Getting Started with Video Marketing

04.10.20

According to a recent Microsoft study, the average attention span online is just eight seconds. That’s it. That’s how long you have to hook someone’s interest, convey your brand and share your message. It’s a tall order, for sure, but there’s one tactic that may help significantly: video. Video is rapidly growing as one of the best ways to turn casual customers into raving fans—and it can easily become one of the highest returns on your marketing dollars.

Find Your Story

The growing potential of video speaks for itself—especially in the current time of self-quarantine and social isolation. People are watching more videos than ever before. Just look at YouTube and its 1.3 billion users, or the 500 million people who use Instagram Stories every day. People like videos because they allow us to connect with stories on a deeper emotional level than still photos or words on a page. And people remember good stories the same way they remember their favorite Super Bowl ad from years ago.

So as a marketer, your question becomes: what’s your story and how will it play out on video? The key here is to think critically about your audience, the challenges they face and the brand you want to build. And in light of current events, you might consider pivoting your message for one of optimism and relief.

Video is highly versatile and could be used to:

  • Entertain. Find a funny or relatable thing your audience would enjoy.
  • Inspire. Create motivation and passion within your audience.
  • Educate. Teach a new skill or show off a different way to use your product.
  • Promote. Raise awareness about a new product, service or charity.

Keep At It

A healthy video marketing strategy isn’t fulfilled with one video. If you want to maximize video’s potential, you’ll need to produce several videos over time. Like most marketing tactics, frequency counts. The more time your audience spends watching your content and hearing your message, the more likely they are to buy in the future.

Think of your audience like bank accounts. When a casual customer finds value in one of your videos, you build a little bit of trust with them and make an “emotional deposit.” With enough deposits, that customer will feel a strong emotional connection to your brand. That means they’ll be more likely to read your emails, click your links and refer you to friends and family.

Create Advocates

Advocacy is the endgame for any audience-building marketing strategy. With nearly every product having tens of thousands of reviews online, people rely on those they trust for recommendations. Having a strong base of advocates in your audience will pay dividends time and time again with new business and ongoing loyalty.

The key to building advocates is creating video content that’s easy to digest and share with others. Daily, short-form videos are great for this, which is why you see so many brands taking up Instagram Stories. And by sharing and promoting videos on social media, where your audience already hangs out, you reduce the friction required to share it with their friends.

Get Started with Video

We see a lot of businesses that are nervous to jump into video production, especially in today’s uncertain climate. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a greater demand for video—a demand that will persist long after the virus has passed and life resumes. Let our team make sure you’re ready with a powerful message and a sound strategy.