In recent times, it has become crucial to include video marketing in your marketing strategy. Giant sites like Facebook and Twitter (via Periscope and Meerkat) are already picking pace. A study on video engagement revealed that an average user on the internet will spend 88% more time on a website which has video content. Unfortunately, only 24% of brands use video in their marketing strategies. There is a misconception that video content is time consuming, expensive, and that it is hard to make professional. However, these are just misconceptions. Let us delve into how to make video a part of your content marketing strategy:
1. Live-streaming
Periscope and Meerkat paved the way for live-streaming. You can stream live events, record a podcast live, share your thoughts about developments in your industry, and get feedback from your audience. Live-streaming supports transparency in a business, something that is highly beneficial. You can write a blog post, and discuss it with your audience via live stream. You will be sharing your content with a new audience in another format. This way, you extend the reach and the life of your blog post.2. Tutorial videos
You can use tutorial videos as part of your video marketing strategy. You can create videos answering common questions. They can be easily shared on social media, your site or even sent out via email. You can even build a series that ultimately leads to a certification.3. Drip email
A pivotal part of your content marketing strategy is adding video to your email drip campaigns. Video allows you to target different segments of customers using different types of content. For example, you could send more casual videos to your younger audience, and more formal ones to the older members of your audience. A study by Forrester showed that including a video in an email increased the click through rate by 200 to 300%. It also boosted email open rates by 19%.4. Front page exposure
Putting a video on the home page on your site will increase page view length. It also decreases bounce rates. You can also package the video as a pop up or below the fold and let it be triggered by the actions portrayed by your visitors. An introduction video will not only engage users, but also make navigation on the site easier. As usual, keep it short.5. Ads
Social media platforms have adopted video. You can create video ads and share them on the various social media sites. The videos are on auto play, for instance on Facebook. Video ads are a good way to increase clicks and conversions. All you need to know is what your target audience likes and package it in an interesting way. You can use tools on social media platforms to target the ads based on audience demographics and behavior on social media.6. Align with your brand
Your videos need to use your brand identity and key messages. They should also support and build your brand through pace, quality, and style.7. Using video to promote other types of content
If you have some content that you would like people to buy or download for 'free’ (in exchange of their email addresses), you can create a video and embed it on social media, your site, or on any other platform. The video needs to be educational, over and above being promotional. You can feature the author or a subject-matter expert giving some insights.8. Video as a source
Another way to use video as part of your content marketing strategy is to interview an expert or thought leader and publish the video on You Tube, Vimeo or even on your site. To publish it on your site, you will need to use a marketing platform, for instance, Wistia or Vidyard. You can also create a regular series where your company employees respond to your clients’ questions. Remember to keep the videos short.Better still, you can use video as a basis to create more content for your marketing strategy. For instance, you can syndicate the audio on iTunes, transcribe it, and even turn it into a blog post (a Q&A). This way, you will be able to reach more people in multiple formats. You can also publish it on Slideshare, on PR networks, social media, or even as an eBook. You can use Instagram video to announce a release of your product, or respond to questions on your FAQs.
9. User generated content
When used as part of your video marketing strategy, videos gives your company credibility. It makes your company stand out, increases brand engagement, and boosts sales. Video testimonials increase free trials of your product by potential customers by 25%. Just make the video accessible. User generated content is also more likely to be shared. This is because the users have relations like friends and family. This means that user generated content has the potential to reach a larger audience when compared to videos created by brands. You can package the user generated videos to a series that shows how you are connected to your audience.10. Webinars
You can create a webinar based on a topic that your customers would like to know more about. This strategy involves your customers at a deeper level. A study by ReadyTalk revealed that out of the people who attended webinars, 20 to 40% became valuable leads.11. Demos
Demos need to be part of your brand’s content marketing strategy. You can choose to record your demos or live stream them. This aspect of video marketing allows users to engage with your brand on a one-on-one basis. You also get to present your brand in a more specific way.12. Company Vlog
A company vlog comes in handy to support your blog posts. The vlog can be integrated into your blog. It can also be a collection hosted on You Tube. You can base the content of your video on educational videos related to your blog posts or on fun company culture, for instance a behind the scenes.13. Make them human
Ensure that your video is human. It should show the audiences the different personalities within a business. For instance, it can show how a team leader helps his team to perform.Conclusion
If video marketing is not part of your content marketing strategy, then you are losing out on a myriad opportunities to sell your product or services.
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