In 2014, online video marketing has become the latest trend that companies and their brands have chosen to successfully advertise their business and products. How effective is online video marketing? According to ComScore, 90% of users say that seeing a video about a product is helpful in the decision process, and after watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online. Furthermore, 65% of executives visit the marketer’s website after viewing a video.
Here are 5 effective ways brand marketers can use online video in 2014:
1. Vine
Recently, online digital marketing has been moving more and more towards the format, “short, but sweet,” and Vine thoroughly utilizes this mantra with its creative 6 second video format. This free app allows users to creative six second looping videos, which can be as simple or complex as each user desires. Vine videos can be shared to Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well.
This format allows marketers to demonstrate the best attributes of their products, as well as enables them to announce the launch of new products, too. Companies can benefit from Vine by being able to promote upcoming events, display previous work and allow followers to look inside the company on a more personal level, which all ultimately help in attracting potential consumers. According to a study by Unruly Media, “branded Vines are four times more likely to be shared than branded online videos… and five Vine videos are shared on Twitter every second.”
2. Instagram
In June 2013, Instagram, which began strictly as a photo sharing application, introduced their own video-sharing feature. Unlike Vine however, each video can last up to 15 seconds, but does not have looping capability. What’s more, is these videos have the capability to be filtered, with Instagram’s wide variety of filters to choose from, and can also be shared with a wider range of other social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.
According to SimplyMeasured.com, a social media analytics measurement website for agencies and brands, 59% of the world’s top brands are now active on Instagram, including Nike, Target and Starbucks. It’s a cheap marketing tool, with little complications, which is particularly beneficial if you’re trying to get your brand out to the public in a quick, original and large-scale way.
To maximize the most of your Instagram videos, make sure to communicate with your followers by following back and commenting, as well as trying to create a presence, by exhibiting the most of your brand and products. Furthermore, make yourself seem as approachable (human) as possible and utilize hashtags to make your videos more searchable.
3. Facebook Video
While the popularity of the Facebook website itself may be on the decline with younger generations, Facebook videos are still an advantageous way for companies to market their products towards a wide-range of individuals. Facebook videos enable verified users to produce and upload a maximum of 20 minutes of high definition video. And when these videos are placed directly onto Facebook, they surpass other linked videos from different social networks, not only in shares, but in comments and likes.
To maximize the most of your Facebook videos, try to incorporate your offline marketing into your online presence by integrating your commercials directly onto your Facebook business page, which ultimately helps to build attraction, relationships and an open line of communication with your followers. And with this open line of communication, personally direct message your followers, to show a personable, human side to your business.
4. Google+ Hangouts
While the past 3 video options have been based strictly on pre-recorded material, Google+ Hangouts allows you the option to include live video within your marketing plan. With this form of social media, you can have up to 10 people on a webcam in the form of a group call. Google+ Hangouts allows you to share your screen and live-record your group call and then upload it to Youtube, as well as other social media platforms.
In terms of video marketing, companies can utilize Google+ Hangouts for a variety of strategies to advertise their products and services. They can inform, educate and entertain a wide range of audiences through web conferencing or live streaming and record the video chats for future use. Furthermore, panel discussions and business meetings can be held on Google+.
5. YouTube / Vimeo
YouTube videos can be added to every facet of your varied social media networks, including Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. You can simply share the link to the video and your audience can view them instantly on each of the networks. These videos can help increase the strength of your digital portfolios and can leave a simple lasting impression, just with one easy click of the play button.
Although it garners less notoriety than YouTube, Vimeo is also a popular video sharing website, but with a bit of a more polished quality. The website and videos are laid out in more of an efficient manner, and videos are easier to search for. To top it all off, it’s free of all advertisements!
