5 STEPS to Help get you started with Video

Times are changing, and so is the way content is created and absorbed. The days of marketing being dominated by print, television and radio are history. Now, there are a multitude of avenues in which to promote your business. The options are endless, and if you do not keep up with the market, you can easily be left behind. Good news! It's not too late to take advantage of one of today’s most popular forms of marketing: Video.

Utilizing video marketing is a strategic move in today’s on-the-go culture, because video can be shared across social media channels and on your website. The content, when done right, is easily digestible and stands out among all the text and images that bombard our screens throughout the day.

If you are still unsure of the validity of video marketing, here are some statistics from Inc. that may change your mind:

Video traffic is projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019.
Including video in an email results in a 200-300% increase in click-through rate.
According to YouTube, mobile video consumption increases 100% each year.
90% of users find watching a video about a product helpful in their decision-making process.
A survey conducted by ReelSEO found that 96% of B2B organizations use video in some capacity in their marketing campaigns and 73% report positive results on their ROI.
According to Unruly, video ads increase purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139%.

These statistics show the power of video marketing and how it can greatly impact the growth of your business. While the process of creating and distributing content was once quite overwhelming and expensive, these issues no longer exist.

Here are 5 steps to help you get started with video marketing:

Identify your target audience. You can create the best video ever made, but if it's not directed to the proper target audience it will not result in a successful outcome. When using video marketing you are doing this to increase brand awareness, direct traffic to your website and increase sales, which means you need to first identify your target audience.
Create relevant videos. Now that you know your target audience, you can create relevant videos directed towards them. According to Hubspot, the four most common types of videos are explanations, product demos, how-to’s and testimonials. It’s important to ensure that you also take into consideration time of year, holidays and other important factors to ensure your videos are relevant. For example, if your company sells rain gutters, you can create a video to be released in the winter to show how to prevent ice dams. If you are in construction, you can create a time lapse video that shows the project being built from start to finish. You can use video to demonstrate the ease of installing your product.
Keep timing of video short. Based on the nature of your video content, and your target audiences—keep your video content short. While only 20% of readers will read through the end of an article, viewers will watch a compelling video if you don't drag it out too long. According to statistics, videos that are 2 minutes or less will result in higher engagement. However, if your video is educational in nature and requires more time to be effective, that next ideal level of engagement is between 6 and 12 minutes in length. Be concise and make sure to use good audio.
Share the video in the right places. First, you’ll want to choose a host site for your videos. YouTube and Vimeo are great options, but there are many to choose from. Once you’ve made your choice, you should display the videos on your website and also share it across your various social media platforms. Sharing video content on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook will give your audience easy access to content they will find relevant, and it also allows them to share your content easily with their networks—creating greater exposure for your brand.
Drive traffic. While your video content itself can create brand awareness, it is most effective when the video is used to drive viewers to your website. However, before you begin driving traffic to your website make sure your content is engaging and your website supports a user friendly experience. Include a clear call-to-action on your home page. Whether the call-to-action is specific to scheduling an appointment, downloading a white paper, requesting an estimate, or finding a local distributor—this will play a large role in increasing your sales.

If you are now convinced that video marketing is a good fit for your business, but need help creating and implementing a video marketing strategy, click here to schedule your free 30-minute consultation today. We can help you take advantage of the benefits of video marketing, create brand awareness and grow your sales!