The world of marketing is always evolving and it can be difficult for small and medium businesses to keep up with the trends. 2015 is the ‘Year of the Video’ and if you are not using video marketing, you are missing out.
Video allows you to evoke more emotion than text. Human beings are visual and respond more to moving images than text or photos alone. It is an excellent way to tell a story and keep viewers on your site.
If you’re still not convinced, by 2017 video is predicted to account for 74 percent of all internet traffic.
And is not just retail, all organisations need to get onboard with video marketing. Business to business companies in particular need to include video in their marketing mix.
Research from forbes.com found that 75 percent of business executives watch work-related videos each week. And at least half of these share videos with colleagues.
Video also improves email marketing results. By just using the word video in an email subject, it can boost your open rate by 19 percent and increase your click-thru rate by 65 percent.
There are some things you need to consider when you start creating video. Just like any of your marketing you need to have a strategy. Don’t post videos haphazardly but plan your videos to be part of a series or campaign. What story can you tell to post in multiple parts?
Another tip is videos don’t have to be lengthy, and sometimes short is best. The biggest growing social media platform is Instagram with a video limit of 15 seconds.
One mistake of many video rookies is forgetting to include a call to action. Viewers may enjoy your video, but if they no idea what to do next, you have missed an opportunity to win a new customer.
The call to action can be something simple such as a coupon code for use on your website. Or a discount for any customer who mentions the video in your store.
Video marketing can be an effective way for your brand and company to stand out from your competitors. When implemented correctly, a video marketing campaign can help reach new consumers and turn them into loyal customers.
But don’t limit video marketing to just promotional or brand videos. They can also be a clever and unique way to recruit new staff.
Rachael McGarvie is a Trustee of the Rotorua X Charitable Trust and Founder and Chief Marketer of Firestation, Rotorua’s only business growth centre. To find out more go to rotoruaX.nz or email connect@rotoruax.nz