Remember those times when photos used to be the go-to for posting on Social Media, especially on Facebook? Well, not any more. The times are changing ladies and gents. Marketing Land recently posted an article describing this change on how photo posts have the lowest average organic reach and video posts are seen twice as often.
Why you ask? Well for starters videos are very easy to absorb, they have a personal touch to them and a sense of connection. In other words they are authentic and with all the media out there, authenticity is what we’re looking for. Besides, images are just not as attractive anymore when we have technology like Go Pros and HD smart phones to capture unique video with.
This brings us to Video Marketing, as an integral element of company’s growth strategy. I don’t know if you yet realized what a huge impact videos make for your business. Think about it, what more innovative way to grab people’s attention, tell your brand story or build a relationship with your customer that shooting a video. I’d say this is by far the most powerful tool so far and here are some Stats to back it up.
- According to i Stock 88% of users are now spending more times on sites that have videos on them (Virtuets)
- More than 80% of senior executives watch more video than they did a year ago and ¾ of executives are watching work-related videos every week
- Online Video now accounts for 50% of Mobile Traffic and experts believe it will rise by 79% in 2017.
- Video in an e-mail leads to 200-300% increase click through rate
- Including video on landing page can increase conversion by 80%
- YouTube informs that video consumption rises 100% every year
- Website visitors who view video stay on a website an average of 2 minutes longer than those who don’t view videos (VideoBrewery)
Let’s explore some of the ways you can add Video to your Marketing Mix and enhance your Content Strategy.
CLIENT VIDEO TESTIMONIALS
79% of online shoppers tend to trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family (Bright Local) and 77% of people take the time to read product/service reviews before they make an online purchase.
If you’re keeping up with the trends, you probably already put up a few reviews on your website. Now, you need to remember that we’re all visual learners, so using videos for your testimonials will be twice as more effective. See 99Designs illustration of a perfect Testimonial Video.
A LOOK INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS
You ever wished you could see how the seats in a movie theater really look like before deciding to purchase tickets online? I know I did! One of the best ways to show your customers what you’re offering is to let them see your business from the inside and this should not be limited to pictures.
Make a real life video where you walk them through your space. This will show that your business is legitimate and make a great impression. Take this New KITH Men’s Department for instance. They created full aerial view of the new shop where you can see in detail how the products are displayed. This builds a whole new level of Brand trust, as well as excitement upon visiting the real brick and mortar shop.
This is especially helpful for hospitality and travel Industries, where people are used to see the same kind of imaginary and can’t be bothered by scrolling the numerous picture albums. This where video can do wonders. Create an appealing Virtual Tour with 360 View and you will triple your chances for turning those visitors into actual customers.
PREVIEWS & PRODUCT LAUNCHES
All of us prefer to watch a video rather than read about it. At least 4 times as many by latest findings. According to Com Score 64% of website visitors are more likely to buy a product on an online retail site after watching a video. This means, you should get started with introducing product reviews and new launches with..you guessed it – a Video!
Another area where Video plays an increasingly important role is showcasing your service or product in an App Store. I’m talking about those 30 second videos alongside screenshots, where you can see the main features and functionalities of the App. Thus, less mislead users and higher overall ratings. What’s even more exciting, you get a thumbnail with a play button on the results page and if there is one thing we love to do is to tap play buttons. You can make your own App Preview Video using TechSmithAppshow.
GETTING STARTED AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT VIDEOS
It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling a coffee machine, a phone or a service. People love it when you take the time to explain to them how to use your product. Some things can be very tricky to set up, some not.
The bottom line is it is better to have your answers ready and to have them ready in a video instead of an old boring FAQ page. You will save yourself and your Customer Support team time and money by streaming a short 2 minute video of how to complete a setup and access the main features of your product.
The same thing you can do by answering top 4 questions of your customers in a video content. Make them easy to find and it will have a long term effect on your customer retention.
HOSTING VIDEO CONTESTS
Just about anyone today has a smartphone or a camera. Use that to your advantage and create a fun and interactive video contest. Heard of Instagram Hashtag Contests? Well now you can get much more creative than just submitting photos. Video gives people an opportunity to interact and be original, while spreading the excitement. Watch this Snowboard Contest by Heli Ski.
Now how do you get started?
Plan ahead of time
Create a content that will be aligned with your brand objectives. Envision what you want to achieve with your video and have your goals defined before you shoot. Have a clear overall idea of who will be in it and an overview of what they will say. Understand your audience and write a script accordingly.
Instead of creating one general ad, you can try a video per target group. These could be existing customers who are familiar with your business or who have not purchased yet. Try making videos that serve different lifestyle and geographical areas.
Keep it Short and Simple
Timing is everything as they say. No one has time to watch a 30 minute video unless it’s a tutorial of some sort. The key here is to keep it light and brief. The shorter the video is the more likely it will be watched in all entirety.
For a product preview the first 5 seconds are the ones you want to utilize. They are critical in catching the viewer’s attention. Make the main part around 20 seconds and finish off with 10 seconds of call to action. Of Course, this will vary with the type of video, but normally the most effective videos range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Encourage your customers to go to the website or landing page for more information or coupons.
When Shooting…
Try to eliminate background noise, especially if you’re shooting outside. It can come out louder than it sounds in real life. If you are using a mic, you’ll have to make sure it picks up your voice, so double check the settings beforehand. If you don’t have a mic, stay close to the camera or your laptop.
Make sure the room or environment you are shooting has bright light from several angles. Film in several takes. Trying to shoot everything in one take is a great idea if you’re perfect, otherwise stick to 2-3 parts. When done, remember to optimize your video and share it on your Social Media networks.
It might be a little bit intimidating at first sight, but once you get the hang of it, you will see it doesn’t have to be time consuming or require too much investment. If done right, it can be made quickly with not much hassle. All you need is to follow the steps above and you will see yourself rocking it in no time.
Last but not least, don’t forget to smile and have fun!
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