The goal of any business is to increase sales. You can do this by either selling to new customers or selling more products to existing customers. In order to reach and convince new customers to take a chance on your offering, you need the most engaging content. At the most basic marketing level, it can be very engaging to meet someone in person and inform them why your business is worthy of their purchase. This brand voice increases in scale when you stand on a box with a megaphone and inform numerous people about your business. In the past, newspapers and printed ads increased marketers’ reach even further. Skip to the digital age, the internet is now the most powerful tool in a marketer’s repertoire because of its connection to billions of people around the world. After decades of internet development, we now know that video content completes your digital marketing strategy.
Why Is Digital Video The Most Effective Form Of Digital Marketing?
First off, where do people watch the most video content? Do they access video content via cable television or the internet? Surely you’ve heard about the
More people are watching video content on the internet than on cable TV.
cord-cutting trend in the 21st century, where people are switching from cable TV providers to internet streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and YouTube Premium, citing lower costs as the main driver to switch. There are also cord-trimmers who have shrunk their paid cable TV plans and replaced them with streaming services. Then there are cord-nevers who have never paid for cable TV.
As of 2021, more people are choosing to watch video on the internet (69%) as opposed to traditional cable TV (65%), and that trend is expected to continue in the digitized, smartphone and tablet years to come. Furthermore, according to Wyzowl, the average time spent watching online video rose from 1.5 hours in 2018 to 2.5 hours in 2021. What does that mean for your business’s marketing strategy in the future?
If your goal is to reach the most customers in the years to come, you might want to consider focusing your video ad spending less on local cable commercials in favor of promoting your business on the internet. Marketing your business on the internet, after all, can come at no charge. Which internet platforms, then, should you choose to share video content on as part of your digital marketing strategy?
Which Internet Platform Should You Use For Your Brand’s Video Content?
The question of how to choose the right platform to post your business’s video content is worth researching, but in today’s post we discuss the safest bets on the internet: Facebook and YouTube.
In just one month, YouTube saw 1.7 billion people log onto the internet to watch videos, according to Datareportal. On average, Facebook has about 2.9 billion active users every month. The numbers get much higher when you start counting how many videos are actually played. Facebook and YouTube users watch 4 and 5 billion daily videos, respectively.
It’s safe to say that these two internet platforms are perfect places to start showing off your brand’s video content. But aren’t these platforms for young people? What if your business is focused on older age groups?
Of the 194 million active Facebook users living in the U.S. alone, 36% of them are over the age of 45 and 10% are 65 and older. Your business can access millions of people in any age group if you so choose. Everybody is using Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, watch engaging videos and share valuable content.
Additionally, not only can people upload videos onto Facebook directly, but they can also share YouTube video links on their feed or page as well. Wherever you upload your business’s video content, it can always be shared on Facebook. But if your business chooses Facebook to market itself, why should it incorporate video content into its digital marketing strategy when text and image posts are options too?
The Benefits Of Posting Videos On Facebook
A Facebook user can post text, images, links, polls, etc. for others to view, but video is the clear winner in terms of reach and engagement. The human attention span is shrinking faster than ever, and what better way to hold a users’ attention than with flashing images and entertaining sound that doesn’t require reading? When Facebook users scroll through their feeds, videos are more likely to make them pause to watch how the video content unfolds.
Video content is much more engaging than text or images.
Since people watch video five times longer than static posts, Facebook now favors posted videos in their algorithms, so your business’s video is given a higher priority on a user’s feed compared to your image or plain text post. The engaging nature of videos compounded with Facebook’s algoritim’s preference for them means your posted videos will likely see more likes, comments and shares. When a user shares a video (which they’re twice as likely to do compared to posts/articles), the engagement process restarts itself until another piece of content comes along to replace it.
In essence, turning a briefly worded post or a captioned photo into a product demonstration video earns higher reach and engagement rates – and all of that content can be shared free of charge on Facebook. So if businesses can promote themselves using highly engaging video content for free, why isn’t everyone doing it?
How To Overcome The Struggles Of Creating Video Content For Your Business
According to Wyzowl, “84% of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video” and “69% said they’d prefer to watch a short video” to learn about a product or service. It appears that a large portion of consumers appreciate informative videos, but they also make purchasing decisions after watching them. So what’s stopping every business from adding video content to their digital marketing strategy?
Half of the businesses surveyed by Wyzowl stated they don’t use video for marketing purposes because it’s either “too expensive … they don’t know where to start” or “they lack the time.” If you’re part of a business that requires outsourcing of video marketing, Three Girls Media offers quality video creation services at affordable prices. But for those who want to take on the video production themselves, this post sheds light on where to get started.
Let’s pretend you have a small retail chocolate store and you’re looking for video content ideas. A quick search of popular hashtags on a social media platform like Facebook or TikTok will unveil a plethora of chocolate tastings, chocolate shops, chocolate factory tours or slow motion chocolate dipping – it’s endless. After watching a few videos, you’ll notice which profiles are getting the most likes and engagement. Check out those profiles, study what makes them so popular and determine what ideas your business is willing to test for itself.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you can draw ideas from millions of people who are generating new videos every day. The next section discusses a list of video topic categories that will get your video content wheels turning.
Possible Topics To Help You Incorporate Authentic Video Content Into Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Perhaps you’re not fully sold on the idea of creating and posting branded videos on social media. The good news is that you can start for free! Here is a brief list of video content ideas to increase your organic social media engagement:
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Conduct interviews with industry experts.
Believe it or not, many business professionals would be thrilled to take time out of their busy schedule
Video interviews with industry professionals are authentic pieces of content for your digital marketing strategy.
to share their experiences and insights with a larger audience. Now, it’s fair to say that securing an interview with Bill Gates will be difficult, but another tech executive at a smaller but quickly growing company would be much easier to reach. For that chocolate business of yours, find a famous chocolatier or cacao farmer who’s willing to sit down for 30-60 minutes, answer a few questions and share their life story. An hour long interview can be broken into several smaller clips and reposted on many different social media platforms. Basically, one interview can turn into days or weeks of bite-size clips for your audience to enjoy.
Note that you’re not asking the business leader to endorse your product; you’re simply creating free video content for your audience and theirs as well. Hopefully viewers come away feeling more informed and appreciative of your brand creating a learning opportunity.
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Share your company’s mission, its culture and its team members.
Why did you choose to start the business? What are your company values? What do your employees enjoy about working there? These questions can help you generate countless pieces of video content that completes your digital marketing strategy.
Social media users appreciate authenticity in a brand and they notice when a business is lacking. Sharing why you started your business could be as straightforward as standing in front of the camera and delivering the company’s mission statement. Further, that “why” could be expressed in a variety of settings and in the midst of adversity. “We’ve had a few setbacks, but our company’s purpose is still at the center of what we provide to our customers.”
Consumers appreciate businesses that treat their employees with respect and cultivate professional growth. Give your audience an inside peek at your company culture to learn how you encourage your employees to take ownership of their duties and contribute to a stellar business. Better yet, allow your employees to create their own video content that communicates this message themselves!
Finally, display your employees’ daily routines in a behind-the-scenes look for your audience. Without giving away any trade secrets or patented information, show your customers what’s required to create high-quality products or provide top-notch services. Every employee has their own personality, so don’t be afraid to let them shine on camera for your engaging video content.
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Encourage customer and influencer collaboration.
If you find yourself connected to a multitude of loyal customers, let them do the promotion for you! They’re likely very satisfied with your product or service, so invite the ones who aren’t camera shy to share their testimonial. Your brand ambassadors might need some incentives (e.g. discount codes or free giveaways), but once they post their authentic video content, your brand’s credibility is sure to grow.
Let the right influencers create video content on behalf of your brand.
Some people are very outgoing on camera, so much so that they’ve amassed quite a following on social media. Their videos generate thousands of views because they’ve discovered how to be engaging. When you find a social media influencer such as these that pair well with your brand, connect with them. They’re clearly seen as experts in creating engaging video content, so send a product sample for them to test out. If they agree to this arrangement, they can perform their own product review and give their endorsement for thousands of potential new customers to see.
In sum, it’s imperative that your company start incorporating video content into its marketing plan, whether the videos are created by your company, its employees, its customers or an influencer.
We’re Here To Help Create Video Content That Completes Your Digital Marketing Strategy
In a world continually shifting towards the digital realm and in a social media space that rewards entertaining content, there’s simply no substitute for engaging, shareable videos.
If you don’t know where to start or are looking for help with your video content, contact us today for a complimentary consultation with our CEO, Erika Taylor Montgomery. She’s happy to share more about how this tactic, as well as other content marketing and public relations strategies, can benefit your business.
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Sign up for a complimentary consultation during December and receive an Annual Marketing Planning Guide valued at $475! We offer a 30-minute phone consultation with our CEO, and can answer your questions and discuss your specific marketing needs - no strings attached. Call 408-218-2391 or contact us today to arrange your consultation!