You’ve probably thought about adding videos to your social media marketing strategy. If you haven’t turned on the power of online video branding for your business yet, chances are some (if not all) of these excuses have played a part in the delay.
- I don’t have the know-how to make a video.
- I don’t look good enough to be on camera.
- I don’t sound good enough to be on camera.
- I have to hire a full production studio.
Sound familiar? The truth is that creating videos today is much simpler than it used to be. And, you don’t need to look like a Hollywood star to be an online video star.
#1: It Works
Here are just a few facts and figures about online video that might help you decide to add it to your social media marketing strategy. The first fact to understand is that online video works. Did you know that every day, people watch more than five years worth of online video produced by businesses? As we learned from the infectious song from the Broadway musical “Rent“, that’s 525,960 minutes times five, or two million, six hundred twenty-nine thousand and 800 minutes of video produced by marketers viewed every single day. Google reports that there are over 100 small businesses earning more than $100,000 per year from the ad income on their YouTube channels. That’s what Google pays them, remember. It doesn’t consider whether they are also selling something that helps them earn money, because no one knows just how many sales every day can be tracked to online video.
#2: It Doesn’t Have to go “Viral” to be Successful
The chances that your video will go “viral” are slim. Most videos don’t get millions of viewers but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t successful in their own right. The goal is to reach your audience, get your message across, and over time – build a strong and viable brand. Don’t let the fact that your video won’t be the next YouTube sensational stop you. There are many ways to measure the return on investment (ROI) for your videos. For example, adding subscribers to your email marketing list or converting viewers to fans for your social media pages can be valid measures of video success. So can click-throughs to your website. For more information on measuring results, download our free white paper, “51 Ways to Measure Social Media ROI“.
#3: Google Loves Google
Search engine results matter more than ever, with nearly 7 in 10 customers telling pollsters that they use online search “most of the time” before making a purchase. If your company can’t be found by the search engines, especially by Google, then you have a tremendous disadvantage compared to your competitors. While the algorithms Google uses to rank web pages and deliver search results are top secret, it’s a fact that Google loves Google – and Google owns YouTube. So creating a YouTube channel and hosting your videos on YouTube (then embedding those same videos on your blog, your website, and linking to them from your social media marketing posts) can really help with Google page rank. (So does embedding a Google map or other Google product on your site. Talk to one of our SEO experts for more information on how this can help!) Don’t forget that frequent short videos – published once a week as video blogs, or every few weeks as updates to a series of informative product tutorials, for instance – really help your search engine results. Some companies will film a 10-minute product demonstration, for instance, and then break it into a series of 5-10 shorter clips that focus on different aspects of the product, then post each clip a few days or weeks apart. That’s a cost-effective way to draw repeat traffic, and improve search results, too.
#4: Video Drives Conversions
One of the goals of many video marketing campaigns is to convert viewers into subscribers – subscribers to a social media marketing campaign (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Google+ followers/fans), or to an ongoing email marketing effort. Another is to get visitors to visit your website. Research from Marketing Sherpa, Forrester, and Gartner all concur: video is consistently first or second in driving conversions over a 12-month period. What does it mean to “convert” a viewer into a subscriber, and how do you do it? By providing video content that’s compelling and interesting enough that people will want to give you their email address or sign-up for more information from you in the future. Landing pages, where people fill out their information and grant permission to use it for future marketing, are one way to handle this. Social sharing icons that allow them to instantly follow you on different sites are another. The point is that the video itself probably won’t sell products. But it’s a super way to introduce your company to potential customers and start the conversation that will earn you a new customer.
#5: Production Doesn’t Cost as Much as you Think
Video production used to cost ten thousand dollars and upwards. And, certain type of productions can still run into that range. But today you have many options. You can take the DIY approach with a good camera and strong lighting. Or, you can outsource your video creation and marketing. Our own CEO’s foray into online video has been a huge success. Check out Shama.Tv and be sure to subscribe via YouTube – so you can keep up with the latest in business and technology. And, take tips for your own video production and marketing! Photo Source
