each and every week, the expectations of modern audiences is rather obvious: they crave video, and if you won’t give it to them, your competitor(s) almost certainly will.
Crafting quality video content for your social media channels, as well as for your blogs, product and landing pages, and email blasts, is a no-brainer. But getting it right is also an art form. Providing the content is visually stimulating and the audio clear; however, videos will certainly yield results, reliably increasing the length of time people spend on your page and giving you a better opportunity to convey your USP. If you elect to star in the video yourself or put one or more of your underlings front and centre, you’ll enhance the trust factor into the bargain. We like to know who we are buying from, after all.
Keen to learn how to get started with video marketing? In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to create high-performing marketing videos for your business.
Where can you best leverage videos?
Before we get into how you can actually craft impactful videos and tools that may help with this, it’s good to have an idea of where you’ll be posting your content once it’s ready. After all, while it’s easy to see why customers desire video, it requires some mental gymnastics to envision where best to deploy them.
The fact is, there are many areas of your business wherein you can make improvements with video content. Indeed, you probably already use videos as part of your staff training. However, for the purposes of this article we are going to focus on marketing—using videos to both widen your audience and engage more fruitfully with existing followers.
There are a few key areas which virtually every business could strengthen with the addition of video. These are:
On social media channels: Over 500 million Facebook users watch videos on the platform every day. That’s right: Every. Single. Day. If that lone stat doesn’t compel you to make videos a mainstay of your online marketing strategy, nothing will.
Keep social video short (no more than a minute), incorporate captions and on-screen text highlights, provide value without being “salesy,” and most importantly, don’t omit a call to action. It’s awesome getting people to watch till the end, but you’re probably not in the business of racking up views with no firm goal in mind. You’ll want to get the viewer off Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and, ideally, over to your website.
Using short, easy-to-digest videos on social is a great way to improve engagement, create a buzz, and win more followers. Needless to say, you should post a variety of video types (stories, explainers, office tours, product demos, etc.) to maintain your followers’ interest.
In email marketing campaigns: If you’re going to the trouble of creating slick videos, why on earth wouldn’t you put them in emails for readers to enjoy? By integrating video into your marketing campaign, research shows you will boost the all-important open rate; you’ll also be able to get people onto your pages or content and drive more traffic, if that is the goal, as well as increase the likelihood readers will resonate with your message so they take action
On product and landing pages: Videos work especially well on product and landing pages, because they represent a passive engagement medium, improve trust in your brand, and increase the amount of time people will spend on your landing pages. While some products or services may necessitate a more detailed video, others will be better suited to a 15- or 30-second slot. Just remember to use directional cues within landing page videos, directing the viewer to your conversion goal.
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Top tips for creating videos yourself
Unless you’re a videographer who’s au fait with the particulars of the profession, you’d better heed the following tips.
- Use a tripod. While you can film quality footage with an inexpensive digital camera, or even your smartphone, nervous hands make for amateurish footage. Get a tripod and avoid unwanted camera motion.
- Ensure good lighting. If filming outdoors, you’ll need to monitor the sun’s position to get the best shots; position whomever you’re filming so they’re facing the sun and it’s at your back. If capturing footage indoors, adding lights is a wise idea with the standard three-light setup usually a good bet. Trial and error might be the way to go here, although you’ll find plenty of lighting tips from seasoned videographers online.
- Optimise for different platforms. Different platforms have different expectations with regards to video format. Don’t worry, though, the following tools will let you share videos in a variety of formats.
Tools for creating high-impact videos
Here are three super easy to use video creation tools to get you started:
Wave.video
Wave.video is one of the top online video makers around, as it’s very easy to use and features numerous features which are highly relevant to businesses and marketers. Whether you’re a small business owner, multi-project entrepreneur ,or social media marketing manager, you’ll benefit from a choice of 200 million stock videos and images, customizable templates which let you add your personal touch, plus the ability to watermark your videos. You can also share videos direct to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Dropbox, and even CRMs like HubSpot.
Vyond
Vyond lets you embrace the power of online video, even if you’ve no prior knowledge. A clever web-based tool built for people of all skill levels in all industries, Vyond distinguishes itself by letting you create groovy whiteboard animations as well as animated gifs, 2D cartoons, video infographics, and more. Nifty features like royalty-free audio effects, character lip-sync, and a collaborative video plan make this tool a winner.
Adobe Spark
You’ll almost certainly be familiar with the name Adobe, one of the world’s great multinational software companies. That sterling reputation is upheld by Spark, a free tool which lets you craft custom videos in a matter of minutes. Just follow the simple drag-and-drop interface, upload your footage, add music, and type captions. It might not be as sophisticated as the other options, but it’s a great place to start.
Conclusion
Video is not the future; it’s the here and now. Thankfully, going from not creating videos at all to quickly churning them out is much more achievable than it sounds. With a bit of research and minimal investment, you can raise your game in the digital space in no time.
Wondering where to start? We’d say your best bet is to draft up a list of video ideas. Then get filming!
RELATED: Lights, Camera, Action! Simple Ways to Improve On-Camera Performance in Corporate Videos
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