10 tips for making video marketing work for you

The fact is that the majority of smaller businesses don't have the economic resources to employ a marketing mogul.  But this doesn’t mean that business owners can’t develop their own strategies for generating the kind of video marketing that will sell their ‘needs-to-be-seen’ product. The trick is to get people talking and clicking, and a strong visual marketing campaign will do just that almost effortlessly.

A well-executed marketing video will not only increase sales, but will also encourage the growth of strong customer relationships that will in turn lead to increased traffic on your site.

Although nationwide video campaigns might seem financially impractical for smaller companies, in fact the basic principles behind their success can be applied to any marketing strategy. Indeed, as you can see below, the most successful video virals work because they are memorable.

For example, Honda is one of the forerunners in the video marketing arena. Their 2009 video:

‘Honda - The Cog’ [Video] (2009) Retrieved 24^th June 2012, from YouTube.

became a worldwide phenomenon and is particularly impressive because of it’s scope. Unusual, unique and bold Honda doesn’t worry about subtlety in getting its point across. This advert quickly became iconic and for good reason. Going into this much detail in a 30 second slot was the best way to convey the quality of their product.

Likewise with the success of Cadbury’s drumming Gorilla.

‘Cadbury Gorilla – In the Air Tonight (Extended Mix)’ [Video] (2009) Retrieved 24^th June 2012, from YouTube.

This ad, although seemingly having no ostensible link to the product, worked because it had strong personality, was highly unusual and raised brand awareness. Whilst the premise is fairly simple, it makes the most of a novel approach to get people communicating about the product.

To help you manage your own media marketing video, we’ve put together ten steps to make video marketing work for you.

1. Identify your demographic

How can your video help the consumer? Your video must relate to what you are selling or the services being offered and the importance of increasing exposure and brand awareness by adding visuals to your site cannot be underestimated here. Although most smaller websites cannot hope to pull in the number of hits as the bigger players, the addition of a video will definitely guarantee more traffic to your site.

2. The devil is in the detail

Plan, script and execute. Making drafts and changes on paper will save you pounds when it comes to the final products. Since most people only skim sites looking for key information, one concise and powerful video will capture more traffic – over 50% of people that start a video will watch it until the end. Don’t feel pressurised to produce Hollywood blockbuster videos; not only do consumers not particularly care, in fact overly produced vids can get people switching off. Stick with good content and clear presentation.

3. Have a message

What do you want the viewer to do? Subscribe? Call up? Register? This is a golden opportunity to motivate your audience into action -

don’t waste it!

4. Get their attention 

Although the temptation can be to get the viewer’s attention with noise, colour and motion, in fact shooting in a quiet place and giving thought to the primary sounds of your video can make all the difference. Even if the viewer’s attention has wondered, they are probably still listening – make sure they hear all the right things. Likewise, think wisely about song choices – it’s not always the right move to pick a widely known song. Think about your message and your company’s ethos.

5. Establish Credibility

Clients have to connect with and trust you before they hand over their money, email address, or whatever else you want from them. Video gives you the face of credibility and trust, so they are more comfortable working with you. They think of you as an expert who can be trusted.

6. Personality

With lighting that will convey a mood, a good soundtrack and a strong narrative, video marketing provides you with the perfect opportunity to give your brand personality. In this short space of time, building character makes you into a person that others may or may not want to do business with. Go for honesty and likeability rather than snazzy effects or glitter.

7. Short and sweet

Don’t damage your campaign by not giving enough airtime to demonstrating your product’s benefits if this is required. This said, aiming for somewhere between 30 and 90 seconds is ideal. Work within the remit of the average attention span. Also, use YouTube to host your video. Owned by Google and offering easy embedding and sharing, this is the easiest way to get your video seen (and improve your site’s ranking in the process).

8. Involve your audience

Short video testimonials from happy customers are invaluable. Such inserts increase word-of-mouth promotion, and build a rapport with your intended demographic base by profiling your company’s credibility. Consistent marketing allows your audience to feel they know you and as a result they will keep visiting. 

9. The importance of SEO 

Being selective about the key word you use to describe your video can be another great way of increasing your website profile. High video ranking will in turn increase traffic to your site, and video marketing on more popular keywords can help you to stand out amongst the competition.

10. A little light humour

Humour where appropriate, will increase interest around your product no end. Showing that your company can share a joke, increases the rapport with your target demographic and shows a sense of self awareness which is invaluable in all aspects of corporate life.

Although there is no guarantee that a thousand hits will produce a thousand dollars, undoubtedly the potential of video marketing is limitless. In today’s huge media market, there is almost no better way of showcasing your product and your company.

Thanks to Vivid Photo Visual for providing this post.