Today’s consumer watches an average of 2 hours of video content every day. How crazy is that? And it’s not just on TV anymore. It’s everywhere. All. The. Time. In fact, there are more than 1 billion smartphones and tablets in use today worldwide. That means almost everyone has access to content all day long.
WHAT IS VIDEO MARKETING, ANYWAY?
Video marketing isn’t a new concept. TV commercial spots have been around since the 1950s, and we’re all familiar with those.
What has changed is channel and platform. In the old days, the only place we were watching anything was at home, on the couch, and in front of a TV screen. The rise of online videos via social platforms, smartphones, a gaggle of video streaming services, and apps have made traditional tv viewing a thing of the past.
Today, videos are shared on all digital platforms as a way to promote, engage, and communicate with customers. This has shifted video from a passive medium to a more active medium via social video experiences. Videos can be linked from blogs or websites, embedded onto landing pages, shared across social media channels, and more – making video ads one of the most versatile forms of online advertising.
WHY IS VIDEO MARKETING IMPORTANT?
In 2020, nearly 85% of people consumed video content online. This trend has continued to grow steadily in the last decades. With so many eyes on screens, the opportunities to reach potential customers and have a high return on investment are significant with video.
Here are 3 reasons video marketing is so powerful.
VIDEO KEEPS ATTENTION
The average attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today, according to eye-tracking studies. That’s a pretty daunting statistic for small businesses. How can they be noticed in a sea of start-ups and big budgets? The answer is a video marketing strategy.
The human brain processes and interprets visuals at insanely high speeds. Research shows that images are processed 60,000 times faster than text! In other words, video kicks our low attention spans in the butt. We can’t help it. We are wired to react to visual content. Nonetheless, keep it short. The ideal video length is somewhere between 15-30 seconds as of 2021. So don’t worry about making a feature film. Our attention spans aren’t quite there yet.
VIDEO IS SHAREABLE
People like watching things, especially if they find those things entertaining. They also like sharing those things with their friends — a lot. On average, video is shared 1,200% more than images and text combined. What does that mean for you? Free exposure and more people aware of your brand.
VIDEO IS COST-EFFECTIVE:
Budgetary constraints are not an issue with video marketing anymore. In fact, some of the most effective examples of story-telling through video had no budget at all. A common phrase in the land of video production is, “story is king.” No cameras, not lighting, not microphones, but story. The beauty of video is that anyone can make something awesome and disruptive with the right strategy and creative brainpower.
WHERE DO I START?
There’s no one right answer here, but we’ll cover some things to consider when planning your video marketing strategy.
SET ASIDE TIME TO BREAK DOWN YOUR BUDGET AND GOALS
This step is probably the most important part of any digital marketing strategy and is especially true for your video content journey. Before creating anything, you should know how much you’re willing to spend and what you hope to gain from your efforts.
Is your goal to raise awareness around your brand? How will you measure your video’s success? Can you shoot this video in your living room? Do you need voice actors to execute your vision? Do you want a series of animated videos or do you imagine your content will be live-action? What video platform are you planning to share it on? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before jumping into the fun stuff. Planning effectively will save you time and money. The more information you have to start, the quicker you’ll be able to bring your video together.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE FOR YOUR BRAND
Would you promote dog toys to cat owners? No, that’s silly and a waste of time. An extreme example, I know, but not knowing your audience can seriously wreck your video marketing efforts and cost you money. Tailoring content to your ideal customer’s needs is crucial to your success.
So, how do you get to know your customers? Well, an easy place to start is by talking to them. Ask them what challenges they face, what they currently think of your product and/or service, and what can be improved. If that’s not feasible, try staying up to date on your reviews. Reviews give you the inside scoop on what your customers think about your brand. Whatever your approach, make sure you take the time to really understand how your current customers feel.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE TYPE OF VIDEO YOUR INDUSTRY IS MAKING
Last but not least, a great way to come up with video ideas is to check out what your competitors are making. Industry trends can give a ton of insight into what content resonates with your target market. It can help fill in the gaps in your content strategy without extensive market research.
If your competitors are primarily sharing educational content, like how-to/explainer videos, on their social channels, and garner a significant amount of engagement, you may want to look into it for your own content strategy.