Video Marketing – What is it and why is it important?

In the modern business world, video marketing is not new, but has gained increasing importance. Video creation has already become an easy task for many with the use of online tools. These online tools let you crop a video, add subtitles, add visuals and audio to a video, and many more. With the add audio to video tool, you can simply combine your audio files whether it is in MP3, WAV, and M4A format to your video visuals. And, voila, you’ve just created video content that you can use to market your business.

Just make sure that your created video is aligned with the marketing goals of your business. The goal of video marketing is to generate leads, increase sales, and grow brand awareness for a business. This type of marketing might be a crucial task but if it’s done correctly it can be an effective marketing tool.

Especially in our digital era today, the rise in popularity of social media and video-sharing platforms keeps growing. This growth has made it easier for businesses to reach a broad audience for marketing. People nowadays spend their time watching videos online in their free time. Videos are more likely to engage viewers than any other type of content online. Consequently, video marketing has become an indispensable tool for companies of all sizes. Keep reading and learn more about video marketing and how you can utilize it for your business.

Benefits of Video Marketing

Many businesses already know the importance of video marketing. Social Media platforms like Facebook and video-sharing websites like Youtube are just a few of the well-known today. Due to the fact that videos are highly shareable, they can reach a wide range of audiences. It’s not only they are entertaining but they are also engaging. Read on and find out the many benefits that businesses can get from utilizing video marketing.

Increases brand awareness

Using video to promote your brand and reach new audiences is an excellent way to get your name in front of new audiences. Through videos, you can effectively spread the word about your business while creating engagement with your audience. In addition, any company’s name that is associated with an authoritative video makes us feel they are an authority on the subject.

Builds trust and credibility

Building trust and credibility are important to a business. Having video content can be a fantastic way to market your business effectively. Feature real employees and customers in your videos to show viewers that there are real people behind your business. That’s one way of establishing trust and credibility. And when it’s built, there is no reason for consumers not to do business with you.

Generates leads and sales

Video marketing creates a huge impact in generating leads and sales for a business. With the engaging nature of videos, the attention and interest of the consumers can be easily caught. And that’s what will prompt the viewers to take action, such as signing up for a free trial or making a purchase.

Improves SEO

If you are also looking to improve your website’s online reputation, videos can help you. Websites with videos are rewarded by search engines like Google. When done right, your videos can help you get a higher ranking position in search results. That will also lead to more traffic and exposure for your business.

Boosts social media engagement

Boost your business’ social media engagement with video marketing. Visually and audibly impressive videos share well on social media platforms. Some examples of social media platforms are Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, the most well-known among these three. These platforms have tons of users worldwide. That makes them good places for your videos. Keep in mind that more people who share your videos can bring more exposure to your business.

Type of marketing videos

Before creating a marketing video for your business, you’ll need to consider the type of video that you want to create. Each type of video has its own distinct purpose. Listed below are the types of videos that you must choose from before you create one.

1. Product Videos
   Product videos are all about showing off a product in the most favorable light possible. They’re often used to introduce a new product to the market, or to show potential customers what a product can do. Keep in mind that an effective product video is clear and concise. In addition to highlighting the key features, they should also emphasize their importance to consumers. And on top of that, make sure to create an entertaining video to surely catch the attention of the viewers and make them watch to the end.

2. Tutorial Videos
   Tutorial videos are a great way to show potential customers how a product or service can be used. It usually contains a proper demonstration of how to use a new feature of an existing product. In creating an effective tutorial video, you must keep the instructional content clear and easy to follow. The content of this kind of video emphasizes showing rather than telling. The use of visuals can help illustrate the points you’re trying to make. It’s also a good idea to keep things concise. Know that your audience could just read a few paragraphs of text rather than watching a 20-minute video tutorial or more.
   
   
3. How-To Videos
   Similar to tutorial videos, how-to videos are all about teaching viewers something new. However, while tutorial videos focus on showing how to use a product or service, how-to videos focus on teaching viewers how to do something. This could be anything from cooking a new recipe to fixing a broken appliance. What makes how-to videos so effective is that they offer viewers valuable information that they can use in their everyday lives. Not only does this make viewers feel good, but it also builds trust and credibility with your brand.
   
   
4. Testimonial Videos
   Nothing sells quite like a personal recommendation, which is why testimonial videos can be so effective. In a testimonial video, customers talk about their experience with your product or service and why they would recommend it to others. To make a testimonial video effective, it’s important to choose customers to be featured in your video who are articulate and believable. And also make sure that the video is well-edited and doesn’t include any rambling or irrelevant information.
   
   
5. Brand Videos
   Brand videos are all about building awareness for your business and establishing yourself as an authority in your industry. They can be used to introduce viewers to your company or to show off your company’s history and accomplishments. Make sure that the video you’re creating focuses on what makes your company unique. What sets you apart from your competitors? Why should viewers care about your company? Answering these questions will help you create an informative and engaging brand video.

Whenever you create any of these types of marketing videos, always consider what consumers want to see – clarity and conciseness. Video is made up of visuals and audio. Ensure your visuals and audio materials are aligned with the entire content idea of your video.

Best practices in creating a video marketing strategy

Video content, is undeniable, one of the most powerful marketing tools today. But what many businesses don’t realize is that there’s more to successful video marketing than just uploading a few videos and hoping for the best.

To really get the most out of your video content, you need to have a solid strategy in place. Continue reading and learn more about the best practices to create a successful video marketing strategy, from defining your goals to measuring your results.

Define your goals

In any marketing strategy, defining your goals for creating video content has always been on top of the list. This usually answers the question “What do you want to achieve with your videos?”, “Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads?”

Understand your target audience

Before you create a video for marketing, it’s important that you know very well your target audience. What are their interests? What do they want to learn about? What kind of videos would they be interested in watching? Once you have a good understanding of your target audience, you can create videos that are relevant and interesting to them.

Identify where video can strengthen your sales funnel

Video can be a powerful tool for strengthening your sales funnel. It will help you to connect with potential customers and convert them into paying customers. It can also be used to create engaging and informative content that can capture the attention of potential customers. Aside from that, it is used to help you close sales by providing helpful information and resources that convince customers to buy from you.

Start planning for a strategy

Once you’ve laid out your goals, you can now proceed to the next step which is planning for a strategy. This will involve things like deciding what kind of videos to create, where to promote them, and how often to release new content.

Create compelling video content

Creating compelling video content is essential for any successful video marketing strategy. When we talk about compelling video content, your video has to be interesting, well-made, introductory, and concise. Interesting in a way that they won’t find your content anywhere else. Providing valuable information or an entertaining story will make your video an interesting one. While a well-made video requires high-quality production for editing and formatting properly done. This can be done easily using video editing tools like an online video editor. And lastly, a concise video is important especially when viewers have short attention spans, to get your message across quickly and efficiently.

Always use a CTA

Always use call-to-action words in your videos. These CTAs will drive viewers to your desired outcome. It can be as simple as “click here to learn more” or “watch the next video in this series.” Be sure to make it clear and easy for viewers to take the next step.

Distribute your video

You’re done with video creation and it’s time to start distribution. There are a number of different ways to do this, but one of the most effective is through social media. When promoting your videos on social media, it’s important to post them in places where they’re likely to be seen by your target audience. This means posting them on relevant channels and in relevant groups. It is also important to have the correct video file format for each platform. For example, you’ll want to use MP4 if you’re distributing on Facebook or Twitter. You might want to use a video converter tool in order to ensure that the videos are uploaded at the right resolution and aspect ratio.

Track your results

This is an important procedure to know if your marketing strategy is working progress or not. This will help let you know if you are effectively marketing your business with your video content. If not, you will also see which part of the process needs revision to make this marketing a success. One of the many videos you can find on the internet today is from Ben Amos, a digital influencer that talks about “Understanding Video Analytics in a Video Strategy”. The video has gathered 1.3K views already and it discusses clearly the importance of tracking your results.

Wrap it up!

Now that you know the ins and outs of video marketing, you’re well on your way to creating successful campaigns that will engage and convert your target audience. Remember, when it comes to video marketing, planning and strategy are key. So take your time, do your research, and create videos that will drive traffic and generate leads for your business. As a result, video marketing can be an extremely effective tool to achieve your marketing goals.

About:

Rachelle Ann Raymaro is a PR Outreach Specialist at VEED.IO. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies and eating her favorite snack.