Before a video marketing strategy is put in place, there are millions of questions you've asked yourself in order to get the ball rolling. What does video mean to my business? Will my customers actually watch my video? What will this cost me? Answering these questions should not leave you pulling your hair out; rather, it should push you to start developing that strategy.
We've been listening and commenting on forums, LinkedIn groups, Twitter and Facebook and it has become clear that what people want -- marketers in particular -- are reasons why they should be using video. To help you wrap your head around video marketing, we've put together reasons why you should consider brainstorming your first video marketing strategy.
Video elicits greater emotional responses
Viewers, consumers, visitors (however you position them) respond better to content that utilizes more than one sense. When they're reading a blog, they're utilizing sight. When they're watching a video, they are utilizing sight, sound and hearing; by using all three, your viewers are more likely to elicit an emotional and memorable connection with your message than they would with the written word. Just think, when was the last time you had an emotional and memorable connection with written ad? Books can illicit emotional connections but you don't have thousands or millions of words to convey your message -- you have 30 seconds.
Video gives you an opportunity to exercise those creative juices
Have you ever said to yourself, 'If only I could show people what I mean when I write about
People love to talk to people, not brands
You may have a consistent discourse in your content and you may have even personalized your Twitter account to "Nurse Betty" or what have you but the reality is, people cannot physically SEE this personality. Video allows you to tie in that consistent discourse with the "Nurse Betty" behind your Twitter account to an actual person, talking to actual customers. Although subjectivity is everywhere, there is nothing like hearing and seeing a person describe a product or feature to know what it's really about. Perhaps this said person is saying it with a smile -- you have just created an underlining sense of "happiness" associated with your brand.
You can now track and measure your videos
First there were websites and then there was Google Analytics. Now there is video and most people are unaware that there are also Video analytics! Instead of spending thousands of dollars creating an amazing video, posting that video and then crossing your fingers that people watch your video, you can track it all. Use video analytics to know who is watching your video, where they are coming from and how long they are watching for. Don't like what you see? Not satisfied with your click through rates? Not to worry. You can utilize A/B split testing to see which thumbnail receives a better response from your visitors. In addition, by customizing a Call to Action during your video or at the end, you can guide your customers to the next step in your sales cycle.
There are 60 hours of video being uploaded every minute
According to a recent Google webinar I attended, there are 60 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute; this is not including all the other video hosting platforms that are out there! Now, we're not suggesting that you jump into the "I need to do it because everybody's doing " fallacy. What we are suggesting is that you analyze whether video would be valuable. How do you do this? Ask yourself the following:
· Are your competitors reaching out to YOUR customers through video?
· Are your customers utilizing video to connect with the brands/products they love and use?
· Can your products/features/benefits be properly executed through a visual platform?
If you've answered yes to any one of these questions, you need to start thinking about that video marketing strategy!
What we've concluded here is that there are many successful ways to market your business and products and there will always be statistics telling you why you should or should not be using the "best new thing." We're not suggesting you listen to every statistic; we're suggesting you take a look at your ecosystem and find out where your customers are going and what they are responding to. Take a qualitative and quantitative look at the value of video to understand whether or not you are missing a great opportunity to connect with your audience.