It’s Time to Add Video Production to Your Bag of Tricks
Video is an extremely powerful marketing tool, and one that you can’t afford to ignore. The Digital Marketer has some savvy tips on adding video to your brand.
by Diane S. Thieke
Video is an extremely powerful marketing tool, and one that you can’t afford to ignore. It can significantly improve the ability of people to find you on the Web, and it’s also a very effective and memorable way to tell a story.
Storytelling Power. There’s nothing like the raw power of visual and audio to make a story memorable. Humans are visual learners, and nothing grabs and holds our attention as much as a narrative told in moving images. In fact, this is the best way to distill and convey complex ideas. Video can be used to tell the story of your brand, provide information that helps clients solve a problem, or explain trends.
YouTube offers a search advantage. There are other video sites, but my preference is YouTube. It’s the second most popular search engine, which means that if someone is looking for instructions on how to complete a task, that’s where they’re heading. But, more importantly, Google owns YouTube and gives it some preference in its search algorithm. This improves the odds that your video will end up on the first page of search results.
DIY or Pay a Pro? In the early days of user-generated video, a rough cut from a home video camera was the best choice for businesses. It was more authentic and made companies seem approachable and honest. Today, many media outlets and brands have produced professional video that is often widely shared, so it’s more acceptable. You can choose either format, as long as your video is authentic. Ultimately, the choice should fit your goals, brand identity, and resources. I have a personal preference for good quality video, which isn’t very expensive if you hire a local video producer. Many of them are very good.
Length. The top 10 videos that are shared most often have an average run time of 4 minutes 11 seconds, according to David Waterhouse, the Head of Content for Unruly Media, who collected and analyzed social video advertising data. In fact, he told Greg Jarboe of ReelSEO, the shorter the video, the fewer shares it attracted.
Tone and style. Aim to create videos that fit your brand. Viewers scorn brands that try to be something they’re not. If you’re more conservative, you might have trouble making humor seem authentic and believable.
Viral subjects. While funny and surprising videos have a greater success rate at going viral, there are many other approaches that can be very successful for your brand.
- “How-to”: This is the most popular type of video, making it a great approach for just about any business. People search to solve a problem – whether it’s how to tie a tie or how to build a garden.
- Interviews: Ask experts in your field or industry to spend a couple of minutes answering questions. The best part about this approach is that others do most of the heavy lifting for you. Come prepared with a few questions, and fire away. The back and forth between interviewer and interviewee is also more interesting for viewers to watch.
- Behind the scenes: This is a great way to show the human face behind your brand and is particularly effective for large organizations or companies whose main asset is people and who have a very service-oriented approach. But even for manufacturing companies, it can be powerful to see how that widget is made.
Planning and script. As much as social video has seen success with off-the-cuff, of the moment video, it’s always beneficial to prepare ahead of time. A well-edited script, rehearsal, and some skillful editing can make a huge difference in quality.
Diane S. Thieke is the president and founder of Simply Talk Media, a digital media marketing consultancy. With more than 25 years in digital media and technology, she helps clients build stronger relationships with their customers and communities, using both social and traditional channels. Follow her on Twitter at @thiekeds or visit her blog at www.simplytalkmedia.com/blog.
About the Author
Diane S. Thieke is the president and founder of Simply Talk Media, a digital media marketing consultancy. With more than 25 years in digital media and technology, she helps clients build stronger relationships with their customers and communities, using both social and traditional channels.