7 Video Marketing Best Practices For Engaging Customers & Prospects
Video has taken the internet’s center-stage. There’s no doubt about it. 85% of American internet users consumed video content online on a monthly basis in 2019. Online video is widely-consumed by millions of people every day but the power of online video doesn’t stop there. This media form engages people in a way that simple text and photos don’t. Video truly does have power to engage people. The fact that 60% of millennials claim that an online video changed their worldview demonstrates this.
The power of video is undeniable. Video marketing best practices can help businesses harness this power and use it to connect with their customers and prospects. Video marketing adds an extra dimension to the customer relationship that simple text and photos can’t provide.
Additionally, video marketing doesn’t need to be complicated. Starting with a manageable goal is always a good thing. Here are seven video marketing best practices to get you started!
#1 – Know exactly what you want your videos to do.
Just like any other marketing tool, video is only as good as the intentionality that drives it. There are a lot of reasons to implement video into your marketing strategy. Obligation is not one of those reasons. Setting an intentional purpose and goal for your videos enables you to monitor their success and make adjustments to make them even better. Wayne Gretsky famously said that “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Similarly, you will fall short of 100% of the goals you don’t set.
Knowing exactly what you want to achieve with online video is the crucial first step in a successful video marketing strategy.
#2 – Use social media to consistently engage with your followers.
Social media is an essential marketing tool and when it’s combined with the power of video, it can lead to great results for your business. Posts with video are viewed almost twice as more than those without video. Social platforms like Facebook and Instagram thrive on video content. Don’t forget the gargantuan video social platform: YouTube! Almost one third of the world’s internet users use YouTube, around 2 billion people.
Publishing video content on your business social media helps you engage with your followers and meet them where they’re most receptive to your message. People expect video content on social platforms, which gives you an opportunity to share your content with an engaged audience.
Wyzowl has some helpful tips to get you off on the right track with social videos.
#3 – Use video for answering FAQs.
This one strikes right to the heart of the video marketing topic. Video marketing is more than just developing video ads or using video to sell something. Instead, video marketing is about communicating with your customers in creative ways that will engage them and capture their attention. This doesn’t mean your video content has to be “salesy”! Answering FAQs with a video is a great way to use media to educate your customer or prospect. People often prefer to watch videos online as opposed to reading large blocks of text. Don’t turn away interested prospects with bulky text. Instead, use video to educate and inform them about your product or service and answer questions.
#4 – Be genuine.
Video content can be used quite effectively to sell products but they can also we used to build your business brand. The truth is: you don’t actually have full control of your brand. Your brand “exists in the hearts and minds of individuals.” Your brand is only as good as your customer’s perception of it. Using video marketing to build your business brand requires authenticity. This will build brand trust over time. People don’t like fake and being too polished in your videos will actually hurt you in the long run. Being genuine doesn’t mean showcasing every shortcoming or business mishap. Sometimes it is just as simple as publishing a fun video about adventures on the job with your team.
#5 – Understand and adapt to different audiences.
The number of online video preferences is just about infinite. Each internet user has certain preferences about viewing video content. Some people want to watch a two hour lecture on YouTube and others can barely focus their attention for more than 60 seconds. Videos with text captions may annoy some viewers and may be crucial to others. If you want to optimize your video marketing efforts, you’ll need to understand your target audience and their preferences. What video style engages them best? How long is their attention span?
#6 – Tell stories.
Stories connect with people on a level that facts and statistics often can’t reach. Using a narrative style in your video content is a great way to creatively engage with your audience. You can use storytelling in a variety of ways. Are you promoting a new product? Consider sharing the product details with a more narrative format instead of simply listing off product specifications. Need to show your prospects why they need your service? Tell a story instead of just rattling off statistics and facts.
The StoryBrand concept helps businesses use stories in their marketing strategy. How can you apply the power of storytelling to your video marketing strategy?
#7 – Be mindful of audio.
Audio is a very important element of online video content. Bad audio quality discourages people from watching videos. On the other hand, great audio quality can significantly enhance a video. Consider your audience and how they will interact with your content as you plan your video marketing strategy. For example, many people watch social media videos on mute. Therefore, it is a best practice to craft your social media videos so they don’t rely on sound to communicate their message.
A Fine Example
Here is a great example of a marketing video from Social Media Examiner. It’s short enough to keep a viewer’s attention but it packs plenty of information into its four and a half minute runtime. The host presents with charismatic style and incorporates variety with quotes and fresh locations. The video is educational but the host’s narrative style draws the viewer in.
Harness the Power of Video
Video marketing best practices can drive your business forward through increased engagement with your audience and better visibility for your content. Marketing is, in many ways, a communication game. The results are clear: video is a powerful communication tool and each business should consider incorporating into their marketing strategy, in a small way. These video marketing best practices are a great place to start your business video strategy.
Video and media serve to add muscle to your marketing efforts. After all, catching your prospect’s eye is sometimes the hardest part. The IX Publishing team understands the importance of attracting your audience in a big way. Read more about our Inbound Marketing methodology and service to see how we can help you capture your audience’s attention.
