In this blog post, we will discuss 10 ways you can use video in your online marketing efforts.
Viral Trends and Trends Spotting
Every year, brands must adjust their marketing strategies to stay relevant to their audiences, and marketers need to identify what’s on trend to ensure they’re creating content that people want to see.
Viral trends and trends spotting allow marketers to see what content is catching on and to determine what themes and hashtags are resonating with their target audience. These days, content creators can gain popularity by doing whatever their audience is doing – be that subscribing to a lifestyle blog, liking a specific page on social media, or even creating a podcast – so long as there’s a way to track which methods are bringing in the audience and income.
Video Content Strategy
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or video newcomer, you’ll soon discover that creating video content for your campaign can be a bit like herding cats. Just like with your other content types, you’ll need to develop a content strategy that aligns to your larger marketing goals and to determine what type of video content you should be making for your particular industry. For the pharmaceutical industry, you might for instance decide that short-form videos promoting a specific medication or supplement are the way to go. Or, if you’re a real estate company marketing in the UK, you might choose to use video interviews to introduce prospective buyers to the charms of living in one of the country’s most exclusive areas (watch our handy video guide to discover the best places to live in the UK).
How Video Should Be Used In a Marketing Campaign
Now that you have your video content strategy in mind, you can begin to think about how you should be using video in your marketing campaigns. Bear in mind that video is a versatile content type, and there are many different ways you can use it to communicate your message – whether you’re promoting a product, delivering a sales pitch, or even telling a story about your organization.
Here are 10 ways you can use video in your marketing efforts:
1. Product demos
Whether you’re an entrepreneur establishing your first product line or a marketer for a large corporation, presenting your products in video format is a great way to go. It will give the viewer a better sense of what your products are, how they work, and how they can be used. Additionally, showing off your products in action can help convince consumers that they’re necessary and that your brand is a good choice for purchasing the item. You could even use a virtual reality (VR) headset to allow viewers to feel as though they’re actually using or interacting with the product themselves.
2. Marketing & Sales Videos
In a nutshell, marketing and sales videos are extremely similar. The main difference is that the former is generally an introduction to a product while the latter is used to promote a specific action, whether it’s purchasing a product, signing up for a newsletter, or getting in touch via phone or email. Marketing videos will generally begin with an explanation of the goal of the campaign and will use a light-heartened tone, whereas sales videos will be more direct and often include more aggressive tones.
3. Announcement Videos
Announcement videos are like marketing videos, but with a slightly different purpose. Instead of introducing a product or service, they exist to notify viewers of important news. Whether you’re an entrepreneur setting up shop for the first time or a well-established brand looking to grow your reach, having an announcement video on your site can do wonders for establishing credibility. It will let your customers know that you’re a trusted source who can be relied upon for accurate and timely information.
4. Video Case Studies
Video case studies are a terrific way to establish your authority in a field. They can use existing content – whether that’s a podcast, webinar, or blog post – to lay out the details of a successful journey or initiative. By putting yourself in the video case study, you can show that you’re the expert and give your audience some insight into how you made the decision-making process behind your chosen course of action. And since case studies can be lengthy, using video to document your processes can also be a great way to show how you’ve actually implemented what you learned.
5. Promotional Videos
As the name would suggest, promotional videos exist to promote a product or service. These days, most brands and companies will use different platforms to drive traffic to their websites, social media accounts, and email lists. But regardless of the platform, the general idea is the same: to get people to take an action, whether it’s buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or just hitting the like button on social media.
As with all your content choices, you have a host of options when it comes to the video format you’ll use to promote a product or service. And like with the other content types mentioned, your chosen video length will depend on your target audience and what you want them to do. Longer videos are generally used for marketing and sales, while shorter clips are more suited to encouraging website visitors to take an action. But again, it’s all about fit.
6. How-to Videos
Whether you’re an established brand or a startup looking for credibility, how-to videos can be a great way to show your expertise, demonstrate a process, or even just provide entertainment. A how-to video can walk an audience through a specific task so that they can mimic your actions and have access to the results. For example, if you’re showing someone how to take a great picture using your fancy new camera, you can explain the settings and software you’ll need to use, and then spend the rest of the video showing the person how to position the camera and take the picture.
7. Interviews & Guest Blogging
An interview or guest blogging are both ways of getting someone else to do the talking for you, allowing you to remain silent while appearing knowledgeable. As the guest, you’ll usually have the opportunity to ask questions about the topic at hand, which the expert can then answer. Alternatively, you can interview a guest who’s an expert in the field and have them talk directly to your audience about what they know and what they think about your product or service. Both of these options can be effective ways to disseminate information and to establish your expertise.
8. Short Videos For Instagram & Snapchat
While longer videos certainly have their place, shorter videos – generally under three minutes – have exploded in popularity, especially on social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. These platforms were built around the concept of quick snaps and fast, efficient communication, which makes the short-form video ideal because it fits perfectly into the culture.
Additionally, because these videos are so short, you don’t need a massive audience to achieve results. When someone watches your short video and decides to click on a link or engage with your content in some way, you’ll want to ensure that they have enough information and that what they receive is what they’re looking for. If you’re creating brand content for social media, keep this in mind and make sure that each video answers the questions your audience has about your product or service.
9. Slide Shows & Presentations
Although you can use almost any kind of content to create a slide show, these days, you’ll usually see the presentation format used for marketing and sales videos. Simply put, a presentation lets you show off your products and explain the reasons behind your decision to purchase them. Like with any other type of video, you can use a variety of video editing and design tools to create a slick and polished product.
10. Live Streaming Events
In recent years, the live streaming event has become extremely popular, especially among journalists, influencers, and other content creators who want to conduct interviews or just allow viewers to watch them conduct business. While there are a variety of platforms available for live streaming events, such as Twitch and YouTube, you’ll usually find that you can integrate your live event with your other content types, especially if you’re using a tool like Zoom, which allows you to share slides and documents while simultaneously broadcasting your video stream to an audience.
Now that you have the basics of video marketing in mind, you can begin to think about how you’ll use video in your content creation efforts.