The question in the title can be composed differently – What can video marketing do for your business? A picture speaks a thousand words, and a video so many more but measured in milliseconds. Specifically, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. The secret of video marketing lies in that – in the extraordinary power that video material has on social networks. However, don’t think that it is enough just to record everything that comes to your mind and place it on social networks.
You will find out what is the catch very quickly because, as in everything in life, there is BUT here, too, and we are here to reveal to you how to make your video material ‘wake up’ your customers, that is, how to make your video marketing a great thing to watch and all that in 6 steps/rules you need to follow.
We will show you how to:
- create video material
- make video material attract the attention of your clients
- make your brand more popular
Why Video Marketing and What Happened to Photos?
If you thought that having good photos was enough for the visual identity of your brand, you are right but only partially. For successful marketing of your company on social networks and in the world of the Internet and modern technologies in general, it is necessary to include video marketing in your online branding. Start with yourself. The internet is full of photos and images. If they are not impressive enough, you will just glance over them while surfing the Internet or while staying on social networks. When you come across the video, you must admit, your attention becomes more active. Especially since the video material on Facebook or Instagram starts to be played even before you have decided to stay on it longer. So, your attention is focused on the video in the first second, and if it is dynamic and meaningful enough, you enter the status of an interested viewer during the next few moments.
This is exactly what will happen to your current or potential clients. Therefore, let’s get down to business that will draw the attention of your future clients or customers to you or to your brand. That is your goal, at least, for a start. Don’t worry, you don’t have to become a film director or video expert to step into VIDEO MARKETING. To set off, it is enough that you want to do business more successfully and wake up your customers. Yes, we said WAKE UP because, believe us, given you are here and looking for ways to gather them around, they fell asleep. One of the ways will certainly succeed. How? You will find out in our short guide to video marketing…
How to Wake up Dormant Customers?
In the sea of advertisements that fill the digital space, in the sea of beautiful photos and even more convincing words that follow the visual identity of your company, even among your regular and highly satisfied customers and clients there is always a danger they got tired with it.
If your business, your hotel, restaurant, shop, or production on social networks are represented in similar forms of online marketing performance (this also includes a website that you built either without prior programming knowledge or with the help of the same), it is inevitable that your audience, i.e. regular and potential customers, get tired with it. The interaction, interest, presence of your brand and your products or services in the minds of consumers decreases. Your brand name slowly but surely goes to the ‘already seen’ folder. You certainly don’t want that.
It is time to wake up your audience from a nap or a deep sleep. Say it out loud – It’s time to wake them up! Nothing happens? Okay, we said it is not complicated but it is also not enough to just say the desired goal out loud. Nevertheless, believe it or not, you don’t have to invent something new to wake up your clients. What you need, and what has been proven to work, is VIDEO MARKETING. It is one of the most effective ways to attract the deserved attention to your business, so we will not waste more of your time – let’s help you create video material.
Why Do You Need Video Marketing in Addition to Everything?
Your sleepy clients will be delighted with this innovation and they will certainly be curious enough to want to see what kind of video you have prepared for them. Maybe they were just at the place that now appears on the video, so they will recall good experiences or, maybe, they bought exactly that product, which you recorded, a couple of months ago from you. Well, they are already awake, aren’t they? They liked, commented, shared on their profiles.
Their positive reaction was noticed by their friends, they watched the video and hey, they don’t sleep either when it comes to you. Yes, but… will it happen exactly as we described, you will ask. Stay with us a little longer and find out in the following paragraphs. For those doubting Thomas’, there are also numbers: 90% of people say that video helps them with shopping.
We understand that you may already be fed up with implementing different strategies in your business and don’t believe in the success of this dimension of marketing campaigns but if you have already tried to improve your company’s marketing and you have not succeeded, it is about time to boldly cope with new technological challenges because, believe us, you are not alone in that.
All successful business people and companies follow technological innovations and trends very carefully and use them for their businesses.
- Another fact that works in your favor and that can further encourage you is that video marketing will not take you much time, and it is very likely that you will like it and that, in the end, everything related to this type of marketing will be fun.
- If, on the other hand, you think that everything is going well with your approach so far, just imagine how better your brand would handle the market with this very significant refreshment.
If you are a mathematical type of businessman and you rely on numbers rather than letters, here is an explanation in numbers of the effects of video marketing. Statistics show that the total amount of video content on the Internet is constantly growing:
- 78 % of people using the Internet watch video online once a week and 55 % of people watch online video materials every day.
- The trend is such that, by 2022, videos will make up more than 80 % of Internet content.
- About 50 % of Internet users first watched a video about the product before visiting the store with that exact product they are buying.
- As many as four times more users would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.
If you publish a new video to streaming services and already have a database of fans in the form of email list, be sure to send them notifications. Such services as VerticalReponse help to do this easily, here’s a review about it. Be sure to select a reliable email service provider and get more initial traffic to your video material which would boost the possibility of making it successful.
When it comes to traffic, YouTube takes second place. Google still ranks first. On average, more video materials are uploaded during 30 days than television stations have broadcast in the last 30 years in total. Just imagine the amount of video in question! The conclusion is self-evident – videos simply rule the Internet.
How Can Video Marketing Specifically Help Your Business?
It is important to know that viewers absorb and adopt 95 % of the message and placed content while watching the video, while that percentage decreases so much when reading the text that it amounts to only 10 %. These figures are easily verifiable in practice. Look at the kids. It is hard to keep their attention but they will remember video content more accurately than text content. The video is as that. It quickly attracts attention.
The audio-visual dimension makes it easier for the audience to adopt it without any mental effort. That is why we should not be surprised by the fact that 500 million people watch a video on Facebook every day. At the speed of light, the question arises: Why wouldn’t your company’s marketing enter the realm of video marketing? Clearly, there is no reason not to. So, get your camera and shoot!
It is not difficult to capture a piece of the atmosphere in your company, restaurant, hotel… Every good smartphone has great cameras thanks to which you can record video.
- Yes, you can post that video on social media.
- Yes, it will attract the attention of the followers, the audience. Everyone likes to peek where they are not present at the moment and see if they are missing something important.
- Yes, after a few moments they will like the video, they will want to come to you or buy from you.
The worst that can happen is that they remain more or less indifferent, but don’t forget – they spent some time with your brand, which, you will admit, should not be neglected. The audience is there and knows about you, so now you need to keep it. Remember, until just a few days ago, you were wondering where they were and how it was that all these people bypassed you and went to your competition.
Did you like creating the video? Here you are with a mobile phone camera, re-recording and uploading a video again the next day, and so on. People react, comment, talk about you. Your brand is growing in their eyes, and you are slowly noticing all the benefits of such a simple thing as video marketing. Congratulations, you did it. Just keep it up because, obviously, in addition to the talent for the job you do, you are also talented for this type of job.
However, it is possible that after the initial success and positive reaction of your followers on Facebook and Instagram, comes silence. You have done everything in your power. You have enriched marketing with everyday videos but you haven’t noticed that anything has changed in your business. No new customers, no new clients.
Why Does Your Video Marketing Fail?
It most likely happened that you uploaded video materials with similar content on social networks day after day. We understand that because there is a high probability that not many new and interesting things happen in your company every day, and you are already used to most of those daily activities and happenings, so you don’t find them particularly interesting. However, that may not be the case with your audience. Remember, they are not in your company every day, they are preoccupied with their usual activities and it is very possible that some little thing from your company, even if insignificant to you, will attract their attention. That is why you need to know your target group well.
What actually happened to your video campaign? The day you posted the first video content, you woke up your dormant customers and shyly pulled by the sleeve those new customers who ‘cast an eye’ on you. The next day, with similar video material, you kept the drowsy customers awake for another short time, you invited the new ones to hang out, and on the third day, you returned to the beginning. The drowsy customer has fallen asleep, and this new one has already found another one to have a better time with. Why? No, it is not your bad karma’s fault, it is not your fate. As in any other business, the secret is in the competition. See what their videos look like on social media. Do they act more professionally? Are they more fun, more dynamic?
Remember, the power of video marketing is huge. Everyone is watching videos, everyone is uploading videos. And where are you in all that? You have merged with the majority and do not stand out. And that is not good for your business because your product is not like any other. Your restaurant has a number of advantages over other restaurants. But did you manage to tell that story with your video material? It is clear to you what you wanted with that video but is it clear to others as well? Does your video have a clear opening, elaboration, and end? What did you say to your customers with it?
Believe us, even very short videos can convey a clear message of which your viewers will absorb as much as 95 % (Remember?). Analyzes show that the ideal length of the video that Facebook users prefer to watch is very short, i.e. it ranges from 60 to 90 seconds. So don’t worry, there is no need to shoot a feature film but there is a need to promote your brand through quality videos.
What Kind of Video Do You Need?
In the next part, we will deal with the most popular videos on social networks, and you may also come up with an idea of what kind of video you want and what type of video will be the most effective for your business’ marketing.
Rule 1 – Take Care Of the Content
The trend is such that in terms of content, the list of most popular videos looks like this: 1) Food; 2) Fashion & beauty; 3) Animals; 4) DIY – decoration; 5) Humor & comedy; 6) Games; 7) Tech; 8) Music; 9) Sports & health; 10) Travel.
So now it is your turn. It is clear what the audience is most interested in. At this moment, you can envy the owners of the restaurants as their niche is in the first place according to the interest of the audience. Still, there is no reason to panic. This list can serve as a very guideline in terms of the context in which you will put your story, your video marketing. If you are wondering how to, we will explain with an example.
If your core business is not on the list of most wanted videos, don’t worry. Each activity can be linked to popular and sought-after content. Any activity in question can certainly be connected with topics such as food or DIY tips. It may happen that you are a company that is pet friendly or you have a pet nearby that you take care of in your free time. Or you certainly have a lunch break at work, so one of your videos can be the one in which your employees prepare to go on a delicious meal after successfully completing their work.
All these topics – food, pets, DIY… – will be skillfully ‘blended’ in the video that actually says a lot about your brand, creates sympathy with customers, shows your ‘humane’ side and not just as an ordinary salesman who wants to sell them a product. Your video story will not bypass the product that is important to you for promotion at that time but also in case you decide to have more video posts during the week, it will not be a problem that sometimes you just entertain the audience and share a nice moment from your work with them. It will further strengthen the emotional connection and trust between your clients and the brand. Trust is what keeps your customers by your side at all times.
Rule 2 – The Shorter the Better…
…but not too short. Research shows that the ideal length of a video used to promote a product or service is 60 to 90 seconds. So, after 90 seconds, the attention and interest in watching the video decreases – keep that in mind. On the other hand, very short videos, i.e. those that are shorter than 30 seconds, do not provoke a reaction and their so-called engagement is small.
Rule 3 – The Text That Accompanies the Video Should Be Short
The text announcing the video should be short and only make an introduction to what follows in the video. Ideally, the text should not be longer than 84 characters. According to the latest precise and comprehensive research, it has been determined that the ideal length of the text that accompanies the video is 61 characters.
Rule 4 – People Like and Love Videos
The most common reaction of social network users is ‘like’ and/or ‘love’. According to the frequency of reactions, they are followed by ‘laughter’ which, you must admit, is a brave move – to provoke laughter among users and, at the same time, to maintain the seriousness and reputation of your brand.
For something like that, we advise you to leave the job to experts. If you are fearless after all, we keep our fingers crossed.
Rule 5 – Don’t Post Without a Plan
Although it may seem to you that it doesn’t matter when and what you post, believe us – IT MATTERS.
So, if you are embarking on video marketing on your own, create a video campaign plan and strategy.
Rule 6 – A Little Help (From Experts) Is of Great Importance
If you don’t have time to deal with a video campaign or you want to create the impression of a professional brand that dictates trends, contact the professionals. Professional videos, in which every frame is correct, light is ideal, the camera is stable, and the editing is logical can only be doomed to SUCCESS, and that is what you definitely want.
In any case, your customers are constantly eager for more new video materials because, don’t forget, this is what social network users are looking for and your clients expect from you, even if they are so sleepy that they are not even aware of it.
Behind every good video marketing is a carefully created campaign based on numerous elements of content marketing, target group testing, as well as systematic work of a creative team consisting of professionals in the field of marketing, video production, graphic design, screenwriters, and copywriters.
