Video is playing an increasingly important role in marketing small businesses across industries. Video offers immediacy and accessibility to a wide range of consumers, regardless of their background or what device they are on. From a marketing perspective there are numerous uses of videos, from advertising to sharing easily watchable content on social platforms like YouTube, Vine, and Vimeo. One Forrester Research estimate suggests that by 2016 digital marketing spend could exceed $5.4 billion dollars. It’s critical to partner with a production or marketing company that understands how to develop and deploy video content to get maximum results for small businesses.
High quality video keeps people watching
According to a report by VINDICO, 80% of all ads are abandoned during the first half of the advertisement. While your customers are consuming a lot of video, it’s important the video meet basic quality criteria. A quality video is one that’s developed with an internet audience in mind. The technical production needs to be at a professional level. While your customers aren’t expecting Hollywood production value, it’s critical that your videos aren’t shot using a home camcorder. Image quality, sound levels, and packaging should appropriately represent your brand. Upon viewing your video, customers should be clear that they are watching a piece of business content.
Each video needs a clear purpose
There are several kinds of videos that small businesses use in their marketing campaigns. Each video that you create should have one defined objective. Promotional videos are used as clear marketing pieces, and might feature video testimonials from satisfied customers. Website presentations are centerpieces on your own website, explaining what you do and working to engage prospective customers to remain on your site. Viral pieces are often funny or provocative and strive to build traffic and links. Your video’s purpose defines everything from the content to the production value.
Your audience seeks relevancy
In every content marketing discussion, one of the major key terms is relevancy. How does the white paper or blog post that you’re creating connect with your audience’s most urgent concerns? The same questions apply when you’re dealing with video content. Is the branding and packaging of this video consistent with what my audience will expect? Is the topic immediately clear and relevant? Do we stay on message and approach this issue with the right tone? Evaluate your videos will the same scrutiny that you apply to other forms of content. Edit videos so that they have the maximum effect in the shortest time possible.
The strongest videos are often scripted or produced
Depending on the video that you’re creating, you may work with a copywriter to develop a script that achieves your goals. In other cases, the production is more organic featuring interviews with a business owner or testimonials from happy customers. Even in the most organic cases, interview subjects are often worked with to help them appear more natural on camera. Multiple takes are shot of comments until the most confident and articulate version is captured. Shots may be taken in different settings to create the right feeling. What brings these elements together is the idea that there’s a professional behind the scenes creating an experience that’s consistent with your business brand and developed with your customers in mind.
Video marketing is an increasingly important tactic for small businesses seeking growth via digital marketing. To get the best results, partner with a professional production firm to help develop your video content and deploy it in concert with a broader online marketing plan. Contact us today to learn more about how our team can help you launch your video marketing campaign.