Are you using video content marketing to promote your products or services? If you’re not, then you may be left behind. With digital technology becoming more accessible via mobile, no need for desktop or laptop computers to view videos, your customers and prospects can easily access content from anywhere in the world at any time. If you want to appeal to your audience, inspire them, or inform, then video marketing should be a part of your overall marketing mix.
According to HubSpot, 83% of consumers worldwide prefer YouTube to watch video content. And don’t forget to ensure your videos are entertaining. Over 73% of consumers preferred to see videos on social media that are entertaining. (See my hints and tips on edutainment.)
Plan … Plan … and Plan Some More
So how do you get started using video as a marketing tool? It’s easy but it does take some planning and some technical knowledge. But these skills are easy to attain. Video content is one of the most powerful forms of communication. People want to know who you are, what your products can do for them, and how you can benefit their processes. In other words, they really want a relationship with you whether virtual or in person. Of course, you can’t visit all of your customers and potential prospects in person so the next best thing is video. Video is a great way to inform, show your viewers how to do something, but most of all, it’s about entertaining your customers. As I noted above, I call this edutainment. People will buy from you if they trust you. The more they see you on video, the more they will trust you. But the real goal is to have better video ROI and conversion of qualified leads.
Be Strategic
You must be strategic, though, in how you use video content marketing. Just putting together a bunch of videos, uploading them on your website and calling it a day is not the right strategy. First of all, you must have a plan. Know what your audience wants. In other words, you’ll need a bit of strategic thinking to create the best content for your audience. Content is king so do some research to see what topics are trending in your industry. You can do searches on the Internet and social media platforms. And always, always ensure that you are targeting those buyer personas that you so diligently have perfected. Decide which distribution channels you will use such as your website, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
Production Made Easy
Creating video templates makes your production easy for subsequent videos. Be sure you include your brand colors palette and fonts as well as your logo and even contact info if you have a call-to-action. A video template keeps each video in a consistent ‘look and feel’ so that your viewers will know that the video is from your company. This also helps with video costs. For example, if you have an intro with your video and specific music track, you can use this over and over again for each subsequent video you produce.
The question I sometimes get is should a talking head be on camera or should I just show a PowerPoint presentation slides? My answer is “it depends”. It depends on what you are selling. But I do think at the very least a talking head should be at the front and the end of the video even if you use slides for the rest of the video. After all, as I noted above, it’s about building a relationship with your audience.
Execute Your Plan
Now the marketing portion is key. You have your video or series of videos, how do I promote that these fantastic videos and let my target audience know they exist? You would follow the same process as you would when promoting a new product, a new brochure, or your attendance at a trade show. You have many choices, such as social media, via email marketing, showing your video at your booth at a trade show, for example. Be sure your video, wherever it is distributed is SEO optimized. Get others to share your videos. They may go viral. Sometimes you may need to ask your audience to share if they liked the content. That’s perfectly kosher to do so. But most of all, you want to get engagement. What do you want your viewers to do after they view your video? Do you want them to like, share, or subscribe to your channel? Do you want them to sign up for a webinar, attend a class, download a free resource? I believe it is imperative you have a compelling Call-to-Action just as you would with any marketing tactic.
If you would like to know how you can create extraordinary videos, download my FREE resource. Click the image below for immediate access.
To your marketing success,
Sheila
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