Video is transcending the mere label of being ‘a marketing tool.’ Going forward, it will be vital in all marketing strategies in the next decade.
Modern marketing is moving heavily towards a personalized dialogue between business and consumer. The value of a brand is increasingly determined by the relationships it can foster with its audience – the better the relationship, the greater potential for profit.
Video does, in fact, break down barriers and allow this personalization. When you can reach out to your customers via video content, you can persuade them that you are more ‘real’ than just some text they see on a screen.
Here are six keys to ensuring your video marketing campaigns are a success.
1. Establish Resources Early
Marketing teams often get incredibly excited when they have the opportunity to work with video. This is great; they should be. It shows passion and interest in their work and will go a long way to creating quality content.
However, be weary of shooting for the stars too quickly. Budget is a fundamental issue, and you want to define your budget before you even begin to brainstorm. It’s a waste of time to come up with a half dozen great ideas then realize that you can’t afford to create them.
2. Perfect Your Story
The most important part about video content marketing is that it can bring a human element to your brand. Now don’t get me wrong, great copywriting can also do just that, but a decent copywriter can be hard to find (and expensive). Video can fill in this gap by getting the point across and humanizing your brand, which is incredibly important in the digital age.
3. Collect Feedback
As HD video is a relatively new digital marketing medium and it can be difficult to predict the success of your content – many are unsure about the videos they record. One way to safeguard against this is to have multiple internal teams who screen the video prior to release. You can also collect a loyal group of followers who are willing to be ‘test dummies’ on your initial attempt. Does the content resonate with the audience? Did they understand the tone? Are they moved by the call to action? These are all things you want to know when you are crafting a compelling video-based story.
4. Start Off Strong
While bounce rates for video are a little more forgiving than bounce rates for text; your audience still may only give you about eight seconds of their time before they decide to leave. You need to figure out how you can get their attention immediately, be that through shock, excitement, curiosity or humor.
5. Remember to End with a Relevant Call to Action
Unfortunately, this is where a lot of internet marketing campaigns go wrong. They follow traditional methods of video advertising like you would see in television commercials. But they’re fundamentally different to internet based models.
With traditional advertising such as television commercials, the company knows you’re in the middle of something (watching TV), so they don’t always leave you with a call to action; their intent is foremost to just stick in your mind. On the internet, however, attention is split – and you can have someone do what you ask of them regardless of what else they’re doing at the moment. It’s as simple as opening a new tab. So remember, always end your video piece with a relevant call to action!
6. Monitor, Adjust, Rinse and Repeat
Analytics are still the most effective way to improve your campaigns. Make sure you track the performance of your videos and continually work to adjust your strategy around the results.
Did you find these video marketing tips useful? Let us know in the comments section.
About Digital Impact Agency
Digital Impact Agency is a creative firm specializing in interactive media and inbound marketing strategies for manufacturing and technology companies, professional service firms (architectural, engineering, construction, legal and consulting), nonprofits and enterprise companies. We are a team of innovative entrepreneurs focused on creating the most strategic and effective communication channels for our clients.
