Video Marketing is quickly becoming the most powerful form of marketing, online and offline, period. 90% of customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions (Hubspot). 59% of executives agree that if both video and text are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video (MWP) 52% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI (Brainshark) Before you produce a video marketing clip and post it on your website and social media pages, here are a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
1. Tell it, don’t sell it.
Appeal to your customers’ wants and hidden desires, (not “needs”). Your video should be centered around your story and not the sale. Your story is a way to gain valuable real estate in the minds of potential customers with any interesting, educational or emotional story. Once established, your video marketing can then develop that real estate with more specific features and benefits of your product or service over time.
2. Make the first :07 seconds count.
One fifth of your viewers will click away from a video within 10 seconds or less. Grab your viewer by the eyes and ears right away, give them your best stuff first. Be short and to the point. Your video must answer this question every one of your viewers is asking: “what’s in it for me”.
3. Have fun. Don’t be boring.
Dharmesh Shah, Founder and CTO of HubSpot says: “The worst thing to do is make a completely boring video. Videos that are pure marketing puff pieces don’t spread.” You don’t have to be a stand up comedian, but do try to have some fun. Poke fun at some of the misconceptions people have about your business or industry.
4. Optimize for Search
Host your video on your own domain first, before uploading it to YouTube and the 40 other video sharing sites out there. Enable embedding on your video. This will help you increase your chances of receiving inbound marketing links. Video sitemaps are much overlooked, but do take the time to set one up. Descriptions and Tags help Google’s search spiders understand the content of your video. Make sure your video is tagged with relevant keywords and unique titles.
5. Educate & Social proof
One of the most powerful benefits of video marketing is the ability to quickly educate your audience. Teach your customers how to use your product or service and provide useful tips on how to make the most of it. Create a webinar to showcase your industry knowledge, position your brand as a thought leader. Video can also provide social proof for your product or service. According to WebDam, customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for content marketing at 89%. When creating video success stories focus on the story of your customer and the success he/she achieved from using your product/service.