You’re almost there. You have your blog up and running and you’re publishing content consistently. You have the copywriting handled. You might have even set up your email list software. These are all essential components of a marketing effort. But it’s still missing one thing: Video. This article will give you 10 fundamental marketing video tips that will help you make videos that persuade your customers to buy.
While other forms of content sharing are still important, video has become the most often used marketing medium by both large and small businesses.
It’s no surprise considering the fact that consumers connect more with visuals than any other medium. But creating successful marketing videos isn’t easy — especially if you have no experience presenting something on video.
Marketing Video Tips
1. Start with a Plan
First and foremost, you must create a plan. Think of it as the foundation for your marketing efforts. I understand the allure of diving headfirst into a project, propelled by excitement and the eagerness to see results.
Often, this spontaneity is celebrated. But in the realm of video marketing, such an approach might prove costly.
Why? Because without a well-defined strategy, you risk veering off course. Imagine investing hours, days, or even weeks into creating a video, only to discover it holds no appeal for your target demographic. It’s like sailing without a compass.
Before any action is taken, clearly define who your audience is. Are they millennials looking for tech solutions or are they parents searching for educational tools for their kids? With clarity comes the power to tailor.
Creating a buyer persona isn’t just a buzzword. It’s akin to having a sketch of the very person you’re trying to entice, complete with their likes, dislikes, challenges, and aspirations.
With this visual guide, you can mould your content to mirror their desires and needs. Recognize them, understand their challenges, and offer them solutions through your videos. It’s a precision game.
- Start with a Plan
- Use Closed Captioning
- Repurpose Other Content
- Nail the Intro
- Go Live
- Showcase Customer Testimonials
- Integrate Storytelling Elements
- Utilize Eye-Catching Visual Effects
- Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
- Leverage Video SEO
2. Use Closed Captioning
One of the most overlooked aspects of video marketing is the use of closed captioning. This is a service that displays the text of what is being said in each video.
You have probably seen this on various movies and TV shows on Netflix and other such services.
But why would you need close captioning in videos designed to market your brand? The answer is simple. Most of your videos will be posted on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Each of these platforms will display your videos without audio initially. It is only when the user clicks on the video that the sound plays.
If someone is scrolling through their feed and sees your video, they won’t know what it’s about unless they decide to click on it.
And it’s not very likely they will click on it unless they are already interested in your brand.
But if you include closed captioning, they can read the text of the content even if the audio isn’t playing.
This way, your audience can read the text and will be more likely to click and watch the entire video because they understand which topics you’re discussing.
3. Repurpose Other Content
In the world of content creation, there’s a secret weapon that many overlook: the art of re-purposing. There’s a mistaken belief that to make an impact, every piece of content must be conceived from scratch.
This isn’t just daunting but also impractical. Let’s pause and look back at the treasure trove you’ve already amassed over time. That blog you’ve diligently maintained? Each article is a potential storyboard for a video, waiting to be visualized.
For instance, consider a blog post you wrote a year ago on the “Top 10 Marketing Strategies for 2022”. That content can seamlessly transform into a compelling visual guide or even a series of short videos.
The advantages of such transformations are twofold. Firstly, it streamlines the content creation process, giving you a blueprint to follow.
Secondly, it bridges the gap between readers and viewers. While an engaging blog post might captivate a reader, a dynamic video could pull a viewer into your brand’s narrative.
And in this digital age, where patience is sparse, videos can offer bite-sized, engaging information, expanding your brand’s reach manifold.
Benefits of Repurposing Blog Content:
- Easier content creation.
- Reaching audiences beyond your blog.
- Exposure to video-preferring audience.
4. Nail the Intro
The introduction is the most important part of each video you will film. It is literally what will determine whether your prospect watches until the end, or goes surfing for kitten videos.
Indeed, 65% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video will continue to watch for at least ten more seconds. That’s right, you have only three seconds to capture your viewer’s interest.
In a day when almost all ads on social media are skip-able, you must make sure your viewer does not hit that “skip ad” button.
That’s why you have to make sure that you’re enticing them to stay from the very first words that you speak.
One of the ways to grab their attention is to begin with a question that might make them curious to find out what the answer is later in the video.
Make sure the question is something that others in your audience would want to know the answer to. Then, promise to answer it by the end of the video.
Another way to keep someone’s attention is to speak to a pain point that you know your prospect is experiencing. Put the pain up front, and then promise to offer a solution by the end of the video, and you’ll have their attention.
Strategies to Grab Attention:
- Begin with a question.
- Highlight a pain point.
- Promise a solution by the end.
5. Go Live
Live streaming has become all the rage now in the world of online marketing. In fact, speaking directly to your audience is the best way to connect with them and show that you are relatable.
It gives you a channel to instantly allow communication between your company and its customers.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube all have live streaming options. There might even be software that can allow you to Live stream on multiple services at once.
You can make these sessions as long or short as you want as long as your viewers are interested in the conversation.
One of the best ways to use live streaming is to host a Q&A session. This means that you record a live video in which members of your audience ask you questions through the chat feature.
But you must make sure you are delivering value to the people asking you questions. And guess what; if you don’t know the answer to the question, you can promise to address it later.
This way, you can create even more content by writing a post or recording another video answering the question.
Ways to Use Live Streaming:
- Q&A sessions
- Product launches
- Behind-the-scenes peeks
6. Tell a Story
One of the most powerful tools in video marketing is storytelling. Narratives captivate audiences, making your message memorable and engaging. Use storytelling to take viewers on a journey, showcasing your products or services within a context that resonates emotionally or solves a problem.
How to Implement: Start your video with a relatable problem or situation, then show how your product or service offers a solution. Make sure the story aligns with your brand’s values and connects with your target audience’s needs and desires.
7. Optimize Video Length for Different Platforms
Different social platforms have varying optimal video lengths. For instance, Instagram Stories are best kept short (15 seconds), whereas YouTube viewers may engage with longer content (2 minutes or more).
How to Implement: Research and understand the best practices for video lengths on each platform you use. Tailor your content accordingly to maximize engagement and avoid viewer drop-off.
8. Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Every marketing video should have a clear call-to-action (CTA). Whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase, your CTA guides viewers on what to do next.
How to Implement: Place your CTA at the end of the video, ensuring it’s clear and concise. For longer videos, consider a mid-video reminder. Use compelling language that encourages viewers to take the desired action.
9. Utilize Video SEO Techniques
Just like text-based content, videos can be optimized for search engines. Using keywords in your video title, description, and tags can improve its visibility on platforms like YouTube and Google.
How to Implement: Conduct keyword research relevant to your video content. Include these keywords in your video’s title, description, and metadata. Additionally, consider transcribing your video content to enhance SEO.
10. Leverage Video SEO
Optimizing your videos for search engines is crucial in increasing their visibility and reach. Video SEO makes your content more discoverable and accessible to a broader audience.
How to Implement:
- Keyword Optimization: Conduct keyword research specific to video content and incorporate these keywords into your video title, description, and tags. Tools like Google Keyword Planner or YouTube’s Search Suggest feature can provide insights into what your audience is searching for.
- Hosting Platforms: Upload your videos on platforms that are indexed by search engines. YouTube is a prime example, as it is not only the second largest search engine but also owned by Google. This increases the likelihood of your video appearing in search results.
- Engaging Thumbnails: Create custom thumbnails for each video that are eye-catching and representative of the content. A compelling thumbnail can significantly increase click-through rates.
- Video Transcripts: Include a transcript of your video in the description or as a separate text on your website. This makes your content accessible to a wider audience, including those who prefer reading over watching or are hearing impaired.
- Structured Data: Use schema markup (structured data) for videos on your website. This helps search engines understand the content of your video and can lead to rich snippets in search results, which are more likely to be clicked.
- Video Sitemaps: For videos hosted on your own website, create a video sitemap and submit it to search engines. This assists search engines in finding and indexing your videos.
Marketing Video Tips Wrap Up
Marketing isn’t just about selling a product or service; it’s an art of forging connections. The central ethos behind any successful campaign is resonance and trust.
Videos, in their dynamic blend of visuals and audio, offer an unparalleled avenue to achieve this. They humanize your brand, presenting the genuine faces and emotions behind the products or services.
Every second of a video can be a stepping stone to building that vital rapport. When a customer sees the authenticity, hears the conviction, and feels the passion, they’re more inclined to engage.
Harness the insights from this article to strengthen those bonds, making your videos not just content, but bridges to your audience.
Let’s take a moment to compare traditional marketing methods with the dynamic approach of video marketing:
| Traditional Marketing | Video Marketing |
|---|---|
| Written content only | Engages with visuals |
| Limited audience reach | Wider audience exposure |
| Static interaction | Dynamic interaction (live streaming) |
| One-way communication | Two-way communication (Q&A) |
| Slow feedback loop | Instant feedback and engagement |
Related reading: Small Business Guide to Video Marketing
Image: Depositphotos.com
This article, “10 Effective Marketing Video Tips for Your Small Business” was first published on Small Business Trends