So far, I’ve discussed ways to grow your business through blogging and podcasting.
Here are some recent stats:
– Over 1 billion users (there’s a new YouTube watcher born every day – LOL!)
– Hundreds of millions of hours are spent watching videos and views are in the billions.
– Localized in 75 countries and available in 61 languages
– Small businesses use Google ad platforms and make up the majority of advertisers (more than a million!)
– Half of these views happen on mobile devices.
– Up 50% year over year — the number of hours people are spending each month watching videos.
So, I’d venture to say that if your business is not marketing with video then you’re missing out on a heck of a lot of revenue!
Many businesses have had a great deal of success by using really short two-three minute video clips and posting them on a specific schedule to brand their business name and product(s).
And some good news — you don’t have to be a media wizard and spend years learning to make videos. If you are willing to spend a little money on software and some time on training, you can learn how to make videos of your own. Obviously, the better the software and the amount of training time you invest will determine the quality and professionalism of the video.
There is various free software available, including the Moviemaker software that comes on your PC but again, the quality of the video will be better with other software that you’ll need to buy.
If you are not willing to take the time to learn how to make your own videos or invest in software, you can hire someone to do this for you. The prices for video marketing services can vary considerably, depending on whether you were to hire a fancy video production company or an individual video freelance expert.
Regardless of who you choose to help with your online video marketing, it is best for you to collaborate with this person to develop the marketing strategy of each particular video. You’ll want to help them understand your business, your unique selling proposition and the goals of each campaign. Don’t leave this up to the video professional, as no one knows your business better than you do.
Whether you’re writing content for your blog post, creating a podcast or putting a video together, keep in mind one important factor: share information – don’t fill up a potential customer’s eyes and ears with self promotion!
Use the following ratio: 80% = Info; 20% = Self Promo
This video marketing strategy applies in most cases when your video is being used to either brand your business or provide valuable information that positions you as the expert and “go-to” person in your field. However, this may not apply when creating a video for a specific promotional campaign or sale. You’ll want to keep these videos short, to the point and answer the following questions for the viewer:
- What’s the deal?
What’s in it for me?
What do I have to do to get this deal?
Is there a deadline to take advantage of this?
The most popular videos use creativity to the max! Next time you’re with a group of people, ask them the following question: what TV commercial stands out in your mind? Chances are it’s either an animal or a child doing something funny.
Comedy can drive home a lot of points and makes your content memorable. It also brings the viewer’s guard down and eases the delivery of the message.
As you continue to grow your business and develop ways to brand and promote yourself and your company, utilizing online video marketing as an ongoing process is important. Video has certainly proven to be a stronger method to engage your audience. It’s also a valuable key to improving your overall rankings in both social media and the search engines.
David