Video marketing may not be top priority for many small and medium enterprises (SME) but with the growing flexibility and popularity of this creative marketing tool amongst businesses and consumers alike, SMEs should be considering the opportunities that video marketing can offer their business.
Online video is not just reserved for the ‘viral’ and the ‘vloggers’, nor is it exclusive to big-budget businesses. The beauty of online video is that it’s easy to use and can be low-cost. This accessibility teamed with the variety of online video platforms available means that businesses of any size can get in on the action.
The user-friendly nature of online video is not the only benefit for businesses on a budget. A study by Wyzowl highlighted that 72% of businesses interviewed believe that using video has improved the conversion rate of their website and 64% believe that it has directly led to increased sales.
Video marketing is already marking itself a firm space in the digital marketing mix – and it only looks set to grow. The Wyzowl study noted that 61% of businesses surveyed were currently using video as a marketing tool, however, a huge 66% of these were not using video just 12 months ago. Looking forward:
The Cisco Visual Networking Index suggests that 80% of all internet traffic will be video by 2019
As video’s ubiquity continues to mature, businesses who fail to integrate video into their marketing strategy may experience less meaningful engagement with their customers.
Are you ready to get visual?
Here are 4 top tips to help you get started with your own video marketing!
Explain yourself
Online videos are a great opportunity to share helpful, engaging content around your products or services such as tutorials, demonstrations and “explainer” videos. These videos can be easily produced and will enable you to show consumers how they could benefit from using the product or service and establish you as an expert in the field. According to Wyzowl, 93% of businesses who use video believe that it has increased user understanding of their product or service. Giving helpful information and advice away freely can encourage users to return to the business as a hub of useful content and increase customer engagement throughout their journey.
Create compelling content
Video provides the opportunity to get as creative as you want! Alongside creating useful content, you should think through other opportunities to connect with your audience and promote the business. Some great ideas for content include: Q&A videos, product reviews, case studies, “meet the team”, behind the scenes, storytelling and weekly updates. Remember you’re creating videos to engage potential and existing customers, so consider what they would like to see and how to put your own ‘stamp’ on the content. Whatever you do, make sure it’s got personality and gives viewers a reason to keep watching.
Be a social sharer
Make the most of the social opportunity by both sharing your video content on your social media platforms and trying your hand at native videos. Put simply, native video refers to videos that have been uploaded directly to or created on social media and played in-feed rather than posting links to videos hosted on other sites. According to socialbakers, 75% of engagement with top brands’ content on Twitter happened with their native videos and native video uploads to Facebook have 10x higher reach compared to shared YouTube links. Use native video to share snippets of interesting content and condensed advice clips to engage viewers in a snappy and immediate way, but use your social media platforms to raise awareness of the longer-form videos you may have hosted on your website or a video hosting platform.
Always include a call to action
Although the videos you create should prioritise offering thought-led advice and interesting material rather than being overtly promotional or sales-led, any content you share is a chance to further engage so include a link to your website and a clear call to action. This will ensure that if a viewer is enthused and intrigued by your videos that they can easily navigate their way through to more content or to use your business. Where possible, top and tail your videos with some visual branding, include links and encourage viewers to take a specific action such as subscribe to a newsletter, download a guide or purchase a product/service.