As time goes on, marketing continues to diversify. This is a direct result of competition becoming more and more fierce. Regular written content is no longer enough to stand out from the crowd. Images help, but the big player now is video content. It comes in a few different forms, and there’s plenty of platforms to choose from, so how do you enter the world of video marketing?
Today I’ll show you why video is so effective and how you can start creating content for today’s top platforms right now.
Why is Video Marketing Important?
When we think of online video platforms, the first one to come to mind will always be YouTube. While this is certainly the largest one to choose from, we can’t rule out the ever-growing realm of live streaming which is currently being spearheaded by Twitch and Facebook Live.
Let’s take a look at some statistics that will convince you why video marketing is so important:
- A report by Forrester showed that including a video in your emails increased click-through rates by up to 300%
- ComScore found that 45.4% of users view at least one video online per month
- Unbounce reports that a video on your landing page can increase conversions by 80%
- According to Break Media, video ad spending will increase to $5.4 billion by the end of 2016
- YouTube has over a billion users
- There are over 4 billion video views on YouTube per day
- The average time spent on YouTube is 40 minutes per session
- Users watch six billion hours of content per month on YouTube
- YouTube is the second most used search engine, with Google being the first.
The growth and power of video marketing has never been better. Now is the time to start producing video content. The best part? It’s never been easier.
3 Types of Video Content Perfect For Your Marketing Efforts
Signing up for an account on YouTube or Facebook to get your video content out there is incredibly easy. What’s not as easy, is finding the right kind of content that fits with your brand. Let’s explore three different types of video content that will help you stand out from the crowd:
1. Video Blogs (Vlogs)
The definition of a blog has changed immensely since people first started blogging online. Video blogs are more prevalent than ever. YouTube videos can easily be embedded in blog posts or landing pages.
The best vlogs are the kind that focus on the personality of the speaker in the video. When you’re making these, treat them like blog posts, but with a little more freedom. Write a simple outline to keep yourself on topic and have a conversation with your readers through a webcam.
If the person on the video has a lot of charisma and keeps thing moving, you’ll find that these types of posts earn more views that typical written content. They also stand out really well on social media channels.
2. Behind the Scenes
The best way to grow a brand, is to showcase what happens behind the scenes. Offer people an opportunity to glimpse at the human side of the logo, and more importantly, see the culture of your company in action.
The best part? Behind the Scenes videos are best when done in a candid fashion. No planning or expensive setup needed. Simply fire up a camera, perhaps even a livestream through Facebook Live, and let people see what a typical day at your company is like.
Alternatively, you can create “culture videos” that further look into the unique personality of your company and the people working there.
3. Video Tutorials
The most successful blog content is the kind that offers actionable information and guidance on topics users need help with. A deep understanding of your audience will allow you to understand what problems they have, and how your unique knowledge or product can help them solve their issues.
Video is a great way to produce tutorials that people who consider themselves visual learners can follow along with. A perfect example is the success of YouTube makeup artist Michelle Phan. Her channel has exploded in popularity simply through her producing makeup tutorials.
Create your own video tutorials where you help users solve a problem or understand your product better, and you’ll find that this type of content garners a lot of engagement.
Final Thoughts
Video marketing is more important than ever. As time goes on, look for new ways to incorporate both prerecorded and live video into your content. How do you implement video marketing into your business? Let us know in the comments!
About Author:
Ralph Scharf is a marketer with over a decade of experience. He has been helping businesses take advantage of the opportunities that video content offers now and into the future.
