There’s no getting away from them, they are everywhere and feature across every aspect in the digital world – websites, social media, emails, e-zines, take overs, pop ups…
We’re talking about videos of course!
Videos are especially prevalent on social media where people prefer to watch instead of read. The most frequently viewed content, relevant to you, is sent to your social feed based on specific algorithms. It's almost guaranteed that if you sort your Facebook feed into 'Most Popular' a video will be up there in the top posts.
Social media platforms have evolved to make it easy for users to view and share video content. Instagram allows you to upload 15-second videos, Vine is based on a 5-second video recording facility, Facebook autoplays sponsored videos and Twitter can now live feed.
Despite it sometimes seeming like the only videos being shared are funny cat videos or videos of people falling over, there are loads of really great examples of how brands leverage videos as part of their brand marketing strategy.
Here’s a personal favourite, which cost the company only $4,500 to create but has generated 18 million views to date. That’s 0.00025¢ per view!
We can't deny it, the success and popularity of video content has soared dramatically over the past year. The time has now come for brands, to take note and really consider adding videos to their content marketing collateral.
Before getting started, it’s important to decide on the right strategy for your company. Asking a few simple questions can really help get the ball rolling and enable you to outline what kind of direction your company should take.
Who do you want to watch your videos?
Your videos should be targeted to a specific audience and not just created because ‘everyone else is doing it’.
What content will you include in your videos?
Is your content going to be used to introduce staff, new products, product demos, company news or as a tool to recruit new staff? Regardless of the content, the main reason for video creation is to increase brand awareness. Show your brand’s personality and don’t forget the contact details!
Where will your videos be available?
The video, ideally, should be distributed across all platforms, especially on social media. People prefer to watch a video than read an article after all! Do make sure your video is available to view on all mobile platforms too. There’s nothing worse than having to pinch or stretch a video to view it on mobile.
When do you want your video to go live?
Give yourself plenty of time to create a video rich in exciting and relevant content. Keep it short and sweet too, the more succinct a video is, the more likely the user will watch through to the end.
Why would someone watch your video?
Again, put yourself in your end consumer’s shoes. Would you watch the video? If it’s not something you would willingly watch, it’s simple; your audience is less likely to watch it, as they’re not invested in the company!
There’s always understandable apprehension to video creation with brands for a number of reasons (expense, brand reputation, fear of being on TV) but when they’re created in a fun, effective and relevant way, they can really pay off.
Want to talk through your video strategy with us? Or if you'd like a helping hand with creative direction, just give us a shout.
Check out some of the videos we have created for our happy clients over on our YouTube Channel.
