10 Things You Need To Know About Videos & Video Marketing

Video marketing is not a means to an end, but an absolute necessity for marketers around the world. The rise of social media has carved a special form of marketing – video marketing – that is more visual and attractive than traditional marketing. Video marketing is defined as using video content as part of your digital marketing strategy. 

Videos can be either short with impactful marketing statements, or long explainer demos. Regardless of the length of the video, the end goal remains the same: to give viewers more reasons to associate with your brand and subsequently be convinced enough to take the desired action. However, video marketing can be a costly affair and needs a proper strategy to ensure maximum return on investment. 

So how do you create stunning videos without breaking the bank? What type of video should you produce, where should you promote it and what are the best practices that you should follow? In this article, we’ll look at answering these questions and the top 10 things you need to know about video marketing.

We will also explain how video marketing is changing the way your audience perceives your brand message.

Top 5 Interesting Facts About Video Marketing

• 54% of people want to see videos rather than read the same thing (Hubspot).
• Having a video on the landing page can increase conversion rate by as much as 80% (Hubspot).
• Total internet users spend over 500 million hours watching videos on YouTube each day (Wordstream).
• More than 90% of video viewers on mobile phones share videos with each other (Virtuets).
• 4 out of 5 customers believe that a product/service video is important (InVideo).

The above facts about video and video marketing show why more and more marketers are adopting videos as part of their digital and content strategy. Let us now look at ten important things to know about video marketing and things to include when you create your marketing strategy.

1. Be a Storyteller

Unless your video is a product demo, refrain from converting the video into a sales pitch. Do not promote your product or service; rather, center your video around the key value proposition and the key benefits for your users. Do in-depth research into what your customers what and desires.

In other words, use the visual narrative of the video to ease these pain points of your users and connect with them on an emotional level. 

2. Make ‘How-To’ Videos

‘How-to’ videos can be helpful for your customers if you are launching a new product or service. Use the video creator to explain how to use your product or service, as studies show that most viewers can retain almost 95% of the message when they watch videos compared with only 10% while reading the same message. If you have a long video, then you may want to speed it up using the hyperlapse feature to ensure viewers get all the relevant information in as little time as possible. 

3. Make short videos

People’s attention span is reducing with each passing day, with an average human’s attention span being less than that of a goldfish (WARC). In such scenarios, it is logical to keep your videos short and sweet. If your videos are intended for social media platforms or YouTube, it is best to use video editors within the platform to enhance the quality of your video. For instance, Instagram video editor allows you to select from thousands of customizable Instagram ad templates so that you can create engaging videos for Instagram marketing in no time. Similarly, use the YouTube video editor to make videos for audiences that binge videos on the online platform.

4. Make Your Message Clear at the Start

Following up on the previous point, clearly explain your video’s message or theme in the first ten seconds to grab your viewer’s attention. Your viewers have plenty of free video content available online, and to stand out from the rest, you need to explain the intent of your video and convince your viewers that your video is worth their few minutes. Once you’ve got the message across, immediately explain why your viewers should stick around. 

5. Multiple video channels

Several channels can be used to promote your videos, including Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube. Each of these social media channels has a different audience and different goals. Develop a video marketing strategy that includes these channels to attract different users during various stages of the marketing funnel. 

6. Make High-quality Video Content

Content is the backbone of your videos and a robust marketing strategy. Poor quality content that doesn’t appeal to viewers will detract them from your marketing effort. That is why it is critical to have a coherent story and gripping content that adds value to your overall marketing strategy.

7. Crowdsource Content 

Another way to creating relatable content is by asking your customers to send their videos or testimonials about their experience while using your products/services. Crowdsourcing content is a great way to market your brand and build trust among your prospects since people are naturally drawn to videos that are real and relatable. 

8. Strong Call to Action

Always remember to have a strong call to action at the end of the video so that viewers can engage with your brand or respond to the published content. A call to action can range from “Subscribe Now” to YouTube Channel, “Follow Us” on Instagram, or “Contact Us” in general.

9. Publishing Calendar 

Once you have the video content ready, you need to create a publishing calendar as part of your marketing strategy. The frequency of publishing does not matter as long as you produce content that is engaging, appealing, and diverse and is part of a balanced distribution strategy.

10. Measure Performance 

As with other marketing tactics, you also need to measure the performance of your videos. If the metrics indicate higher engagement, then keep creating video content on the same lines. If you see your numbers going south, then analyze the data to see what isn’t working and tweak the strategy accordingly. 

Final Thoughts

Video marketing is here to stay! If you want to gain a competitive edge and cut through the noise, then it may be time to switch to video marketing.