Video marketing is here to stay. According to Hubspot, video is the form of online content people consume most thoroughly, and the future demand for it ranks with social media posts and news articles. In addition, four times as many people prefer to watch a video about a product or service than read about it.
The average business publishes 18 videos a month, so if you haven’t invested much time in including video in your content marketing strategy, you need to start. And before you start, here are five tips to help make you stand out from the competition.
Infographic courtesy of Explainify. | H/T: Entrepreneur.
Once your hook captures their attention, let your audience know why the rest of the video is worth watching, and generally keep it in the two- to three-minute or less range, depending on the content.
Although 85% of businesses now have internal staff and resources to produce in-house videos, you may only have a small budget for video marketing (or no budget at all). That shouldn’t stop you from promoting your product or service. Video quality is not nearly as important as clearly conveying how the product or service benefits the consumer. The bottom line is that content is king; it’s the most important attribute of effective video marketing.
Video is an essential component of every marketer’s toolkit. Don’t get left behind by not making it part of yours.
Hook ’em Right off the Bat
You want to tell a great story, but before you do, consider how you can make it both concise and attention-grabbing right off the bat. You need to hook your audience within the first 10 seconds, because if they aren’t enthralled right away, they will move on to the next video. In fact, the average video only retains 37% of viewers till the end.Once your hook captures their attention, let your audience know why the rest of the video is worth watching, and generally keep it in the two- to three-minute or less range, depending on the content.
What’s Your Story?
What value are you providing your customers? What do they want and need? Don’t try to sell them your product or service, connect with them on some level so they can identify with you and your brand. Utilize human subjects your audience can relate to and who can illustrate how your product or service fits your customer's needs. Customers also like to see businesses behind the scenes; for example, livestreams from conferences or events or daily updates. Be honest and engage your audience.Create How-to Videos
Along with Testimonials, Product Demos, and Explainers, How-to videos are the most common marketing videos. They are great for promoting a new product or service, especially because consumers retain and learn more through visual demonstration. In fact, they retain 95% of a message when it’s shared through video compared to 10% when reading a message in text. And it makes them more apt to purchase a product or service: nearly three in four consumers said they are more likely to do so after watching a branded video that explains it.
Expensive Video Equipment Isn’t Necessary
Although 85% of businesses now have internal staff and resources to produce in-house videos, you may only have a small budget for video marketing (or no budget at all). That shouldn’t stop you from promoting your product or service. Video quality is not nearly as important as clearly conveying how the product or service benefits the consumer. The bottom line is that content is king; it’s the most important attribute of effective video marketing.Video and Text Are a Great Match
Despite the proliferation of video content, written content is still a powerful tool. And when used in tandem with video content, your message can be even stronger. According to one market research firm, the click-through rates for emails that include video are between 200 and 300%.Video is an essential component of every marketer’s toolkit. Don’t get left behind by not making it part of yours.
