How’s your online marketing game these days? Are you blogging, sharing, commenting, liking? How about pointing and shooting? Well, if you’re not making videos as part of your content marketing strategy, you could be missing out. While text content is still a great thing to produce, you can really round out your marketing and engage customers in a whole new way with visual content. So if you’re thinking about breaking into video marketing, how should you start, what kinds of videos should you consider, and what are some things to think about when creating high quality video content?
The Why and How of Video Marketing
Getting started with video marketing can feel a bit daunting, and might seem like more trouble than it’s worth. But it’s not! Consider this: according to former Facebook, Google, and SpaceX executive Dex Torricke-Barton, “More than 80% of traffic online is video traffic, as the content people want has changed from text to images to videos and now live streams.” Not only that, but 80% of viewers remember what they watch, with half of them taking action afterward. And 90% of users say product videos are helpful in making purchasing decisions.
Those are pretty powerful statistics, and they might convince you to get started with video marketing. So what are the first things you need to think about when planning your video content? First of all, remember that consumers want content that’s immersive on a visual level and tells a compelling story. What they don’t want is a sales pitch! That means to create effective videos, you should:
Start with your customers – Don’t start by thinking too big, and aiming to reach those millions of people watching millions of hours of video content every day. Focus on your existing customers, what they want to know, and what you can impart to them. Don’t worry about your numbers at first, worry about who is watching, and about building a community you can engage with (and don’t forget to do so regularly).
Get the tone right – Consumers can smell a sales pitch from a mile away, and if you get your approach wrong, you could lose 20% of your viewers in 10 seconds. Yikes! But taking an educational approach can help; in fact, customers are up to 85% more likely to buy your item after watching an educational or “explainer” video about it.
Be creative – You need to engage your audience, and videos featuring talking heads just ain’t going to do it. Tell a story, use humor, add animation, try a longer format that immerses the viewer, or a super short punchy video that sticks with them. Just make sure that you keep in mind your customers’ wants and needs, and entertain them while addressing those wants and needs.
Keep it short – There is a time and a place for longer videos, but in general it’s best to keep your videos to 2 minutes or less. Like we said, a fifth of viewers click away from videos within the first 10 seconds, so you don’t want to make them feel like they have to make a big time commitment to get your message. And studies show that 2 minute videos tend to get the most engagement.
Stay focused – If you’re doing shorter videos, it’s usually best to stick with one or two messages so you don’t overwhelm your viewers. If you want to make multiple points, make multiple videos, and link them – you could end up getting customers hooked on each installment!
Types of Marketing Videos
So we know that video marketing is a powerful tool, and we’ve looked at what you need to think about when getting started with your videos, but what are some of the specific types of effective videos you can make?
Product videos
Want to show off a new product? Video is a great way for you to “show and tell” for your customers. You’ll have the opportunity to simplify anything that seems complicated about your product, while building enthusiasm, and highlighting the benefits of your item. For these types of videos, you should create a sense of how your product can make the customer’s life better, and inspire them by showing how your product fits into their lifestyle (or an aspirational lifestyle).
Explainer animation videos
Need to explain something complex or new about your business, product, or service? An explainer animation video is a creative and engaging way to educate viewers, and this type of video means that you can create locations, characters, and props that would be difficult in the real world. With animation, you can break down complex ideas in a fun way, and much more quickly, so you don’t lose your audience.
Website videos
What better way to get people to spend more time on your website, engaging with your content than by embedding videos on it? And you know that the longer customers spend on your website, the more likely you are to get conversions! Consider using videos embedded in your website to give customers an immersive glimpse of your products that they would normally only get by visiting a store, or an engaging video that invites your customers to explore your services.
How-to videos
There are a whole lot of people out there on YouTube looking for videos on how to do whatever it is they’re trying to do. You can become a thought leader in your industry, or customers’ go-to person for a certain topic if you create fun and easy to follow instructional videos. You can also highlight how your product, service, or business can be of even further help.
Testimonial videos
Sometimes the best way to convince new customers to get on board is by showing them how satisfied your existing customers are. Testimonial videos from happy customers can highlight what they like best about your business, and will often feel more authentic, since they come from a third-party. After all, around 90% of customers say they trust testimonials just as much as personal recommendations! Add to that the powerful and engaging video format, and you’ve got a winning formula.
Tips for Creating Quality Videos
One last thing before we leave you to planning and creating your marketing videos: a few tips on how to make them look and feel more professional. After all, a crappy video is probably not going to do you all that many favors when it comes to bringing in customers. So, as you create your videos, consider the following:
Sound quality – It might sound funny, but viewers are more likely to forgive bad video quality than bad sound quality, so use a good microphone and run a basic noise-removal filter on your recording.
Lighting – Paying attention to lighting will make even a low-quality camera produce a better video, so look into either an inexpensive lighting kit, or just stick some desk or ring lamps behind you to get the effect you’re looking for.
Editing – Instead of filming in one long shot, use the jump-cut method, which means your video will be made up of dozens (or hundreds) of short little clips pieced together to make a whole. This will keep the video moving along, and keep viewers more engaged.
We would say that video marketing is the future, but that future is already here. More and more customers want to see video content, so the quicker you get in the video marketing game, the better! With a little bit of thought, and a little time and effort, you could even make an engaging video on your phone that ends up bringing in more customers than any other content strategy you’ve tried. So get your director’s hat on and get shooting – and let us know how it goes!
Today, business owners are spoiled with choices when it comes to marketing. You’ve got ways to reach your customers that people just 30 or 40 years ago couldn’t even dream of. But, while you’re focusing on all of these endless options, are you neglecting the good old fashioned nuts and bolts of advertising, like word and color choice? The key to effective marketing mightnot really be magic (in fact, it takes a lot of thought!), but we can help you out with some “magic” words and convincing colors to incorporate into your marketing, so you can stand out from the crowd – no tricks required!
What’s the Marketing “Magic” Word?
No, we’re not talking about “please,” although that’s an important magic word! But just like saying “please” can influence the way a person feels about a request, using the right words in your marketing can impact buying decisions. It has been proven that you can improve audience response and inspire customers to take action with the right words and phrases. These marketing words will create positive associations, and ultimately convince them that your product or service is the one that is worth a second look (and their money). Try these “magic” marketing words in your posts and ads:
Free – We’re starting off with a pretty obvious one, but we want to make sure that you never forget just how much people love free stuff. If you can offer anything at all for free to your customers, do so (but don’t trick them) – and then be sure to feature the word “free” prominently in your ad.
Complimentary – This word has a similar effect to “free,” but is a good choice if you’re looking to class things up.
You – How is this a “magic” word? Well, we’re not just talking about throwing it around in any old way, we’re talking about using it to directly address your customer, and make them feel like you are addressing them personally. After all, everyone likes to feel special.
Savings – Telling customers that they will save money with you versus the competition will always go a long way in winning their business.
Limited – File this along with any word or phrase (like flash sale, last chance, or act now) that implies your customers need to jump on your product or service, or they might miss out on a great offer.
Guaranteed – Sometimes you have to remove the risk or ease your customers’ fears, and this magic word can help give them a sense of security. You can also use the word proven to lessen the sense of risk and instill confidence.
Instant – We live in a pretty fast-paced world, where customers want instant access to everything (for example, 47% of people expect a website to load in 2 seconds!). Use this magic word to assure your customers that they won’t have to wait, thus reinforcing their buying momentum. You can also use fast or immediate to get a similar effect.
No obligation/commitment – You need to create a win/win situation for your customers, and you can do this by implying your deal is so great that they won’t want to back out – but they can if they want to.
Easy – Everybody’s got 99 problems. Tell them how your product or service can simplify their life; or, use this magic word to let them know that the process of becoming your customer is super streamlined. The easier it is to become a customer, the more likely they are to convert.
Opportunity – Similar to the above magic words that create a sense of urgency, “opportunity” also implies that what you’re offering is quick and ready for the taking, so customers who are in the know shouldn’t let it pass them by.
Exclusive – Just as addressing your customers directly can make them feel special, so too can giving them access to a deal that is meant just for them.
See/discover – Consider adding verbs to your call to action, especially ones like these that invite customers to indulge their curiosity and explore the interesting things you have to offer.
Enjoy – It doesn’t have to be all business – appeal to your customers’ “want” side instead of simply their “need” side and let them know that something really good awaits them.
Colorful Campaigns
There is psychology behind colors and people’s emotions when it comes to buying.
Language is one thing – it’s pretty easy to understand why certain “magic” words get certain responses from customers (again, who doesn’t love free stuff?) But what about something that appeals to them on a deeper level, like color? The psychology surrounding color choice is by no means an exact science, but choosing the right color for your logo and ads can be a very important part of your marketing strategy. In fact, according to one study, 90% of snap judgements can be based on color alone.
So where do you begin when choosing colors for your brand, especially considering that there are 18 decillion colors out there (what even is a decillion?)? According to another study, the relationship of color to a brand hinges on whether or not the color is a good “fit” for the brand. For example, if you’re looking to give your brand a sense of “ruggedness,” try brown. Or, try some of these popular colors, which can influence your customers’ thinking in the following ways:
Red – Red is a powerful color, and is strongly tied to emotions that evoke a physical response. Think love, excitement, aggression or terror. If you want to get your customers’ hearts beating and get a quick response from them, red could be the way to go.
Green – Green is actually the easiest color for the eye to process. It tends to be used as a balancing color, one that can incorporate logic and emotion, and give a feeling of rest and stress relief. It’s also associated with nature, growth and health. All of this means that green tends to be used by both financial institutions and companies that want to be seen as environmentally friendly.
Yellow – While green is easiest to process, yellow is the easiest color to see, so you can use it to grab customers’ attention. Yellow is also associated with “sunniness,” or optimism, and is a great way to make your customers feel inspired or to lift their spirits.
Blue – Did you know that blue is the most popular color in the world? It is soothing, reliable, dependable, and trustworthy. Unlike red, which will get a physical response from viewers, blue tends to evoke a more mental reaction.
Orange – Since orange is a mix of red and yellow, it tends to have some of the power of red, tempered with the fun and friendliness of yellow. It’s definitely an attention grabber, so can be used as a motivational color. Interestingly, it’s also associated with affordability. You might want to use it sparingly if you are aiming your advertising toward women, though: it is the most unpopular color with them.
Black – Just as powerful as red, but in a different way, black is a color to use sparingly, but to really great effect. Use it to add sophistication, seriousness or a sense of independence.
White – Using white is actually a pretty bold choice, but it can be effective – think Apple products and the clean, modern feeling they give off. It is also associated with purity, innocence, and peace.
Does effective marketing contain a touch of magic? Maybe. Hitting on that perfect combination of word and color choice can seem pretty magical, especially when you start reaping the rewards of your advertising efforts, and your business starts to grow. So get out there and work that marketing magic!
