So you feel that you’ve got the gist of internet marketing, and satisfied that you’re taking full advantage of the medium?
Well then – how do you take your internet marketing efforts to the next level? How can you attract more visitors to your website or increase the number of followers on your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages? More importantly once you’ve got your visitors hooked, how do you get them to convert and buy your products and services? Well, have you considered video? Have you thought about trying your hand at social media video marketing? If not; you should. It’s worked for other companies, so why shouldn’t it work for yours?
We should say at the outset that no-one expects you to immediately produce the type of content that goes viral, though if you are capable of that then you’re definitely on to a winner. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself and try to produce the next Old Spice guy campaign. The chances of replicating the success of huge organisations like Proctor & Gamble are remote, to say the least. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a success of it. Video marketing does work. If the video you produce is of good quality and targeted at the right market, then it will lead to a greater number of conversions. The added benefit is that not only will adding a video to your website or social media pages make more people want to do business with you; it will also improve your search engine rankings too. So, you win on both counts.
How can you ensure that your marketing video performs effectively?
Focus on quality content and good production standards.
You might have the best idea in the world, but putting that idea on film won’t necessarily make it a success, nor will it make it effective. The idea needs to be of interest to your audience. What’s more, the way you express your idea and get the message across to viewers needs to be considered and scripted in the right manner. If your video isn’t informative or entertaining, then the chances are it won’t attract an audience.
It’s also imperative that your video is produced to the highest possible standards, budget permitting. Filming a marketing video needn’t be overly expensive: there are plenty of good quality recording and editing software packages available today that can help you to create amazing videos at a reasonable price. The majority of these packages are simple to use, and come with bundled software that should help you create videos that look great.
Less can often be more.
How long should the ideal marketing video be? Well, it needs to have substance, so it can’t be too short. But on the other hand you’re not trying to create the next Lord of the Rings epic, so keep it as short and focused as possible. It’s generally accepted that the ideal advertising video should run somewhere between 3 and 8 minutes. This will give you enough time to advertise your product and sell it to the audience, but stops you banging on for too long and boring your audience.
Don’t flood the social media with endless videos.
There may be a temptation to flood the social media channels with endless videos, but resist that temptation at all costs. You might think you’re the next Peter Jackson, but the chances are you’re probably not. The idea is to peak at the right time, so keep your powder dry and drip feed your content on to the channel. It’s a much better idea to let your first video get noticed before releasing the next one. Besides if viewers comment on your video, you’ll need time to analyse their comments and respond to them. If the feedback isn’t all together positive, you might even be prompted to change the way you present your product.
If you do have a lot of quality material, then don’t try and cram into all into one video and risk diluting the message: make a series of shorter videos and give yourself the opportunity to get your complete message out there. Many viewers find this form of information drip-feeding easier to view. Besides, if the video is good and captivates the audience, they’ll be keener to watch the second episode.
