Businesses continue to adopt new and innovative digital marketing strategies to differentiate themselves from their competitors. However, in your quest to do so, don’t ignore or overlook video marketing.
So why are videos so effective in marketing? There are quite a few reasons. First, videos grab people’s attention, as they engage viewers both visually and audibly. Second, they add an interactive and connective element to your brand.
People are inherently more trusting of a brand that is transparent and authentic. Videos have an uncanny ability to improve user experiences and metrics like dwell times and bounce rates.
If video marketing stats are anything to go by, integrating video into your digital marketing strategy is important to maximize both ROI and results. And to help you achieve that, here are seven ways to incorporate videos into your digital marketing.
1. Video Tutorials
Consumers are always interested to learn more about products or services. Videos can be used to explain a product, its functionalities, and operation. They can put crucial product information in front of potential buyers in a way that’s easy to understand.
Videos are easy to consume and everlasting, with no need to be updated as long as the information is still relevant. Most people find explainer, tutorials, or how-to videos helpful. And you don’t even need to spend a fortune on creating them.
The personal shopping app, Stitch Fix, does an amazing job with their simple explainer video. By letting their customers do the explaining for them, they hit the nail on the head with this one.
Image via YouTube
2. Live Videos
Live video streaming has gained a lot of momentum in recent months. Social media channels like Facebook and Instagram provide brands with a way to share immersive and easy-to-consume content. They allow brands to present raw, unedited, and authentic content to connect with their audiences.
82% of people prefer live videos from a brand to social media posts. This clearly demonstrates people’s love for live videos.
Benefit Cosmetics, the online makeup store, leverages live videos for the benefit of their audiences. They regularly share videos using Facebook Live that includes beauty advice and tips on applying makeup the right way. One of their older videos went on to earn almost 60,000 views.
Image via Facebook
3. Video Testimonials
Case studies and existing user testimonials are great at convincing prospective buyers to make their final purchase decisions. People are more trusting of brand recommendations when they come from their peers. They add greater credibility and authenticity to your brand, which is exactly what consumers are looking for today.
Your happy customers can also become your best brand advocates. 38% of respondents in a survey reported that online reviews are extremely important for making a purchase decision. Also, considering that video marketers get 66% more leads per year, video testimonials can be pretty useful in marketing.
Look no further than Okta, a secure identity management firm. They’ve created a bunch of videos featuring their customers who talk about their experiences of using the product.
In the example below, one of their clients, Allergan, talks about their service. Allergan’s CISO mentions how Okta has helped them secure their confidential data about employees, partners, and patients.
Image via YouTube
4. Video Reviews
Consumers trust product reviews and recommendations from social media influencers. So if you collaborate with popular YouTube content creators, and have them review your products, it can be very effective. This will help to increase your reach as their followers are likely to consider your brand for their purchases.
It is important that you find influencers in your niche because their followers will be more relevant to you. Platforms like Grin can help you identify relevant influencers who have the potential to help your business. Such platforms can help you narrow down the right influencers by reach, engagement rates, and much more. You can even run and track your campaigns easily.
Image via Grin
5. Content Promotion
Suppose you’ve created some really good content – an ebook or a white paper – that you want to promote. Videos are a great way of doing that. Just create a short video to promote your content to get people interested.
Ensure that the video is both promotional and educational. Perhaps you can have an industry expert present their opinion in it. Take for instance, the video hosting company, Vidyard, who promotes their video marketing handbook though a video.
Image via Vidyard
6. Storytelling
Consumers are always looking for a way to connect and interact with brands in a personal way. They love learning about your behind-the-scenes efforts, to get to know your team better, or even about your brand’s backstory.
Videos are the perfect way to get those interesting stories across to consumers – be it an animated short or your company founder talking about your company’s humble beginnings.
Nobody does this better than Maersk, the shipping conglomerate. They actively engage consumers with photos, videos, and stories of their seafarers and their customers.
Image via YouTube
7. Viral Videos
A great way to get people talking about you is to create viral videos about your brand or products. It could be a one-off thing or a series of videos that work as an ad campaign. Focus on making them funny and informative – maybe demonstrate a key feature that makes your brand better than the rest.
Take a page out of Blendtec’s playbook. This blender manufacturing company had their founder blend all sorts of different things – showcasing the blender’s ability to blend practically anything. Needless to say, these videos spread like wildfire and got people talking.
Image via YouTube
After Thoughts
With an increasing number of brands hopping on the digital marketing train, it’s important that you do too. Consumers are more attracted to video marketing strategies over other traditional marketing strategies. With the above pointers in mind, come up with your own game plan to integrate videos into your campaigns.
If you have any other innovative ways to incorporate videos in your marketing, let us know in the comments below.
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Brian Mechem is COO and Co-Founder of Grin, a software solution for companies who run influencer marketing programs. Grin’s software powers some of the best influencer programs in the world, providing insights on ROI and adding efficiency to the influencer marketing process.
