Some say it’s the end of the desktop, while others insist bloggers met their peril last year when Google tightened the reins on black and grey hat SEO techniques. Now, as more people are using mobile devices, marketers must adjust to the rhythm and give users what they want. That rhythm is moving to the beat of video marketing. What was once a casual hobby for those looking for their 15 minutes of fame is now a bona fide marketing strategy worth pursuing. If your business has not yet considered video marketing, now is the time. What follows are six essential video marketing strategies for companies of all sizes.
Short vs. Long Form
Everyone knows the rules around online marketing are constantly in flux. It used to be that quantity over quality ruled content marketing. Now the opposite is true. So, what’s the case with video marketing? YouTube was once the king of short video clips, but it has recently become more than that. It is not uncommon for a video over 20 minutes in length to gain significant popularity. The answer to the short vs. long debate is to not worry about length. You need to focus on developing engaging content that reaches your target market. If you can gain your audience’s attention in the first 15 seconds, you will likely hold it throughout the length of the video.
Well-Written Script
While it is possible to hold viewers for long periods of time, research shows a considerable drop off after 60 seconds. This means you need a well-written, concise script to properly convey your message in a compelling manner. Many people subscribe to the bottom line on top strategy –deliver your core marketing message first. Think of it like a newspaper article. You start with the key information and then provide the background details as the story goes on. If you don’t grab the viewer’s attention from the start, you may never get it.
Strong Call to Action
Every marketing video should have a strong call to action (CTA) to support the message of the video. Some can be more subtle than others, but one should always exist. YouTube has a specific function that allows the user to upload a CTA directly into the video. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Viewers are much more likely to act upon your CTA if you provide them with a one-click link. Examples include “Register today;” “Visit our website;” “Download our App,” and “Contact us.” People who watch an entire video are more likely to watch another, so you can also consider directing them to another video on your channel.
Professional Production
Everyone has seen a low-quality car commercial on television and thought “Why even bother?” Don’t let that be you when it comes to video marketing. Just because you can create, produce, and upload a video yourself doesn’t mean you need to. There are plenty of professional video marketers that can help you produce a high-quality production. It will cost you money, but it is money well spent. You will have minimal time wasted, added experience, and creative collaboration. A professional video makes a statement about your company, while an amateur attempt can hurt your reputation.
Write Great Titles
Writing great titles pertains to videos as much as it does to site pages and blog posts. A great title will set your video apart in the noisy search results of YouTube or other video streaming sites. While most people have a tendency to write titles as an afterthought, you should consider it throughout the process. A good title can increase rankings, boost views, and help you stand out from the pack.
Distribute Like Crazy
There is no excuse for a professionally developed marketing video to have only a few views. With so many distribution channels available, and many for free, you should get serious about marketing your video. Optimize it for search engines, share it on social media, and insert it into blogs. If you’re able to garner a following, people will do the sharing and distributing for you. In the meantime, the onus is on you.
What was once considered niche marketing has now become standard, accepted practice. Video marketing is no longer a creative attempt to diversify your marketing strategy; it is a required part of any serious internet marketing plan. By remembering the importance of short vs. long form, focusing on developing a strong call to action, obtaining professional help with production, writing great titles, and remembering to distribute like crazy, you can position yourself for success. Video is not necessarily an easy marketing tool, but it certainly is an effective one.
Have you started incorporating video marketing into your company’s strategy?
Awesome article Brian. Especially I agree on you last paragraph “distribute like crazy”. There is no excuses for us.
Thank you Magdalena, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Exactly, I’ve worked with so many companies that spend all this money to produce videos but barely spend a dime or effort on distribution.
“Video Marketing tip: when saving your final version of a video, name it with the keywords you are targeting.” i.e. ice-cream-shop-miami.mp4 or auto-repair-shop-atlanta.mp4
Be sure not to stuff keywords though.