When websites like Youtube receive over a billion views per month, it may be rather unsurprising that videos are becoming an increasingly powerful marketing tool used by online companies. It’s not simply the case that videos are easier to make or that they require less time and effort. There’s a fascinating psychology associated with visual learning – something which has been resolutely exploited by savvy digital marketers. The majority of the population are visual learners, 65% to be exact, so there’s huge advantages to launching a video campaign to promote your business.
The online community is subjected to a mammoth amount of online information on a daily basis. As companies battle to have their voices heard, it’s becoming paramount that alternative routes are found to grab customers’ attention. Our recent blog already touched on this subject (13 different types of amazing content that will get your website more traffic). So, what’s the role of video strategy in all of this?
There are many common misconceptions about what’s involved in creating in online video campaigns. This blog is intended to squash those misunderstandings and help small businesses understand how they can start up their own successful video following.
1. Video Marketing is just a fad
False. One of the most common misconceptions amongst small businesses is that video marketing isn’t here to stay. This is simply not true. According to a recent study by Cisco, by 2017 69% of all consumer internet traffic will be attributed to watching online videos. That means that in 2017, it will take an individual over 5 million years to watch all of the videos uploaded to the internet on a monthly basis.
To put it bluntly, there’s no indication that video marketing has no longevity in future digital marketing campaigns. The truth of the matter is that businesses will soon begin to compete over the quality and quantity of their videos. If small businesses don’t embrace this change, then they run the risk of alienating their customers and not building vital long-term relationships.
People like watching videos and engaging with visual content. According to a recent study by Jonah Berger, it can be demonstrated that videos have the potential to go viral for several reasons. There is a positive correlation between emotion and social transmission: high-arousal content (awe) and negative-arousal content (anger, anxiety) are more likely to encourage a user to share content.
It’s also interesting to note that the same study found that sad content is less likely to go viral. In this sense, it’s vital that videos connect with customers on a deep and meaningful level. By doing this, you can create a well-rounded marketing strategy which increases brand awareness and develops consumer relationships.
2. Business aren’t yet embracing video campaigns
This is another popular misconception about video marketing. Some smaller businesses believe that video campaigning is only for high-budget, high-flying companies. This isn’t true, either. In fact, according to Software Advice, nearly 90% of B2B businesses were using videos as part of their wide digital marketing strategy in 2012.
Some of the most successful digital marketing campaigns of the last decade have involved video advertising. There are plenty of blogs and articles dedicated to this topic, so I won’t bore you with another list. I will say, however, that videos don’t just have to be simple advertisements.
There are thousands of businesses which use a variety of video mediums to inform customers about their brand. You can create video demonstrations, consumer testimonials, podcasts, and even conduct interviews. The best video campaigns encourage users to interact with the content; a perfect excuse to combine your video strategy with your social media campaign.
3. Videos can’t reach wide audiences
We’ve all heard about video viraling; but what makes videos so popular amongst online users? Quite frankly, videos are fantastic in terms of their sharability. If you attach a video to an email, for example, you can increase your click-through rates by 96%.
In addition to this, videos appear in the top 70% of Google search results. This means that videos are accessed more online than any other type of content. In this respect, there is no other digital marketing strategy which is capable of reaching such a wide audience as online videos. They are entirely engaging with consumers; meaning that people are more likely to share them with friends and family.
As Dr James McQuivey once said, one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words.
4. When it comes to online videos, less is more
It’s a common misconception that videos, like content generally, shouldn’t be uploaded for customers too regularly. Some businesses worry about information overload and question whether their videos are having any impact at all. However, if you want to have a real impact on your customers, then it’s vital to create videos regularly.
TechCrunch, for example, have a weekly ‘vlog’ where they sum up all the major technological news stories over the past week. It’s uploaded at the same time, showcasing a similar panel of experts, and it allows users to know what to expect. If you love TechCrunch, then you can plan your time around watching their videos. Consistency is key in creating long-term, meaningful relationships between customers and businesses. One of the primary reasons to record videos in the first place is to build brand awareness and loyalty. Videos are the perfect opportunity to achieve this because they’re accessible, sharable, and easier to digest than written content.
5. Making videos is difficult
You don’t need to be a computer wiz to make an online video anymore – there’s a plethora of software available on the internet which makes it easy to make and upload videos on behalf of your business. Take Vine, for example. Vine is a free app available on iPhones and Android mobiles which allows users to create 6-second clips and directly upload them online.
The wonderful thing about Vine, should you wish to embrace it, is that everyone in your business can get involved. It’s entirely accessible and gives employees the opportunity to showcase themselves. It’s worth noting, however, that videos shouldn’t just be made without great consideration and deliberation. I don’t suggest that you sit around the table and debate what does and doesn’t go on your Vine; instead, use it as an excuse to collaborate together. You should always have a strict audience in mind and your videos should provide something meaningful to your customers.
5. Video marketing can’t connect with people on a meaningful level
When people think of online videos, their minds are usually drawn to the weird and wonderful world of viral Youtube clips. However, there’s much more to video campaigns than talking dogs and singing babies.
Videos which are distributed by companies have a remarkable capacity to connect with people on a personal and emotional level. People who view products online are 85% more likely to make a purchase when there’s an accompanying video.
Videos have the wonderful capacity to connect with people and encourage them to identify directly with a brand. It’s much easier to form a relationship with a brand when you have a clear image of who they are and what they represent.
6. Videos sell themselves
If you’ve already been persuaded of the merits of online video campaigns, there’s still one common misconception that you should be wary of. Many small businesses wrongly believe that they don’t need to actively promote their content. However videos, like any other form of content, needs to be supported through social media.
Of course, you could always gamble that your video will go viral and that your labour of love will sell itself. In some exceptional cases, word of mouth will be enough to sustain a video marketing campaign and it will thrive through internal promotion. This is every digital marketer’s dream, but it’s usually a far cry from reality. All content suffers from the three in the forrest syndrome: if no one knows about it, then it might as well not exist at all.
If you want to use social media to promote your videos, then here are some useful tips and tricks. In 2014, the majority of online information is now accessed through mobile and tablet devices. So, if you want to make sure your videos are sharable, make sure that they’re optimised accordingly. There’s nothing more annoying than wanting to share a video or article with a friend but being actively restricted by the website itself.
In addition to this, it’s worth creating a timetable to decipher the optimum time to distribute your videos. Traditionally, some days of the week are more successful than others (Mondays and Fridays); furthermore, some social media websites will be better at promoting your content than others. Experiment, get creative, and create a video marketing strategy which benefits your business directly.
So, why should small businesses use video marketing?
As you can see, there are lots of popular misconceptions about video marketing in the age of e-commerce. Many businesses wrongly believe that videos are difficult to make and that they don’t have widespread appeal. In fact more businesses are using videos, in conjunction with a wider marketing strategy, than ever before.
Some of the most successful internet campaigns of the past year have involved videos. Quite simply, videos and visual content have a remarkable quality to engage with people on a deeper level than other marketing strategies. Most people are visual learners and we are bombarded with a massive amount of information on a daily basis. It’s easy to skim read articles and close any blogs which don’t include interesting images. However, videos have much more widespread appeal. They’re easier to remember and they demand less attention than written content. In addition to this, you can get creative with your video marketing campaign. There’s no reason why businesses should just create traditional adverts and then upload them online. Try your hand at recording demonstration videos, or conducting interviews, and distributing podcasts. This is much more engaging than other forms of video and will help to develop your brand identity.
Given how easy it is to make videos now, it’s simply not the case that you need a large advertising budget anymore. Apps like Vine, for example, are free; they’re also easy to use and can be downloaded by anyone. This gives businesses the opportunity to get everyone involved and take control of their own marketing strategy. Only by doing so can you create a video campaign unique to you and your business. Overall, it cannot be stressed how important videos are to an overall marketing campaign. They’re easy to share and can be modified accordingly for mobiles and tablets. We all know that digital marketers are competing harder than ever before to get their voices heard. Quite simply, if your business doesn’t embrace video marketing, then someone else will.