The word is finally out. Video marketing is so incredibly important to business owners today that it’s essential. You simply can’t do without it in the modern market if you want to succeed. Let alone compete with your competitors. Though text information won’t ever lose its necessity, video content is vastly more popular. Of all media forms, it’s the easiest to digest. Every single day YouTube logs over a billion hours of watch time. One billion. This alone should be enough proof to get the attention of anyone interested in digital marketing. If you want to succeed in the DM industry, you have to understand the power of video.
The Truth About Video
Video can be shared easier than any other media form. And sharing digital media is key to effective word-of-mouth exposure today. The majority of apps, for example, are being created and updated specifically to facilitate video content. All these software companies know that if their programs don’t do that, they’ll be outperformed. Consumers prefer video. Plain and simple. It’s engaging, versatile, entertaining, and offers a very big ROI.
There Are So Many Different Kinds Of Marketing Videos
Different types of businesses create different kinds of videos to serve their particular purpose. Depending on the industry, product, and customer, one kind of video may work where another may not. The good news is that there are lots of different kinds of marketing videos to choose from. Of course, before choosing the kind of video you’re going to make, you need to have a strategy. A content marketing strategy. Once you’ve got that laid out, you can then choose the right video type to fit your goals. Here are short explanations of four of the most common kinds of marketing videos.
Explainer Videos
Though some people claim that explainer videos are going out of style, data suggests otherwise. These videos are often made using some kind of animation. That’s because when you need to explain processes, ideas, philosophies, and systems, animation does that best. Business owners who need to deliver these kinds of messages often make explainer videos.
Interviews
Interview videos can be used to accomplish many different purposes. Testimonials using interviews can be very effective. If you have an influencer, such as a special guest of spokesperson, this kind of video is a good choice. One nice thing about interview videos is that you can take the audio and turn it into a podcast episode.
Product Reviews/Demos
Particularly if your business involves selling physical products on a retail level, demo videos are great. You should want to have a video on your site that shows your product or service in action. That way it’s not left up to the customer’s imagination. If they can see it, they’re much more likely to buy. Sometimes happy customers will create demo videos for you and share them online. This is even better. Or you can seek out influencers. An influencer is a person on social media who wants to gain a following by advertising for businesses. You give them your product to try and they review it. Free product in exchange for advertising. Also, product reviews in bulk can be used as market research.
Live Video
Live video is becoming more and more popular. Businesses are finding that it’s one of the best ways they can utilize social media for marketing purposes. It also allows you and your audience to become close. It’s a very personalized video marketing method.
These Stats Answer The Question Why Is Video So Important In Marketing?
If you’re not convinced already, here are some statistics relevant to the video marketing world. These answer the question Why is video so important in marketing? These statistics were pulled from recent poll data.
Video content provides the highest level of product understanding, say over 95% of marketers.
In the past, advertising and marketing were done with a direct sales pitch approach. Today, in the world of the internet and online shopping, things have changed. Now businesses are trending toward a more value-based approach. This is likely because of the millions and millions of instant choices consumers now have. Less than 20 years ago, your choice of a particular product was still limited to the supermarket shelves. Not anymore. Because of today’s vast number of product options, the hard sell approach isn’t as effective.
Video content is fantastic at delivering a value-based product message. Give the consumers a quick video they can watch that explains your service and its value. Sure, they may also watch videos from some of your competitors. That’s to be expected. But if you’ve positioned your product correctly with the help of video content, they’ll choose you!
By the year 2021, video will represent at least 80% of internet traffic worldwide.
Because watching videos is what most internet users do, search engines place a high priority on them. Companies like Google can see that video is what the consumer prefers. As a result, businesses making them usually get better SEO results. Make sure you know how to optimize your videos properly.
As of 2019, it’s estimated that video marketing is being used by over 80% of businesses.
Yes! This is great! In the not-too-distant-past, this number was much lower. But business owners are finally coming to grips with the facts. Video is what their customers want so they’re giving it to them. An explainer video that’s less than 2 minutes long can often make all the difference. It can provide, in that short time, sufficient education for a person to understand all they need to buy. Remember to tell a story in your video. Something they can relate to. Boring videos don’t tell stories.
By 2021, almost 15% of internet traffic will be live video.
The main platforms for live video these days are Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. People who understand the game of live video on social media can gain massive followings. And the more people who follow you, the more exposure you get. And more exposure almost always translates to more sales. We’ve heard of businesses using the time-sensitive nature of Snapchat to their advantage. Creating time-sensitive promotions available exclusively to people who follow them on social media and see a certain post. And that’s only one idea. Consider using live video to offer your customers a more personalized and intimate look into your company. It’s a good way to build loyalty.
Before buying something, over 90% of people prefer watching a video first.
The data here speaks for itself. If you have a video that people can watch showing your product in action, you will make more sales. Simple as that. Likewise, if you don’t have a video like this, you aren’t making as many sales as you could. In other words, you’re losing money. Many companies put these videos on their home page or on a landing page of some kind. This way the person has an opportunity to view the video right away. Also, putting these kinds of videos on your website is great in another way. People spend more time on your site! If they’re watching a video on your site, they’re likely going to stick around and explore.
Some Video Marketing Advice
Just so you know, the length of your video should depend on where you’re sharing it. For example, if you’re planning on sharing it straight to YouTube, around 2 minutes is a good length. But if you’re sharing it on Instagram, 30 seconds is better. Sharing to Facebook = around a minute. Sharing to Twitter = around 45 sec.
Make sure all the videos you create are mobile-friendly. Most people access the internet from their phones now, more than their computers.
All videos need to be optimized for SEO.
Track the performance of your videos. Don’t just put them out there and hope they’re doing their job. Use tracking software so you can figure out what works and what doesn’t. Check your metrics regularly.
Every video you make needs to have a call to action. Every one.
We’re coming up on the end of the year, folks! It’s time to look back on your company’s marketing expenditures, evaluate your results and begin planning for the year to come.
But wait, not so fast!
Though it’s always important to look ahead don’t forget to follow through with 2018’s marketing campaigns and finish the year out with a video-marketing bang!
Most companies slow their marketing efforts as the year-end approaches. By consciously doing the opposite of this common trend, you can gain a competitive edge to break away from the pack by keeping your marketing push strong right up until the 2019 ball drops.
Top 3 reasons to for beefed-up fourth quarter marketing:
Spending Deadlines:It ain’t over, till it’s over.
As the year comes to a close, some departments may locate excess budget floating around. With the “use it or lose it” policy found in most organizations, department managers are looking for opportunities to spend these additional dollars.
Don’t let your department get passed up. Be vocal and visible with your video campaign ideas just in case these other departments are looking for ways to spend their dollars.
Stay on top of your marketing efforts. This includes value-based bullet points that highlight achievable results in the current year and extending into the next year. Being organized and keeping your campaigns rolling forward can help justify last minute marketing purchases.
2019’s Budget:Spend More Now= Get More Later.
Now is the time when many companies start kicking off their budgeting efforts and mapping out spend for next year.
During this time, department heads are looking for ways to get the biggest bang for their budgeting buck.
This also makes now a good time to use the current year’s budget to get a head start on next year’s campaigns… think ahead by producing next year’s content NOW!
Marketing Momentum:Stay Visible To Your Audience.
Don’t let preparations for a busy first quarter make you invisible to your customers during the Holidays.
This is the most wonderful time of the year, where they are programmed to spend some serious $$$. Keep your products and services in view with some fresh videos.
Ongoing communications is key to creating leads and keeping your target prospective customers engaged.
Video and Marketing Are A Match Made In Heaven
If you want your message to find it’s way in front of a set of eyeballs and a pair of ears, the proof of video’s prowess is in the statistical pudding:
75 Million people in the U.S. watch online videos everyday.
Merely mentioning the word ‘video’ in an email subject line, the click-through rate increased by 13%.
Nearly 50% of all video is watched on a mobile device.
By 2019, internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer Internet traffic
Videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement.
Create Videos Now
These forgotten fourth quarter months can be the prime time to wrap up 2018 with a video that will create a buzz leading into the new year while also increasing your spend that may lead to more funding for the future!
Creating new content can ensure ongoing communication with your audience while building and maintaining brand recognition. This constant buzz breathes life into your value proposition, year round.
2018 Budget: Use It Or Lose It… Create With Ydraw And Market Strong All Year Long
“My Dad is cooler than yours!”
“Na uh, my Dad could beat up your Dad!”
“No way, my Dad can run faster than any one earth!”
“Oh yeah! My Dad is so strong that he can lift up a car!”
“Hey, Hey, that’s enough from you two…”
Do you remember when you were a little kid arguing about why one thing was better than another? It would go on and on, and after a while, the argument was no longer of benefit…it was just an argument for arguments sake.
This same problem often happens in our brand messaging. We want to prove every reason why our product is superior, but cramming every reason into your messaging loses the simplicity, and your target audience will get disinterested. Couple that with the long amount of time it takes to create that messaging, you are not only losing their attention, but you are rarely creating content.
How do we remedy this conundrum?
Simple. That’s it. Simple. Keep your Brand messaging simple.
If it’s easy to understand, it will stick with your audience. The next step is to keep creating and releasing that simplified content on a consistent basis. Once a week, two or three times a week. Whatever your goal is, if you have simple, easy to understand content, that is consistently getting in front of your audience, then you are going to have far greater success with your product.
Now how about a Simple Recap?
LONG-OVER-COMPLICATED MESSAGING + RARELY RELEASED CONTENT = BAD
SIMPLE MESSAGING + CONSISTENT CONTENT = GOOD
Got it!? Now give Ydraw a call. When you work with us, we’ll help you simplify your brand messaging, and start you on our system for releasing consistent content.
So, you have this spiffy new Ydraw video ready to download and share with the world.
Now what?
Don’t leave what happens next to chance. How you market your video will make a huge difference in how many of the RIGHT people actually WATCH it.
That’s where a social media marketing plan can help. If you’re thinking, “I already have a marketing plan.” Good for you. You’re already a few steps ahead.
But, if that plan doesn’t spell out exactly how you’ll take advantage of the amazingly effective, and mostly free, opportunities on social media marketing sites – then sit down and take some notes.
Your class on Social Media Marketing 101 just got started.
1. GET NOTICED:
Basically, if your business isn’t active on the main social media sites, you may not exist yet to your target consumer.
To give you an idea of how many people are regularly using the most common social media sites, here’s a quick summary of the current numbers, according to Statista:
Facebook: 2.23 billion profiles, with 1.45 billion users visiting daily.
YouTube: Over 1 billion users, with over 500 million hours of videos watched daily.
Instagram: 800 million users and adding over 100 million in the last year alone.
LinkedIn: Over 562 million profiles in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Twitter: 335 million active users visit Twitter monthly.
Pinterest: 200 million monthly active users, predominantly female.
Can you really afford to pass up that kind of exposure?
Or, better question, why would you want to?
2. PEOPLE WANT VIDEO:
Mike Henry said, “We’re operating in a world where ONE GOOD VIDEO can lead to a massive social following.”
Now you have that good video – so what do you do with it?
Not only does social media offer an incredible marketing opportunity, but posts that use video have a much higher conversion rate on all of the social media platforms. Check out just a few of the many powerful statistics on the impact of video in this infographic created by The E Word.
So, if your consumer is browsing Facebook, your video should be on Facebook. If they’re tweeting about their morning bagel, your video should be popping up on their Twitter feed. When they’re scrolling their LinkedIn at lunch, you want that video to smack them right in the face. YouTube? Instagram? Same story – different channel.
Social media allows you to deliver your video to your target consumer on a silver platter.
3. START A CONVERSATION:
You don’t want your marketing plan to be a monologue. Your target consumer really only cares about themselves. If you’re doing all the talking – that doesn’t mean that they’re doing all the listening.
Instead, put your video out there and start a dialogue. Use your video as a springboard into building a community. This will also make your brand relatable and that will attract even more followers.
4. MARKET MORE; SPEND LESS:
Did I mention that social media marketing is …. FREE? That’s right. It costs ZERO dollars to set up business profiles on social media sites and begin posting.
Now, you may eventually choose to pay for ad campaigns that will further your reach, and many companies find it very effective, but you certainly do not have to do that to get started and get your video out there.
Plus, since we already discussed how much more effective video is as a marketing tool on social media, you’ll get pretty good reach without paying another buck.
5. FREE FOCUS GROUPS:
You know the value of focus groups when branding your business or making business decisions.
Well, with social media marketing, you have access to a focus group – 24/7, 365 days a year, that never sleeps, never slows down, and is actively engaging in dialogue on what they like and don’t like.
There has never before been a greater opportunity to talk directly with your target consumer whenever you want than today – on social media.
So, gather information by reading and following their conversations. Or, utilize free tools on platforms like Sprout Social and Hootsuite, where you can access trending conversations pertaining to your target market.
Take it a step further and download apps like Instagram Insights, WhenToPost and Crowdfire to learn more about what is really engaging your target audience and when they’re online looking for it.
You can even learn about your competitor’s performance and connect with Instagram influencers on apps like Iconosquare.
And – yep, you guessed it – it’s all free.
The bottom line is – we live in unique technological times that can sometimes present challenges, but in other cases, offer you an incredibly insightful, effective, and affordable opportunity to connect with your target consumer like never before.
Leverage whatever you can to promote your video and your brand!
And, if you have any questions on how Ydraw can support you in developing your own social media marketing plan, please reach out. We can’t wait to hear from you.
THAT, my friends, is the power and charm of simplified marketing.
2 words and your mind has been hijacked by a catchy jingle, an image of two bubbly tablets dropping into a glass of crystal clear H20 and possibly a pale faced, indigestion-plagued person sitting next to their half eaten deep dish pizza… about to toss their simmering seltzer salvation down their gullet.
Just 2 words and without thinking, you’ve recalled a problem that can be solved by the product. BRILLIANT.
So let’s take it wayyyyy back to marketing meetings of yesteryear.
It’s probable that at some point the indigestion big-wigs of this company met with the advertising crew and gave an hour long in-depth display of why these dissolvable tablets work. Charts, product testing, scientific results and guarantees were no doubt tossed around during a monumental data-packed discussion that would surely convince even the most discriminating consumer of its usefulness… so why didn’t Alka-Seltzer go with:
“Sodium bicarbonate can be used to treat heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux by reacting with and neutralizing excess stomach acid through effervescent tablets that contain three active ingredients, aspirin, sodium hydrogen carbonate and citric acid. Also, aspirin belongs to a group of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It works by blocking the action of an enzyme in the body called cyclo-oxygenase and oh what a relief it is!” as their jingle???
Because they understood that ENTERTAINMENT can be more valuable than the over-stimulation of EDUCATING your audience to death.
Though this product is complex and scientifically proven, the message is simple.
Bottom line… if your stomach hurts, plop-fizz your way to relief.
Problem. Solution. That’s all they need to know.
Close your eyes… (wait, actually don’t because I still need you to read my words) IMAGINE that you’re taking your target-audience out on a blind date.
You put on your best suit, douse yourself with high-end cologne and drive to that fancy corner steakhouse, eager to meet your new muse.
Do you sit across the table from this beautiful stranger, rub your sweaty palms together and then begin reciting every mundane moment of your life so that she can fully appreciate each and every morsel of the man that you have been, currently are and ever hope to be???
(Good luck getting second date.)
But what if you tried courting your audience instead?
What does she need? Why did she agree to this date?
Dinner, companionship and connection… not the details of last week’s wart removal… so take a deep breath and give her just enough of what she needs to get her to agree to date #2.
So what’s the equivalent of a 2nd date in the world of marketing?
Google searches. Leads. Phone calls. Emails. Consultations.
You’ve gotta spark enough interest to get some action from your call to action and that’s done by making sure your message is simple, memorable and easily absorbed into the viewer’s mind.
The more you can narrow in on the meat & potatoes of your message or the sweet & simple essence of your service and stop trying to push your beloved information watermelons through human attention span-keyholes…
The more you’ll start seeing your efforts convert into genuine, profitable results.
Like these campaigns:
Got Milk? (Totally makes you thirsty.)
Maybe She’s Born With It? (Fake your natural beauty.)
Give Me A Break. (Who in their right mind would refuse a chocolate break or a piece of broken chocolate?)
The Breakfast of Champions. (Cereal box heroes.)
The Best A Man Can Get. (Smooth, manly jawlines.)
Melts In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand.
(This is a lie, but I still buy/eat them.)
I Want My BabyBack-BabyBack-BabyBack-BabyBack. (You just sang, again… didn’t ya?)
Double The Pleasure, Double The Fun. (Hot twins. Who cares what they’re selling.)
Dilly Dilly. (Nothing to do with beer. Sometimes simple & stupid = memorable.)
When done right, marketing with simple, clever videos can be powerful enough to make your message last a lifetime (just ask the plop-plop peeps)… and Ydraw can help you do just that, oh what relief it is!
