Video Marketing is the #1 addition you can make to your business in 2018!
I’m here to tell you everything you need to know about video marketing and why it’s important to your business. This article will show you why you need it and how to catapult your business past your competition.
Not too long ago, I thought video marketing a novelty at best. I figured with a good SEO blog and persuasive ads, I would draw traffic pretty easily and I’d soar past my competitors.
I was completely mistaken until I saw these stats…
Video Marketing is here to stay! Video is the preferred way to receive content for mobile users, and this is why 87% of marketers use video in their content.[/caption]
According to HubSpot Research, 54% of consumers want to see videos from brands they support in comparison to email and social images.
Every company needs a video marketing strategy. Current trends like mobile overtaking desktop usage, 82% of Twitter users watch video content, and 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week were the tipping point for me. After I saw these, I became a believer and knew I had to make a change to save my business.
Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as posting a couple videos on YouTube or doing a livestream on Facebook. Video Marketing is content and content requires attention to detail and a creative spirit. This article will show you video marketing in a simple and effective way.
Let’s dig in…
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is an extension of content marketing that uses video (possibly in conjunction with images, written, and audio content) to broadcast your company’s message.
You might be thinking…
Is video marketing really necessary? I already have a website with a blog and making good money with ads. Yes, it’s necessary now and will be more necessary in the future. In 2017, 74% of internet traffic was video.
If you’re doing ads, take a look at this picture below. Video ads have the highest click-through rate among all ad formats.
The best part is video marketing provides options to your content viewers. If you combine videos with images, infographics, blogs, social posts, and audio files you’ll provide fewer reasons why the viewer shouldn’t review your post.
Let me simplify that…
It means if they don’t feel like reading a long post,
they can watch a 7-minute video that summarizes it.
Creating options for your traffic does more than keeping them interested. It provides more credibility with Google.
If you study the highest ranking posts on the first page of Google, odds are you will see videos, images, checklists, reports, pdf summaries, infographics, etc. in each post.
Even the simplest videos can make a huge difference in the number of clicks you get. Having amazing cinematography and sound quality is great, but not a must. What’s important is it emphasizes your brand in a continuous and creative way.
Use video marketing for what it is. A tool to help you get your message out to the masses and make more money.
Keys to Video Marketing
Before we get into the depth of video types, styles, strategies, and equipment, you need to know three key components of an effective video marketing campaign.
Why Add Video to Your Campaign?
Video can either be the centerpiece of your brand or a compliment. It depends on what you do. If you’re a writer, video (in my opinion) ought to be a complementary addition.
Some marketers only use video and do very well. They’re typically on every social media site and live on their phones. Others do a combination (my recommendation) of videos on their blogs then copy those videos to each social site.
Are you a YouTuber at heart? Are you comfortable posting on Snapchat all day and night? If you’re a private person you might want to experiment with different options.
Whatever you decide to do make sure it’s consistently filled with new content and consistent with your brand. If your brand is polished, your videos need to be polished. If your videos are reckless and super-transparent, your brand should follow suit.
How Often Should You Post?
You don’t need to post every day, but the less you post the better the content needs to be.
The rules are up to you. Many marketers say every day is the only answer, but there are plenty of marketers that are successful posting high-quality videos once a week or even once a month.
A lot of factors contribute to the success of your videos, like the timing with current events, relevancy to the target audience, and the viral nature of your product.
The last key is…
Experiment and Have Fun!
Be creative with all your videos. Add music. Add graphics and study your competition.
If you make better videos than your competition you’ll be cooler than them, and being cool is sometimes better than being logically better.
Types of Video Marketing
Explainer Videos
An explainer video is a short animated video explaining a service or process to your target audience. It’s very similar to a training video. Here is a great example from Wal-Mart.
Most likely you won’t be able to create one of these on your own, and finding someone with enough skills in your own network or company may be difficult. A lot of people make explainer videos exclusively. Check out of the freelancer websites for an expert.
I recommend Upwork to find an experienced videographer that specializes in “animated explainer videos.” Typically, the quality on UpWork is good, but do your homework on each candidate and make sure they are the right fit. Request some samples if they don’t have them on their profile already.
Documentaries
Ever been on Netflix? Sure you have. There are documentaries galore on Netflix, just like every other network on the planet.
Documentaries are nothing new, and growing in popularity. Why? One word. Transparency.
Some of the biggest video marketers create with their phone and nothing else. The grittiness of the video is sometimes what the viewer is after. It makes the message more authentic.
Lastly, you can add branded introductions to your videos to give them continuity. Again, this is something you can outsource easily with a freelancer.
Infotainment or Webinars
Infotainment is extremely popular today, and the best part is these videos don’t have to be done very well either.
If you spend any time on YouTube, you know the person in the picture above. He’s made millions as a video marketer, and he is one of those people that spend his entire day and night on his phone. You can find him on every social network at every hour of the day. His name, Tai Lopez and those of you that know him know that he did get out of his garage. 🙂
Here’s why you need to create infotainment…
- It creates a loyal following.
- People love to learn about subjects that interest them.
- Helps your customers.
- It’s low-budget, just get a decent portable microphone, a basic lighting setup or natural light is fine, and a whiteboard.
- Only requires a small amount of editing.
- Easily convertible into webinars.
If you sell a service, you can create educational programs and share or sell them to your followers. Many people give these kinds of programs away for free to get their followers to buy a coaching program or book. A great resource to use for webinar lead-magnets is WebinarJam.
Product Videos
Product videos are widely used across all e-commerce sites. It’s known video ads for products attract a much higher click-thru rate.
Videos of the customers using the devices tend to build more trust and have higher conversions. If you have an e-commerce store or sell a unique product, utilizing video ads, video sales letters, or within the product descriptions themselves you’ll sell more products guaranteed.
Customer Testimonials
This is another fantastic way to build proof with your customer base. Videos that show the target audience receiving the benefits of the product or service will surely increase conversions.
It’s no secret why sales letters, emails, and web content typically contain social proof or customer testimonials. The verification of an expert is sometimes less valuable for the customer than an actual customer impression. The best marketers use a combination of both to ensure all bases are covered.
Thank You Videos
Thank you videos are a great way to give a more personalized thank you to your customers for a purchase. Even something as simple as this video is enough to show you appreciation.
How to Start Video Marketing Today
Good News! You probably already have everything you need to get your video marketing on!
Unless you want to buy a fancy digital camera, lighting, create a studio, buy microphones, and editing software you can get most of what you need with a smartphone and a portable microphone.
After the phone, you don’t have to spend more than $100, but if your brand is fancy already, you should.
Platforms
YouTube is the 2nd most popular website in the world.
On this list are a few others you might recognize that have video as a major part of their platform. Another thing to keep in mind is Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram have a live function too. If you’re just starting out you might consider using the live functions instead of creating edited content.
If you do decide to use the live functions, make sure you promote these before you go live. It can be inexpensive if you understand your target audience. The more you understand your target audience the cheaper it will be.
Equipment
You can get pretty intricate with your equipment when it comes to video marketing. Beware!
It’s not imperative you get the best of the best, especially if your budget is tight or you’re just starting out.
If you have a marketing budget here are some additions that can make your videos better …
Lighting
Microphones
Video Editing Equipment
Digital Camera and Tripod
The last purchase you should make is the most expensive, and if have the means to afford some great equipment I would follow the direction of one of the best video marketers on the planet, Gary Vaynerchuk of Vaynermedia.
https://www.dffrntwrld.com/gary-vaynerchuk-everything-sales/
He’s known for his energetic and transparent videos and has gone all in with his video content. Click the link (Gary Vaynerchuck Equipment List) for his complete list of equipment.
DISCLAIMER: Using this equipment does have a learning curve, so if you don’t have the patience to learn these in detail,
then I recommend hiring outside help to give your videos some special sauce.
The Future of Video Marketing
It’s safe to say video is only getting bigger and more creative. If you use the tips in this post and be consistent, you’ll be in the top 10% of your niche in no-time.
The tricky part is breaking through to the top 1%. To do that, you’ll need to anticipate the trends in the most progressive parts of marketing.
Virtual reality or VR is Facebook’s next focus. You might have seen their mall kiosks of people wearing VR masks and experiencing the future of social media. Whether or not people really dive deep into this is unclear, but it’s definitely something you need to keep in mind.
The main point here is just stay informed and look for good places to be creative. If you do that, you’ll have the ability to go viral and really make a “dent in the universe,” ala Steve Jobs.
Putting It All Together
Marketing can be an overwhelming subject for a business due to the vast amount of information that you’ll have to sift through. It took me a long time to rise above the fog and find a solid strategy to market my business.
Bookmark this guide in your browser and come back to it when you’re ready to implement the strategies. You might not be ready to dive headfirst into video marketing, but I want to challenge you to start small. Start a YouTube channel and post some videos. Learn how to edit your videos and make them worthy of your brand.
If you’re sold, great! Get the best equipment or hire the best people to find your “special sauce.”
For more information on best marketing practices, check out https://site.coachingmarketer.com/blog. You’ll find the best and most current information on the net to expand your customer base and sell more products.
Happy Video-Making!
