Video has become the preferred marketing channel for countless business owners, and for good reason. It allows for a deeper connection with the viewer, resulting in more sales or conversions. But if you’re planning to use video marketing to promote your business, there are a few things you should know. In this post, we’re going to explore some essential do’s and don’ts of effective video marketing.
Do Create an Attention-Grabbing Intro
According to StatisticsBrain, the average person has an attention span of just 8.25 seconds, which is shorter than that of a goldfish. As a result, many viewers stop watching online videos if the video doesn’t grab their attention in the first few seconds. To prevent this from happening with your videos, you need to create a compelling intro that connects with the viewer and entices him or her to continue watching.
Don’t Try to Go Viral
Wouldn’t it be great if your marketing videos went to viral? Sure it would, but this isn’t something that can you easily control or otherwise make happen. On the contrary, trying to force your videos to go viral may have the opposite effect by creating an unauthentic image for your brand. Instead, focus on creating high-quality and engaging videos with your target audience in mind. If you do this, traffic will follow. And in some cases, these high-traffic videos will go viral on their own.
Do Consider Production Quality
In today’s tech-centric world, shooting a video using a cheap webcam isn’t going to cut it. Granted, these do-it-yourself videos are perfectly fine for independent YouTubers, but they lack the fine-polished quality needed for businesses. This is why business owners should consider production quality when creating videos. Investing in professional videography services is a smart decision that will ultimately pay off in the form of higher quality, more engaging videos.
Don’t Make it Too Long
When was the last time that you watched a 30-minute video online? It’s probably been a while, as most Internet users only watch short videos lasting no longer than 10 minutes. There are some cases in which long videos will work. For most online channels, however, it’s the short videos that offer the greatest results.
Do Publish Customer Testimonials
Publishing customer testimonials in video is a great way to reinforce your business’s authority as an industry leader in its respective niche. According to a Bright Local survey cited by Search Engine Land, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. While you can always publish reviews in the form of text, another option is to publish them in videos. Even if you are unable to meet the customer and record him or her in person, you may still be able to publish their testimonial in a video. Video testimonials such as this are highly effective at boosting conversion rates and winning over the trust of your target audience.
Don’t Forget Branding
Even if the primary objective of your video is to sell a product or service, you should still take advantage of this opportunity by branding your business as well. For instance, you can edit your video to include an overlay of your business’s name as well as its logo, slogan and other brand elements. As your video generates views, these elements help to reinforce your business’s brand — and that’s one of the greatest benefits of video marketing.
Do Use a Relevant and Captivating Title
The title can make or break a marketing video. If the title is irrelevant or poorly worded, few people may watch the video. On the other hand, an interesting and relevant video will encourage users to click and watch the video. An effective video title should be closely relevant to its content, preferably with an engaging hook that encourages users to watch it.
Using a relevant title is also important for search engine optimization (SEO). If you want your videos to rank in Google, you need to use a relevant title that accurately describes what the video is about. Search engines will crawl your videos, looking at the title and other information to determine an appropriate ranking.
Don’t Stray Away from Topic
It’s easy to venture off topic in videos. If you’re making an informational “how to” video, for instance, you might talk about related topics, believing this is beneficial to your viewers. There’s nothing wrong with being comprehensive, but you should keep your videos on topic. Straying away from the core topic will only result in a disconnect between you and the viewer.
Do Consider Your Audience
When creating videos for your business, you need to consider your audience. In other words, for whom are you creating videos? Different businesses have different target demographics. Your videos should be designed specifically for your target demographic. So, think about who is most likely to watch your videos and customize your videos specifically for this demographic.
