video marketing tips

There’s something about hard selling that turns customers all the way off. There’s nothing they find more off-putting than getting constantly bombarded with television ads and cold calls. This method of sales is not as effective as it once was.

Today, video content is what drives internet marketing. Businesses are using videos to create a strong connection with their audiences in order to build a long term relationship with them.

This article explores video marketing tips guaranteed to boost your ROI and take your business to the next level. Read on.

1. Video Marketing Tips 101: Convert Your Blog Posts into Videos

Coming up with fresh new ideas for video content on a daily basis can be overwhelming, to say the least. Converting your popular blog posts is a great way of recycling content that you already know is doing well.

It’s also the perfect way to reach users who prefer content in video format especially if they’d previously passed on your blogs. There are lots of helpful tools you can find online to help you convert your articles into videos.

They work by analyzing your post, summarizing your content and matching the segments with relevant media. Make sure you include your branding in your videos so that your audience know about your business right off the bat.

2. Include a Video on Your Site’s Landing Page

Did you know that putting a small business video on your landing page increases conversions by as much as 80%? That’s how effective videos are. This technique kills two birds with one stone.

First, it increases the time visitors spend on your site once they land there. Second, they absorb the message you’re trying to pass a lot faster than if the same content was in written format.

Ensure that your video for small business is in HD format and embedded in a stand-alone video player. You can’t go wrong with Vimeo and YouTube. Remember to choose an eye-catching thumbnail that is relevant to the video.

The video itself should explain to visitors what you’re selling while entertaining them at the same time. It’ll not only leave a bigger impression on them, but they’re more likely to make a purchase.

3. Audiences Love Live Videos

Audiences are more impressionable when they feel like they’re a part of something great. Moreso, if they can interact directly with representatives of their favorite brands. There’s literally no better way to do this than through live streaming.

With the rise of live video, engaging with your customers has never been easier. Going live on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook receive truckloads of engagement.

You present yourself as an expert in your space. It also adds a measure of transparency since you get to answer your audience’s questions in real time. This fosters the trust in your product and that is what will ultimately grow your business.

4. Give Your Audience a Teaser

Do you feel like your audience isn’t responding to your content like you’d want them to? Chances are they’re getting a little bored. There’s no better way to jolt them back to life than to use video for your business to create a little intrigue and excitement around your brand.

Shoot a short teaser video about a mysterious new product that you’re about to launch or an exciting upcoming event. Short here means that it shouldn’t be any longer than a few seconds at least.

Get your creative juices flowing and shoot a video that will keep users on the edges of their seats. Before you know it, they’ll be tuning into your site every day to see if there are any new developments.

Be careful though. Don’t keep it running for too long or your audience might end up losing interest altogether.

5. Record On-Screen Tutorials

If your company is based online, you can enhance your customers’ experience by recording on-screen tutorials. This is especially important if your customers rely on written tutorials to learn how to use the software you may be selling or how to access different sections of your website.

This not only boosts your audience engagement, but they are likely to retain more information if they receive a practical step-by-step guide on how to work around the tough bits. There are lots of free screen capture software tools available that you can use to record your demos.

6. Use Native Videos Instead of Links

Posting a native video means you’re uploading a video in a format that’s specific to a particular social platform. This maximizes audience engagement as opposed to posting a link to a different site that hosts your video.

This method is better for two reasons. First, as your audience scrolls down their feed, native videos begin to play automatically. On the other hand, when you post a link, it means that your target audience has to manually click on the link in order to watch the video.

Second, when you post a video in its native environment, say Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, users don’t have to leave the platform to watch it. This plays a huge role in enhancing your audience’s social experience.

7. Minimize Time and Maximize Value

You might think packing a lot of information into a long video in order to get your message across is how you get customers hooked on your brand. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

As it turns out, research shows that the first 3 to 10 seconds of your video strongly influences your customers’ purchase intent. It’s important to keep your videos short given that consumers’ attention span is shorter now than it’s ever been.

The idea here is to create short videos that are value-oriented. Here’s the general rule of thumb:

  • Instagram marketing videos shouldn’t run longer than 26 seconds
  • Twitter videos should last an average of 45 seconds
  • Facebook videos can go up to 1 minute long
  • YouTube videos should run for an average of 2 minutes for maximum impact

The main reasons why customers like short, bite-sized videos are that they don't take up too much time and they deliver on their promise straight away. There’s no beating about the bush.

8. Tell a Compelling Story

Today, storytelling is the most powerful sales pitch. It gets you real results. Telling a compelling narrative takes your audience on a journey.

To engage your audience using storytelling, your content needs to be filling a need. You must engage their emotions in order to get them to take action. Here’s how to do it in three easy steps:

  • Introduce characters that will create some type of bond with your audience. They need to be relatable. Your audience should identify with these characters.
  • Next, you need to grab your audience’s attention by adding a twist they would never have seen coming. This is what will keep them glued to your video.
  • Finally, you must incorporate an actionable resolution. It needs to be clear to the audience what message you were trying to convey with your story.

Striking your audience’s emotional chords is the key to giving your brand the personality it needs to connect with your target audience. Your message needs to be delivered with clarity.

The last thing you want is to leave them confused about what the whole point of your video was. When that happens, the chances of them watching your videos in the future are slim to none.

9. Include a Powerful Call-To-Action

You’ve taken the time and effort to create a great, value-oriented video. Your audiences are eating it up and sharing it on social media. But, without a strong and clear CTA, it's all a zero-sum game.

If you’re not encouraging your audience to act, what’s the use? Your ultimate objective is to gather leads and convert them in the end.

So, make sure the end of your video leads your audience to get your business’ contact information and their contact information as well. If you want to direct viewers to your site, you can use the “Watch More” CTA link.

10. Start with What You Have

Creating a marketing video may look like a daunting task but you’ll be surprised to learn how much you already have to go on if you look in all the right places. For instance, your FAQ page can be a great source of ideas for video content since it touches on your customers’ burning questions.

So, you can begin by choosing topics that your audience are already searching for and creating content geared towards addressing those questions.

Some Final Thoughts

If you’re not already integrating video marketing into your strategy, your business is lagging behind. Suffice it to say that if you don’t start now, you’ll spend the rest of your time playing catch-up with your competition. Use the video marketing tips outlined in this article to take your business to new heights.

Are you having a hard time generating traffic and leads for your business? Check out these 7 types of internet marketing you can use to help you along.

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