Humans are visual creatures who like visual stimuli. Maybe this is why most people, when given the option of receiving a message through text or video, will choose the latter. Don’t get me wrong, reading is absolutely wonderful, but when it comes to ingesting small amounts of information, text tends to get boring and videos hold our attention.
As a matter of fact, videos were shared 1200% more than images or text last year, and 43% people actually want to see more video content from marketers.
Exemplifying this, trends also show that while content is king, the real crown goes to visual marketing. As such, we now arrive at our main point today: launching a successful video marketing campaign. So whether you’re in fashion or tech, pay attention because these 5 tips are sure to help you out.
1: Keep It Short
Unlike a good book, keep your videos short and sweet. With the advent of the Internet and, more recently the rise in smartphone usage, we’ve come to expect things right then and there. When we Google something, we want the results in less than two seconds; when we watch a video, we want to get to the point without delays. We don’t like waiting because waiting means that we’re missing out on something that we could’ve been doing while we waited.
More so with videos than other forms of content, we tend to scroll past them if they’re too long. It’s not movie or a music video, cut the extra and stick to the point. By keeping it on the shorter side, you’re guaranteed that your audience receives the intended message. In other words, always create videos with a ‘short and sweet’ motto on your mind.
2: Go Live
One of the most popular emerging social media video trends today is going live. Live videos go above and beyond normal videos because they’re in the moment; you’re not watching a carefully curated video, you’re watching it being made as it happens.
Some possible avenues for live videos are:
● Influence Marketing: Influence marketing and a live stream are a match made in marketing heaven. Why? Because there’s just something extra special about knowing that one of the people you look up to is live; it’s sort of like getting a glimpse into their day. And because going live is hip, you’re sure to attract a younger audience.
● Interactive Q&A Sessions: AMAs (ask me anything) on platforms like Reddit and Facebook have gained a lot of traction in recent years because they allow regular people to ask their favorite celebrities whatever question they want. Similarly, live Q&A sessions allow your audience to ask you whatever question they have about your products and services, and you can then respond on the spot.
● Tutorials: People love tutorials because they’re useful. If they’re confused with something and stumble across a tutorial, BAM, problem solved. Going further, adding a live and real-time element is perfect for tutorials because there will be, without a doubt, a confused viewer. Instead of posting a comment and waiting minutes, hours, or even days for a response, they can receive the help they need seconds after commenting.
3: Post Everywhere
With so many social channels out there like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etcetera, it’s pretty much a guarantee that your target audience is spread throughout — some prefer Facebook, others stick to Twitter and so on.
And even though videos do perform better on certain channels (i.e. Facebook & Twitter), a well-rounded approach requires more than the norm. Like casting a wide net to catch more fish, posting everywhere will increase your video’s reach.
4: Engage with Your Audience
Given the choice, most people would prefer talking with a brand rather than being talked to by a brand. This is why churning out video after video without engaging with your audience is a bad idea. From their perspective, they’re taking the time out of their day to comment because they have something to say and they want you to listen. By sifting through their comments, you’ll getter better insights into what they want and like.
By responding to their comments, you’ll appear more personable and trustworthy, and it shows that you care enough about their opinion to similarly take the time out of your day and respond.
This is especially true with live videos, in which you can respond to comments in real-time. For example, if you’re debuting a new product and someone has a question, you can reply right then and there.
And with social channels like Facebook, you can see the exact time in the video when the comment was posted, making it easier to track what your audience has to say.
5: Never Fade to Black
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in a video marketing campaign is to fade to black. Think of it this way, what’s the point of putting in a lot of time and effort into your wonderful video if it’s not prompting any action on the viewer’s behalf?
Sure, your goal may be to increase brand awareness or showcase a product, but humans have short attention spans. Once users scroll past your video and land on the next one, everything they saw is replaced with new content, just like a VHS tape that’s been taped over.
Instead, put a call-to-action (CTA) in the last couple of seconds that prompts immediate action. In doing so, you’re guaranteeing that your video will have an immediate effect. Ask them to check out your products/services and include a link in the description; let them know that you have a blog with tons of informative content and guide them there. Whatever you do, just don’t fade to black.
Tip Roundup
Needless to say, videos are a must for the 21st Century marketer. Anyway, if you’re too busy to get the whole scoop, here’s a shortened of what we covered today:
1. Keep it short —> People have short attention spans; keep it short and make every second count.
2. Go live —> Be in the moment and go live with your videos to increase engagement.
3. Post everywhere —> Don’t stop with one channel, post everywhere to increase your video’s reach.
4. Engage with your audience —> Reply to their comments and encourage more feedback.
5. Never fade to black —> Instead, include a CTA toward the end that encourages your audience to take an appropriate action.
Best of luck with your video marketing!
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