Making a case for video marketing

Videos are a powerful tool to add to your marketing arsenal. It has become people’s medium of choice for several reasons-

• Videos help build trust and brand loyalty. They can help influence the buying decision of your target audience. Simply put, videos tell a stronger story. Websites with video content show at least double viewership than when they just had static content. If you are looking to build your brand narrative, read here.
• It helps improve SEO. Videos can increase your search rankings significantly. A website is 53% more likely to rank on top SERP if it has a video published. YouTube is the second largest search engine, so it pays to have content on this channel.
• Videos provide higher ROI. According to Hubspot, they easily boost your conversions by 86%. And. 80% of marketers believe it has a direct impact on sales.
• It’s easily accessible, making you help reach a wider audience. Videos are for everyone, whether you have reading disabilities or are looking to consume content on the go. The primary tenet driving marketing is responsive design. Video content is suitable for all devices, expanding both reach and scope.
• It can go viral very easily, giving your product/ service a distinct advantage.
• It’s a very engaging marketing medium. It creates more engagement than any other channel. This dominance makes it a must-have strategy to have.
• It is low cost. Your smaller budget videos can have more authenticity and create a much better impact.
• Buyers make an emotional connection seeing the product on video– and this feeling makes all the difference. Videos give a better understanding of the qualities of your offering and show the customer what to buy instead of just telling. Videos enhance top-of-the-mind recall way more than written words and pictures do. Customers recall and readily buy them.

With people becoming more tech-savvy and even big media houses doing away with large infrastructures, many SMEs realize that their impression of the high costs of video marketing was just a myth. All that is required might be a small digital camera. That and some very basic video-editing software is all it takes.

These are some compelling reasons why you should grab video marketing as your medium right away. You need videos, simple.

Easy steps to get started

1. Understand your target audience

As a rule of thumb, the first step of any content marketing effort should be to understand your user personas. Understanding their interests, demographics, and pain points will bring clarity in a lot of aspects in the future.

For instance, if you are planning to create an educational video, you should first review your audience’s interest and level of expertise and then choose a topic and depth of the video by levelling up with them.

2. Set clear goals

Clearly define the intent and objective of the video. Why are you making this video? Are you looking for lead generation, improving reach, driving awareness about your offering, promoting your brand or others? What problem or pain point do you want to solve? All these questions will help you to plan your video content better.

3. Define the budget

You can hate it, but you can’t ignore budgeting! You can simplify it, though, by keeping things simple. Track your expenses like videographer, equipment, and more. This will help you calculate the ROI of your marketing effort later.

4. Plan the format and video type

You can leverage a broad spectrum of videos, from educational and how-to videos to demo videos and case study videos, depending on your goal. For instance, if you wish to provide information about your brand and have a new product category, brand videos will prove to be a great idea. Make people notice your brand, make them care.

You can also do 360-degree experience videos. These are very useful for local businesses; you can talk directly to the buyers and give them an in-depth view of your product. This helps them decide.

5. Identify metrics

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage or improve it. KPIs will help to measure your goals, analyse, improve and be successful. Metrics like the number of shares, engagement, view-through rates, and conversion rates are some important KPIs you must measure.

6. Light, camera, action – Time to make the video

If you are just starting, you could use a smartphone with a decent camera to begin recording. Keep the script simple if you are a beginner. If you have a slightly higher budget and complicated story, you can begin with a storyboard and then scriptwriting.

While making the video, don’t ignore the lighting, background, and noise. You can also use a free video editing tool to add a soundtrack, captioning, effects, and more and improve the user experience.

7. Market, market & market

The more, the better is the principle of marketing. Understanding your target audience has already helped you understand the marketing channels they use. So use these channels to promote your videos. Spend some time marketing it. Make teaser out of your full-length video and repurpose the content to drive viewership.

Effective tips & tricks

Leverage existing templates

If you’re just starting, you can begin by using thousands of templates that are available on the net. Explore which template suits your business best.

Keep your content precise

Don’t ramble; stick to the script and be consistent. Speak from the heart. Sincerity wins every time. Talk about your satisfied clients and how your products can benefit your customers. Make it real.

Customize your videos

Upload photos, add a logo, include branding, and end with a CTA. All this is possible within minutes of starting. You can add or change the background music. Upgrade your videos regularly, responding to market demands.

Plan creative, engaging content

If you’re talking, ensure you keep it conversational, like storytelling, without jargon. Use empathy to create an emotional impact. Aim to reach the heart and pockets of consumers; treat them like humans, not decision-making machines. Use creativity and align them to your brand strategy. This is your chance to project your company name and brand in the truest possible way.

If you are an SME organization and looking to improve your sales & marketing function, contact us at Cusp Services.