4 Tips To Skyrocket Video Marketing Content Metrics

Video is widely being heralded as the future of digital marketing: Not only does video have a peerless reach—YouTube alone boasts over one billion unique viewers each month—this medium is by far the most accessible to mobile users. Given the fact that over half of all internet usage is now conducted via mobile devices, and this figure is predicted to rise considerably over the next decade, those who ignore the potential of video marketing as a content platform do so at their peril.

4 Strategies For Creating Videos That Convert

Like all forms of content marketing, video content needs to be structured in such a way that it is engaging and, above all else, persuasive; it’s not enough to simply throw together a video and upload it to YouTube, hoping that it will catch someone’s attention. To create video content that converts, utilize the four strategies below:

1. It’s all about the viewer

The number one “rookie mistake” that most brands make when they begin to produce video content is following the same format as a traditional television commercial, i.e., creating videos that are little more than promotional blurbs highlighting their brand and company (rather than offering the viewer anything of real, useful value). Naturally—as no one wishes to voluntarily sit down and watch an extended commercial—this quickly drives away viewers.

Instead of making the above error, apply the same rule to video content that you apply to text content: Avoid obvious brand promotion and create content that offers user valuable information in an entertaining and engaging way. To do this, devise a “marketing persona” based on your target demographic (a fictional viewer who embodies the typical traits of the individuals you wish to market to, e.g. their average age, gender, interests, and so on) and ask yourself, “What kind of information would benefit to this user the most? How do I convey this information in a way that would interest this user and make him or her want to share it with his or her friends?” That’s when it’s all about the viewer.

2. Tell a story

Your video content should include a clear, focused mission statement—a “higher purpose” that will inspire your viewers to get involved with your campaign—and this purpose should be delivered in the form of a story. Ideally, your videos should include a human presence, a visible narrator who appears at points throughout and makes eye contact with the viewer while speaking in a conversational style, discussing your campaign’s goals and how they will make the world a better place.

For greater reach and exposure, tell your story in a series of short (about one to three minutes long) videos that you publish regularly. Remember, the average user today has a short attention span and a robust desire for fresh new content, so delivering your message in a series of easily-digested chunks is often the most effective approach.

Storytelling, through is vital tactic, has become imperative for brands to inculcate a cohesive stream into their content marketing strategy. To learn more about storytelling in video marketing, visit this outstanding blog by the SME.

3. Don’t forget to include a call to action in your videos

Just because your videos aren’t obvious promotional vehicles, it does not mean that your brand should be invisible; on the contrary, the mark of a successful video marketing campaign is enhanced brand awareness and, of course, increased conversions. As such, you should always include a segment at the end of each of your videos where the viewer is asked to take some kind of action, e.g. you ask the viewer to visit your website to learn more, to join in the conversation on social media by following your various accounts, or to sign up for your newsletter. This will effectively use your videos to direct traffic back to your website and help to nurture your overall social media presence.

Here’s our CTA (call-to-action) example at 0:41 and onward in this video below:

4. Have fun

Above all else, don’t be afraid to enjoy making video marketing content: as content creation expert Ann Hadley, author of the book Everybody Writes, so aptly put it: “Content Marketing has the heart of a storyteller, the soul of an artist, and the playful spark of spontaneity.” The more you engage with the production process, the more your audience is likely to engage with you—So get creative, be innovative, experiment, and let your content take both you and your audience on an adventure.

5 Reasons To Boost Your Branding With Video Marketing

For small business owners who are new to the concept, deliver your brand through video marketing content can feel like an intimidating prospect: Not only are there a range of costs to consider, the production and post-production process often appears worryingly complex. However, numerous statistics support the fact that investing in a brand video is more than worthwhile despite these challenges; in fact, doing so may be vital to the growth of your brand and your business. If you’re unsure about whether or not your business truly needs a brand video, consider our 5 reasons below:

1. Video marketing is a proven traffic vector. By 2017, video content will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic, according to a study released by tech giant Cisco. Video-on-demand traffic is expected to increase threefold this year alone. At the same time, Google has committed to including video content in its search results, meaning that video is a valid and valuable part of search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Google also received sterling feedbacks from advertisers who use Google TrueView, an AdWords for video content. Additionally, Brightcove’s international survey of 2,000 consumers revealed that 76 percent of online shoppers stated video is their favoured medium when it comes to consuming branded content.

2. Video content has a better mobile reach. Video content inherently flatters responsive website design as it’s fully scalable and can easily be consumed via any device. Text content, by contrast, is difficult to digest when presented on a small screen (making it less than ideal for mobile websites); most users would vastly prefer to click “play” than scroll through a dozen pages of text. As such, over 50% of video plays now occur on mobile devices.

3. Video marketing provides an excellent vehicle for genuine brand communication. Today, the best way to promote your brand is not through conventional advertising techniques, but rather through what is known as “brand communication”: Creating a warm, “human” online presence that consumers can emotionally connect with.

Having a brand video helps businesses to create a sense of direct communication with their customers because video (unlike text) can include numerous nonverbal cues, such as facial expression, tone of voice, eye contact, and body language—all of which have been shown to increase consumer trust. When your customers can see and hear you, they feel as though they are conversing with you and getting to “know” you and your brand; this removes much of the cold, faceless anonymity of the internet and builds a loyal rapport between you and your target market.

4. Brand videos are “low risk, high reward.” Though it sounds surprising to many business owners used to putting their most professional face forward on the web, a brand video doesn’t need to have a high production value in order to be effective: A relatively low-cost but innovative, inspirational, and, wait for it, relevant brand video will often out-perform a costly yet bland production. According to a study conducted by Pixability (“The Top 100 Global Brands: Key Lessons for Success on YouTube”) the relatively low production values endemic to most YouTube videos have taught online viewers not to expect “prime time” quality when viewing online video content; instead, what they most wish to find is an insightful, informative core message that suits their context.

Brand videos are also a wise long-term investment: With only a small outlay of resources, your business can produce something that will be viewed thousands or even millions of times. Once your video is complete, all you have to do is sit back and watch the traffic come in. It can also be utilized for digital ads under a video marketing tactic. This movement from display ads to video ads was recorded a 35% YOY growth in 2015 revenue by IAB Canada across all Canadian advertisers.

5. Brand videos increase conversion rates. For most consumers, seeing truly is believing: According to a recent survey conducted by Video Rascal, 85 percent of people report that they are more likely to buy a product that’s accompanied by a video. The main reason for this is that videos—owing to their wealth of both visual and verbal content—are excellent at making the objective of a product or service clear.

In summation, video is the magic that brings brands to life, both practically and emotionally speaking. Video has a power to persuade that is currently unrivalled in the online marketplace, providing an essential bridge between businesses and their customer base. Without a brand video, your business will be perceived as static rather than dynamic, distant rather than relatable. In today’s cluttered online marketplace, video provides an edge that businesses cannot afford to lose.