Videos have invaded our lives long back, yet it seems we just can’t get enough of it. This form of animated media has already emerged as a powerful business tool, to promote products and services in an engaging manner. Harnessing the power of video to convey a brand message is the best maneuver online marketers are adopting these days. And there’s a steady rise in this trend!
Well, this rise in demand for marketing videos can well be accounted for the engagement quotient and memorability of video content. If a picture can speak a thousand words, then a one-minute video can tell your brand story in as many as 1.8 million words. Imagine the impact that is generated! Owing to all these factors, animation contents have surfaced as the most popular media among consumers than any other form of content.
More than 76% of marketers confessed that videos had escalated their sales and revenue and they use video content to raise brand awareness. 80% of marketers believe that having some kind of animation on their website, has multiplied visitors’ time spent on their website.
Business Videos – The Ultimate Goal Achiever!
Undoubtedly, trust and credibility are the two factors that underpin a brand and are absolutely critical in growing the target audience. Nonetheless, this doesn’t happen overnight, though. Developing the audience and fostering credibility is a time-consuming process, and creating a professional marketing video is the first step to it. No matter which business or vertical you are in, you can always leverage videos for your marketing purpose.
However, to avail online videos for a set of business goals, one must follow certain rules to get their contents right. If your video lacks the ability to convey your brand messaging, you have it done all wrong! At the end of the day, we all want our content to be seen, liked and shared by all and sundry.
The Surge of Online Videos on Social Media
As marketing videos continue to climb in popularity and demand, we can see a lot of animations on leading Social Channels, namely, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat – platforms that the millennials adore. Amongst these, one cannot miss out on mentioning YouTube, the online video streaming giant with more than 2 billion monthly active users.
Millennials, as we talk about, are the super-enthusiast about videos and are easy to target. They consume online videos more than television, as it is evident from the growing popularity of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO MAX, so and so forth. If your target audience is mostly comprised of millennials, then they are the ‘low hanging fruit’ with a high chance of engaging with your video content. An ideal way to understand which way the marketing video trend is going is to monitor the social media apps that are being developed every now and then.
Think about Snapchat, Periscope, Houseparty – these are a few wonderful platforms to get organic growth for your business. Because as we know, several global brands are on these channels to showcase products, enhance brand value and create engagement. Likewise, MSMEs can also anchor on these platforms to highlight their USP and UVP, and of course, boost brand loyalty.
Why Brand Videos?
Not just videos can get people hooked, but also can evoke a variety of emotions that no other media can. Videos with captivating visuals and transitions, can get your audience excited, curious, motivated, empathize, and what not!
If your marketing video can establish an emotional connection with your target audience, they will start believing in your expertise and services. All you need to do is show a problem or a pain point that your audience has. And eventually reveal the solution to them, as to how your product or service can solve these issues.
Once you get your videos speaking for you, you can urge your audience to take action. So never rush into creating marketing videos – ensure they communicate your brand’s personality in the best way possible.
We have compiled a checklist for anyone willing to leverage this potentially interactive media tool for their business. Keep scrolling.
1. An Introduction that Stands Out
Similar to when we refrain from clicking on emails with bland subject lines, if your marketing video lacks an appealing introduction, it is likely to be clicked off by your target audience within 10 seconds. The intro of your video must stand out to make them interested in what they see.
That’s how you can hook them till the end. Keep this in mind while creating an explainer or promotional video for your target audience, so that you make the content inspiring, entertaining and informative.
2. Determine the Objective you want to Achieve with your Brand Videos
To best enhance a business video’s brand message conveying ability, one needs to determine the particular marketing objective” he/she wants to pull off with the content. Once you settle your objective, it’s easier to plan upon the types of brand videos you want to keep in your marketing arsenal.
If you want to spread the “brand name” of your company, try a compilation video that shows stats about your niche. You may share your expertise through your videos that will establish you as an industry expert.
To drive more “sales”, create an “ad video” that gives a sense of urgency to your target audience.
If bringing “traffic” to your website is your objective, then try creating “teaser videos” with enticing CTAs that will pique the interest of your viewers. Well, it’s all about getting your objectives, right!
3. Don’t Miss out on SEO
Nobody can deny that Google is in love with video content. The Search Engine crawlers tend to crawl videos, more than texts. Hence, your video marketing campaigns must ensure maximum SEO value. Each video must have a well-crafted description with relevant keywords. This will help in boosting the video’s SEO attribute.
4. Incorporate Website URL in your Video Contents
To convey your brand message through online marketing videos, think of including your website URL within the video itself. This is a sure-shot way of letting more and more people know your brand and visit your website.
One smart hack that can be done is including the URL within the first 5 seconds; because owing to the less attention span of the current consumers, 5 seconds is the maximum time you get to impress them. If your script is not sloppy, chances are there that it will be viewed till the end.
Nonetheless, putting your URL early in the video works great.
5. Stick to your Corporate Brand Identity
As your brand videos are just another extension of your brand, it is always wise to stick to the original brand ethos. If the videos deviate from the brand identity and are not consistent, this might not turn out well for your video marketing venture.
That said, keep a close check on the kind of messaging you use in your brand video, and make them match with the messaging you use in your other marketing collateral. The script must contain keywords that are there on your website. So that when someone listens to the voice over and then visits your site, they don’t find any disparity.
To communicate brand message through video contents, ensure the brand voice is consistent throughout the animation.
6. Never Deviate from your Brand Colors
This tip is similar to what I have mentioned above, regarding the brand consistency. One more way you can maintain this consistency in your marketing videos is, incorporate your brand colors within your videos in the form of font colors, graphics, animated frames, etc. Your viewers can easily recognize your brand just by looking at the video.
Brand recognition is paramount when you aspire to become memorable in your target audiences’ eyes, and using exact corporate identity colors in your videos can resonate with your existing customers, as well as new prospects.
7. Give them a Sneak Peek of your Behind-the-Scenes
If you want to spruce up further the brand message conveying ability of your marketing videos, then give your audience short behind-the-scenes glimpses. Taking viewers behind the scene is a fantastic way to connect them with your brand. Show them the bloopers, the fun and frolic, the leg-pulls in your office. Let them have a taste of the natural surroundings.
The more your audience gets up close to your brand, the higher is the chance of them turning into loyal customers.
8. Try Tutorial Videos
Tutorial videos are easy to consume and have a smooth flow from one topic to another, making them a crucial resource. And thus, tutorial videos have earned a significant position among online video viewers. Entice your viewers with valuable information as to how to use a product and set it up.
Also, tutorial videos don’t have to be all technical; you can make tutorial videos about recipes too. May be how to bake a cupcake or a muffin, how to create your own DIY decorations for the next party you throw at your house. DIY, How-Tos and Tutorial videos together have fostered a new wave of video watching. Tap into this section of audience and you can give your branding an impetus.
Another fascinating factor about tutorial videos is that they appeal to a broad audience through voice-overs and narrations, making it easier for marketers to generate hype and create engagement within the target group.
9. Your Editing will Set the Mood for your Videos
As a business owner, you would definitely want to convey your core brand value with video content. Well, to do that, this is a vital point to consider! The look and feel of your video must match with your branding style so that it sets a mood amongst the viewers. The way the videos are shot or created should make someone immediately tune in to the spirit of your brand or the nature of your business.
If your business is of that a fashion clothing chain, opt for some fast-paced, flashy cuts. If you own a salon or a spa, then smooth fluid transitions are ideal.
10. Don’t Forget your Sense of Humor!
A little smile can change the big world – and this is true in all senses. The human psyche is generally drawn to anything amusing, causes happiness and makes them smile. Well, humor it is, that can alone make or break an online video.
Many a time we get to see on Facebook, a specific genre of videos that apparently seems to be funny. But they hide some kind of social message. But what makes us stick to the video and watch them to the whole? The humor quotient! If your content/script lacks a sense of humor, there’s little chance of people enjoying it.
Corporate videos usually tend to be prosaic and serious in tone. But what if you add a dash of humor and fun in it? Of course, it will generate more interest. These kinds of videos not just make someone laugh, but also acts as fresh air in an otherwise mundane business market.
11. Promote. Promote. And, yes, Promote!
Did you know about the ’80/20 Rule’ of content creation and promotion? If not, then you are reading the right Blog!
So the ’80/20 Rule’ is all about the proportion in which one must deal with his/her marketing contents, and its subsequent promotions. As per this rule, a marketer should preferably spend 20% on creating content, and 80% on promoting it. Well, true as it is, in the current time we are living, promotion is everything. If you do not promote something you create, all your efforts go for a toss.
This might be hard to accept, but the truth is all the efforts, investments and time you give in the content creation, makes up only 20% of the overall efforts given. On the contrary, you must spend 80% of your time promoting your video content on social media channels, SEM, YouTube, Vimeo, use in Email Marketing, etc. The more platforms you choose to promote, the higher is the outreach.
Wrapping Up
With 90% of customers saying brand videos influence their buying decisions, more and more marketing videos will inevitably be produced in the coming times. Stand out with your content in a way that your brand could be distinguished from your peers and you could sell your products or services more than ever. Refer to the tips as your guide to video marketing and start early.
However, getting started with marketing videos and most importantly, finding the right type for your brand can be tough. A professional video production agency can make this easier for you and convey your brand message, just the way you want!
