Are you sure you’re doing everything you can do to market your business online? If you’re not doing video marketing – then you’re making a big mistake.
You probably have blog posts, photographs, infographics, and client testimonials – all the things you’re supposed to have. However, if you haven’t started including videos in your content mix, you’re seriously missing out.
The Lowdown on Video Marketing
Video marketing is hugely popular with internet users. While people will often not make time to read an article of a few thousand words, most will be able to spare a few minutes to watch a short video. If that’s not suffiicient reason to add video to your content, here are a few statistics that might help you make the leap:
- More than 80% of businesses use video as a marketing tool — up from 63% over 2018. If you’re not using video marketing – you’re in a small minority.
- Mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year.
- YouTube is the second most popular website after Google.
- 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.
- Just using the word “video” in the subject line of an email boosts open rates by 19%, and click-through rates by 65%.
- Internet users stay on sites that have video an average of two minutes longer than sites that don’t have video.
- 92% of users watching video on mobile will share it with others.
You have to admit, those are some pretty impressive numbers. In case that’s not enough to convince you, here are some of the concrete benefits of video marketing.
What Video Marketing Can Do for Your Business
It’s no accident that video marketing is so popular – marketers find video marketing to be an effective way to communicate with existing customers, as well as attracting new ones.
Here are just a few of the ways that video marketing can benefit your business:
- It can boost your SEO.
We mentioned earlier that YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine. It’s also the world’s third-most trafficked website. Not only is YouTube a great way to share your videos, the information you include – such as keywords and website links – can boost your search ranking,. - It can increase conversions.
Research shows that customers are about 80% more likely to convert on a page that includes video – and 64% more likely to make a purchase. - It encourages social sharing.
Videos are most popular content on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The social sites also make it very easy to quickly share content – so an interesting and/or amusing (think infotainment) video could reach a wide audience, and bring in a number of new leads. - It gives content that appeals to mobile customers.
As mentioned earlier, mobile video consumption is increasing significantly. And then factor in that 40% of customers say that video on a website increases the chances they will make a purchase using a mobile device.
The benefits are undeniable – as are the risks to your business if you don’t include video marketing into your marketing mix.
So What You Need to Make a Video?
Many local business owners avoid using video marketing as they have a number of concerns – such as:
- Aren’t videos expensive to make?
- Don’t I need to know a lot of technical skill to make a good-looking video?
- What sort of equipment do I need?
None of these questions should stop you. You might be surprised to read that you probably already have most of what you need to make an effective marketing video.
Here are what you need to make a video:
- A camera.
Most modern smart phones will take a decent quality video. Alternatively you use a mid-range point-and-shoot digital camera or DSLR that can record HD video. A third option could be a webcam – if you’re doing tutorial-style videos.
Note – not all marketing videos actually require you have a camera. - A microphone.
While most cameras come with a built-in mic, the sound quality tends to be poor. It’s wise to invest in a separate microphone – they don’t cost much and they can make a huge difference to the quality of your videos. - A tripod.
A marketing video is not the place for handheld footage. A tripod will raise the standard of your video production. - Editing software.
Most new computers come with basic editing software, such as iMovie (Mac) or MovieMaker (Windows). Microsoft’s PowerPoint 2016 also allows for some screencapture videos, and basic editing – and there are several free or low-cost editing options.
That’s it. The chances are good that you already have most of what you need, and it won’t cost much to get the rest.
If you don’t have a decent camera, keep in mind that most digital cameras can shoot short videos.
It won’t cost much to get what you need – at most, a few hundred dollars – and you’ll earn your money back quickly through your improve marketing effectiveness.
What Kind of Video Should You Make?
The term video marketing actually covers a broad spectrum of video types. You can make almost any type of video you want, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Demo a product or shoot a how-to video.
The key to any kind of online marketing is to offer value to your customers. How-tos and demos are easy and inexpensive to make – and the truth is, nobody is more qualified than you are to tell people about your product. - Give a behind the scenes tour.
Do you have a unique manufacturing process, an enthusiastic staff, or an interesting origin story? Make a video to let your customers know about it. The will help build engagement with your audience – and take you further down the know, like, and trust path. - Record interviews.
Interview company leaders, staff, industry experts, or shoot some “man on the street” style videos with customers. This can be a terrific way to grab some off-the-cuff client testimonials and product reviews. - Video testimonials.
Ask some of your customers if they’d be willing to sit down to record a video testimonial. - Video Case Studies
Work with one or more customers to create video case studies of how they got benefit from using your products.
Most consumers today say that they look up reviews and testimonials online before making a purchase, and videos add a personal touch that makes them hard to resist.
Those are just a few ideas, but you could also consider doing a white board “explainer” video for your product or service, or making an animated video about your company.
Make Sure People See Your Video
After you’ve produced your video, the final step is to make sure that it’s out where people can see it.
We’ve already mentioned YouTube a couple of times. You can create your own YouTube channel, and upload your videos – all for free.
You can also:
- Embed the video on your website, and link to it in marketing emails
- Post it as a vlog (video blog)
- Share the video on your social media pages. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn are all good options
- You can also consider sponsoring a contest or giveaway to encourage social sharing.
Adding videos to your marketing mix can make a huge difference in areas like brand recognition and conversions. Why not give it a try?