Maybe you cringe every time you hear a recording of your voice, or the pressure of getting the setting just right is a bit stressful. But whatever your reasons for not jumping in on video marketing, this guide is all you need to get moving on five of the best formats.
Video is popping in a big way. YouTube boasts two billion monthly users, roughly the equivalent of one-third of Internet users.
That’s not all. 73% of people say they are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video and a product video increases the chance of that product being purchased by 144%.
But wait, there’s more: You have a unique opportunity to jump out there before all the other small businesses. Only 9% of all small businesses currently use YouTube for video marketing.
Here are the five best techniques in video marketing, with a few tips on achieving success with each format:
The FAQ Video: First, gather up your most pressing questions from your social media comments, surveys or customer emails. Try to organize these questions into three or four categories so that your video follows a nice flow.
Keep your tone conversational. When writing your script, watch for passive-voice sentences that will read more like an article and won’t sound like natural conversation. In addition, don’t attempt to cover complex questions in a two- to three-minute video; this is a great opportunity for a call to action that leads viewers to a blog or white paper for more information.
The Testimonial: Showcasing a customer that’s so loyal that they’ve become a brand advocate is a perfect subject for a video. To prep for a testimonial video, prepare some questions and send them to your customer in advance. These should focus on the “before” or the challenge they were attempting to solve and the “after,” or the ways in which your product or service solved their problems.
It can be tempting to camp out on numbers, and those are great for a case study that you publish on your website. When it comes to video, you are focused on making the emotional connection. Have your customer talk about the satisfaction they experienced or the relief they felt. The strategic use of music can be an effective way to highlight these emotions.
The Unboxing: This can be a fun and engaging way to introduce a new product line, but it requires certain elements to maximize the potential. First, be sure that your packaging makes it exciting. Nobody wants to watch you take your new product out of a brown shipping box stuffed with brown paper, but you also don’t want to completely lose authenticity by having it explode with confetti and balloons when you open it. Find a happy balance with color and style appropriate for your brand identity.
In addition, this is a great time to engage your audience with giveaways. You might offer a sample or a discount for everyone who views your video or who provides contact info for your email newsletter.
The Behind-the-Scenes Look: You love watching your product move through production, so there’s a pretty good chance your customers will like it just as much. You can also use behind-the-scenes video marketing to highlight which parts of the process support your high standards of quality or how your processes are designed to be environmentally friendly.
Take time before you shoot to develop a loose script that feels natural, and check the lighting and acoustics in your location. A warehouse with lofty ceiling heights and no natural light may require some adjustments.
The Meet-the-Team: This video serves multiple purposes, giving you the opportunity to show off your brand while also acting as an effective recruitment tool for talent that is looking for a company culture like yours.
When making a meet-the-team video, be sure to include your team in the development of the video so that you preserve authenticity and truly capture the feel of your team. Remember to keep it 80% entertaining and only 20% marketing.
Consider layering images so that you are seeing fuzzier backgrounds of people interacting with foregrounds of more specific events. You can also improve variety by shooting team events from a variety of angles and heights.
Ready to get started with video marketing? At SJC Marketing, we have ideas for making your brand shine, as well as an in-house video design equipped with everything you need for video success. We would love to work with you!