Introduction
In today’s digital era, video marketing has emerged as a paramount strategy for businesses to establish their brand and propagate their products or services. By harnessing the potential of video marketing, businesses can produce captivating and informative videos that will ensnare their target audience, and propagate their brand value proposition. Apart from that, video marketing can also play a crucial role in generating leads, increasing brand awareness, and driving website traffic.
Within this article, we will meticulously scrutinize the different variants of video marketing, the requisite tools that businesses must leverage to create videos, the various metrics that can be utilized to quantify their triumph, and the pros and cons of incorporating video marketing into their marketing strategy.
What Is Video Marketing?
The effectiveness and potency of video marketing in terms of customer outreach and brand or product promotion cannot be understated. The employment of video marketing enables one to fabricate captivating and enlightening videos that possess the capability to ensnare the concentration of one’s intended audience. Additionally, video marketing serves as an avenue for generating leads, augmenting brand recognition and propelling traffic to one’s website.
Why Is Video Marketing Important?
The sphere of marketing has been constantly evolving, and video marketing has emerged as a prodigious tool to cultivate a bond with customers, and to propagate the brand or product. Video marketing is a formidable method to create a buzz around the brand, augment lead generation, heighten brand visibility, and invigorate website traffic.
The diversity of video marketing is prodigious, with manifold variants available to marketers, each possessing its unique set of advantages and disadvantages. The task at hand is to navigate through these intricacies with utmost prudence to concoct a video marketing strategy that is tailored to meet the specific needs of the business.
Types Of Video Marketing
There are many different types of video marketing, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The most common types of video marketing are:
Product Videos
Product videos, though brief, are short depictions that portray the application of a particular product. Through product videos, one can illustrate the product’s functionality, mechanics, and characteristics, as well as its inherent advantages and benefits. Usually, product videos last between one to two minutes and can be implemented on product pages, in email marketing campaigns, or on social media platforms.
Which businesses can benefit from product videos
Regardless of the size of a business, product videos can be utilized to the business’s benefit. If the business deals in physical products, a video can be created to showcase the product’s usage or illustrate how to utilize it. In the event that the business offers services, a video can be made to explicate what the service entails and how it can be of assistance to the customer.
In effect, product videos serve as an exceptional method of amplifying brand recognition and propelling traffic to one’s website. Furthermore, they serve as a catalyst for the acquisition of leads, the facilitation of sales, and the enhancement of customer gratification.
Different types of product videos
Demo videos: Demo videos, as the name suggests, are videos that offer a demonstration of how your product operates to potential customers. These videos usually run between one to two minutes in length and center around highlighting the pivotal aspects of your product.
How-to videos: In contrast, how-to videos are designed to educate potential customers on how to utilize your product effectively. These videos usually last between two to five minutes and concentrate on specific tasks or features.
Product launch videos: Product launch videos, on the other hand, are created with the intent of generating buzz around a newly launched product. These videos typically last between one to two minutes and aim to accentuate the key features and benefits of the product in question.
Customer testimonial videos: Customer testimonial videos consist of customers imparting their experience with your product. These videos are typically between one to two minutes long and can be employed to augment confidence in your product.
Tools you can use to create product videos
Screen recording software: Screen recording software, a highly advantageous tool, empowers you to capture recordings of your computer or device screen, while also enabling you to append annotations, voice-overs, and other engaging effects.
Video editing software: Video editing software, another indispensable tool in the arsenal of video content creators, allows you to skillfully manipulate and refine your video footage by incorporating special effects, transitions, and an array of additional editing options.
Animated video software: In addition, animated video software furnishes you with the ability to fabricate compelling animated videos by leveraging a vast assortment of templates, characters, and other multifarious assets, thereby enabling you to realize your creative vision with utmost finesse.
How-To Videos
How-to videos have emerged as an instructional tool that enables viewers to learn how to execute a specific task with efficacy. These videos can be utilized to educate viewers on product usage, culinary skills, or accomplishing a designated task. Generally, how-to videos are of a short duration, ranging from 2-5 minutes, and can be employed in diverse mediums such as product pages, email marketing campaigns, or on social media platforms.
Which businesses can benefit from How-To Videos videos
The world of business is vast and variegated, and how-to videos can be leveraged by businesses of all sizes to augment their marketing efforts. Small businesses can embrace how-to videos to educate their customers on product usage or service proficiency, while large businesses can utilize these videos to showcase new features or products, train employees, and advertise special offers or discounts.
The scope of how-to videos is extensive, encompassing a diverse array of topics ranging from software usage to brewing a delectable cup of coffee. Irrespective of the business domain, how-to videos can be incorporated into the marketing strategy to enhance the brand’s value proposition.
Testimonial Videos
The power of customer feedback cannot be undermined, and testimonial videos stand as a testimony to this statement. These succinct videos feature customers or clients sharing their experience with a product or service, and are instrumental in instilling trust, credibility, showcasing the human side of a business, and highlighting customer satisfaction. The duration of testimonial videos is usually limited to a concise span of 1-2 minutes and can be incorporated into product pages, email marketing campaigns, or social media platforms to increase their outreach.
Which businesses can benefit from Testimonial videos
Businesses that can gain from testimonial videos are those that boast of an exceptional product or service and aim to promote it effectively. Testimonial videos serve as an efficacious medium to highlight the positive experiences of the customers and persuade potential customers to give the product or service a try. Crafting a video that showcases the merits of the product or service and how it has enriched the lives of customers can augment its marketability and expedite the generation of leads.
An extensive array of testimonial videos can be fashioned to suit diverse business goals:
- If your objective is to highlight the affirmative experiences of your customers, creating customer testimonial videos is an optimal solution. These videos are an effective tool for promoting your brand and fostering lead generation.
- Alternatively, to demonstrate the merits of your product or service, crafting an informational video is the ideal route. These videos can significantly heighten brand awareness, as well as augment website traffic, thereby enhancing your online presence and boosting your business prospects.
When creating testimonial videos, it is important to keep a few things in mind:
#1 Quality
Quality must be the hallmark of your video. The content must exude an aura of professionalism, and the production values must be of a high standard. A visually and aesthetically pleasing video is sure to resonate with your audience, thereby enhancing its impact.
#2 Relevancy
Relevancy is another vital aspect that must not be overlooked. The content must cater to the needs and preferences of your target audience, and be tailored to their unique interests. An incongruous video is unlikely to appeal to your audience, and may even deter them from engaging with your brand.
#3 Short and the point
Lastly, the third criterion is Conciseness, which is key to holding the attention of your audience. A video that is too long-winded or protracted may cause disengagement or lead to a lack of interest. Therefore, it is imperative to keep your video short, snappy and to the point, so as to maximize its impact and ensure that it resonates with your target audience.
Testimonial Video Tools:
#1 Video editing software
To create a stunning video that leaves an impact, you require two types of software – video editing software and video production software. With video editing software, you can seamlessly modify the video and incorporate your voiceover. Furthermore, this software can be used to add special effects and graphics to the video, enhancing its visual appeal.
#2 Video production software
In contrast, video production software is the go-to option if you desire a professionally-crafted video without the need to involve a video production company. This software arms you with the tools to create a video that is not only of top-notch quality but also highly engaging.
After you have finished creating the testimonial videos, your next step is to upload them to the internet. There are a variety of platforms to choose from, including your website, social media sites, or video sharing sites. Following this, it is crucial to promote them so that they reach a wider audience. This can be done by creating an article or blog post about the videos and sharing them across social media sites. Moreover, you can embed the videos on your website and include them in email newsletters to amplify their visibility.
Brand Videos
When it comes to brand videos, they serve as a versatile tool for businesses to convey their brand message to a wider audience. They can be used to not only generate awareness but also build trust and credibility with potential customers. Additionally, brand videos can add a human touch to a business by showcasing the people behind the company. These videos are usually kept short and concise, ranging from 2 to 5 minutes in length, and can be utilized on a variety of platforms including company websites, email marketing campaigns, and social media.
Tools You Need to Create Videos
To start on your video creation journey, you will need to arm yourself with some fundamental tools. These comprise:
- A video camera: Capture your videos with a DSLR camera, a point-and-shoot camera, or even your smartphone.
- A tripod: Keep your camera steady and avoid wobbly footage with a trusty tripod.
- A microphone: Ensure crystal-clear audio in your videos by using a built-in microphone, an external microphone, or your smartphone’s microphone.
- Video editing software: Edit your footage to perfection and elevate it with effects, transitions, and titles using video editing software. You can opt for free video editing software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, or you can upgrade to paid software like Adobe Premiere Pro for a more comprehensive suite of features.
Metrics You Can Use to Measure Your Success
There are a few different metrics you can use to measure the success of your video marketing campaign. The most important ones include:
- Views: This is the count of individuals who have laid their eyes upon your video.
- Engagement: This is the measure of people who have taken the time to like, comment on, or share your video.
- Reach: This on the other hand is the gauge of people who have been exposed to your video, whether they have watched it or not.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): This is the calculation of the number of people who have clicked on a link in your video.
- Conversion Rate: This is the tally of individuals who have completed the desired action after watching your video, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading a white paper, or making a purchase.
Advantages Of Video Marketing
There are many advantages of video marketing, including:
1. Reach a Wide Audience: Video marketing enables you to reach a massive audience with your message. You can effortlessly disseminate your videos across social media platforms, your website, and email marketing campaigns.
2. Increase Brand Awareness: Elevate your brand recognition with video marketing by introducing it to a broader audience.
3. Build Trust and Credibility: Video marketing is an effective tool to build trust and credibility by showcasing customer testimonials, displaying your human side, and transparency.
4. Drive Traffic to Your Website: Integrate video marketing with a link to your website in the description or video to drive traffic.
5. Increase Sales: Video marketing can lead to increased sales by featuring product demonstrations, providing coupon codes or discounts in your videos.
6. Generate Leads: Include a call-to-action in your videos or video description to generate leads through video marketing.
7. Improve SEO: Utilize video marketing to enhance your website’s search engine optimization by generating backlinks and increasing user engagement.
8. Boost Engagement: Engage your audience by including like, comment, and share features in your videos.
9. Create Shareable Content: Video content has a higher chance of being shared than other types of content, making it ideal for reaching a broader audience.
10. Increase ROI: Video marketing has a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing strategies due to its ability to convert viewers into customers.
Disadvantages Of Video Marketing
While there are many advantages of video marketing, there are also a few disadvantages, including:
1. Cost Endeavor: Video marketing may lead to high expenses, depending on the quality of equipment and video editing software used.
2. Time-Intensive: Crafting a compelling video requires a significant investment of time, especially if outsourcing the project to a video production company.
3. Demands Planning and Creativity: The planning stage is crucial in video marketing as it requires a creative vision to convey your message. Lacking clear objectives and a plan can result in ineffective videos.
4. Can Be Difficult to Measure: While there are ways to measure the effectiveness of your video marketing campaign, it can be challenging to evaluate its overall success.
5. Unsuitable for Every Business: Video marketing may not be the solution for every business, there are several other marketing channels a business can opt for depending on their goals and purpose of the business. Therefore, consulting a video marketing expert before starting a campaign is advisable to learn of the speed breakers in the market.
How To Get Started With Video Marketing
If you’re interested in starting a video marketing campaign, there are a few things you need to do:
1. Define Your Goals: Well for every business new or running, defining their goals before starting a campaign is essential. In such case, there are a few questions every member in the business need to answer as a team. Before you start creating videos, you need to know what you want your videos to achieve. Discuss if you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate leads? Once you know what your goals are, you can create videos that are designed to achieve those goals.
2. Research Your Target Audience: Every campaign can be made to seperately focus on each set of audience. The way young adults, teens, adults, or even senior citizens react to a video or content is different. Therefore, asking questions like, Who are you making your videos for? is important, so that you can create videos that appeal to them. Try to find out as much as you can about your target audiences, such as their age, gender, interests, and demographics.
3. Choose the Right Video Format: There a tons of formatting options available for your videos, such as product demonstrations, customer testimonials, brand films, explainer videos, and more. Planning ahead is essential to choose the right video format for your goals and your target audience.
4. Invest in Quality Equipment: Professional aside, when scrolling through the videos, people look for a “wow” factor to stay focused on the video. Though even if there is not a “wow” factor, people expect the basic needs of the video to be fulfilled, the factors such as a good camera, lighting, and audio equipment. You can also hire a professional video production company to create your videos for you.
5. Promote Your Videos: Once your videos are created, you need to promote them. You can do this by sharing them on social media, emailing them to your list, and embedding them on your website. You can also run video ads on platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
By following these steps, you can get started with video marketing and start seeing the results you want.
Tips For Creating Effective Videos
If you want your videos to be effective, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:
1. Keep It Concise: With the limited attention span of the audience, it is improtant to keep your videos brief and to the point. To avoid losing their attention, try to keep the videos under two minutes long and focus on delivering a single message.
2. Make It Visual: Videos are a more engaging medium than written content, so make sure that your videos are visually stimulating. Incorporate attractive visuals like images, infographics, and screenshots to maintain the viewer’s interest.
3. Tell a Story: Stories have a profound effect on people, so try to tell a story in your videos. This will make them more interesting and captivating to watch, and keep your audience engaged.
4. Use Call-to-Actions: A clear and direct call-to-action at the end of your videos can help guide the audience towards the desired outcome. Ask them to visit your website, sign up for your email list, or watch another video to encourage them to take the next step.
5. Optimize for SEO: Optimize your videos for search engine optimization (SEO) to improve your visibility and ranking. This includes selecting the right keywords and tags, creating transcripts and descriptions, and making sure your content is easily discoverable by search engines.
By following these tips, you can create videos that are more likely to engage and convert your viewers.
Video Marketing Tools and Resources
There are many different tools and resources you can use to help with your video marketing, such as:
1. Video Creation and Editing Tools: There are many different tools available online from those of which you can use to create and edit your videos, are Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and iMovie.
2. Video Animation Tools: And similarly if you are looking to add animations in to your videos, softwares such as, Adobe After Effects and Motion help the goal.
3. Video Hosting Platforms: Everyone who creates a video need a host. And when you need to host your videos somewhere so that people can watch them online, some popular video hosting platforms include YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia.
4. Video Marketing Software: And to the purpose of video marketing, there are other available softwares that are popular in the market such as TubeBuddy and VidIQ.
5. Video Templates: Well, not everyone has the time to create a video from scratch, and templates help a lot when someone is looking to create a video quicker. Then, if you don’t have time to create videos from scratch, you can use several available video templates to help you get started.
By using these tools and resources, you can create high-quality videos that will help you achieve your marketing goals.
Examples of Successful Video Marketing Campaigns
There are many brands and businesses who have hosted a video marketing campaign and achieved the desired success, but here are our top 3 to motivate you:
1. Dollar Shave Club: This subscription-based razor company has managed to captivate audiences with their hilarious and unconventional videos, which have amassed a whopping 200 million views. Their approach has propelled them to become a successful brand that stands out in a crowded market.
2. GoPro: This camera company has taken the extreme sports world by storm, with their action cameras being a popular choice for thrill-seekers. Their video marketing strategy has been a major contributor to their success, with over 4 billion views on YouTube. It’s no wonder that they’re a go-to choice for adventurers who want to capture their epic moments.
3. Airbnb: This vacation rental platform has used video marketing to showcase unique travel experiences around the world. Their engaging travel videos have garnered over 60 million views, inspiring viewers to explore new destinations and book their next getaway through Airbnb.
These are only 3 of many, but don’t be disheartened. The next article we will post will have the best strategies and many more brands have opted to see success with video marketing.
Conclusion
Video marketing is an awe-inspiring and efficient technique to establish contact with customers and endorse your brand or product. This strategy lets you create captivating and instructive videos that will seize the focus of your intended audience. Moreover, video marketing can be utilized to produce leads, enhance brand recognition, and steer traffic to your website.
To assist you in your video marketing endeavors, you can utilize a plethora of tools and resources such as video making and editing tools, video animation tools, video hosting platforms, video marketing software, and video templates. These tools will empower you to create mesmerizing and thought-provoking videos that are bound to leave a lasting impression on your audience.
By using these tools and resources, you can create high-quality videos that will help you achieve your marketing goals. Many different brands and businesses have achieved success with video marketing, but yours could be on the list too, with little effort, persistence, and an agency to get you started. 12 Channels is one such agency, with a team of skilled video editors, content creators, and marketers to get you the best bang for your buck.
