Video marketing is rapidly becoming a key component of many marketing strategists for one simple reason: it works. Online retailers report significant increases in effectiveness when video was used.
According to Internet Retailer, “Visitors who view product videos are 85 percent more likely to buy than visitors who do not.” A recent Mediapost study reported that 57 percent of consumers who view product videos are less likely to return an item and are more confident in a purchase. Videos also create a more engaging in-store experience; an area under intensive scrutiny by over 75 percent of U.S. retailers and eMarketer recently reported increased click-through rates for campaigns that used videos.
While these statistics and many others demonstrate the effectiveness of video for retail and email marketing, my company decided to test the effectiveness of video on a business-to-business platform: LinkedIn. Admittedly, the analytics on LinkedIn are limited but nevertheless, our results were striking. Based on our survey and responses to our test posts, we found a 60 percent increase in the number of profile views following a post with a video vs. a text-only post. That is a remarkable result. It”™s also in accordance with a Forbes study reporting that 59 percent of business executives preferred watching a video to just reading text.
When you consider that the goal of many LinkedIn optimization search strategies is to get people to view your profile, it”™s amazing that this goal can be easily accomplished simply by using links to video. You can further augment optimization results by including videos in your profiles. I will be discussing this in a future column in much greater depth.
With video being so effective, what are some of the best practices you need to follow when creating a video?
Content creation
Regardless of whether you are creating a video, webinar or a white paper, you must still have great content. Yes, video might entice a viewer to check your profile or consider buying a product, but poor content will ultimately have a deleterious effect. You are far better off having a few high-quality videos than a lot of mediocre (or poor) ones ”“ an all too common mistake that many companies make.
Just like when you create a marketing campaign, your video must be directed toward your target market and hopefully solve a problem or fill a need. I strongly urge that you create a script and practice it at least seven times. Using a mirror helps. Also, take into consideration that spoken language is very different from written language; it”™s an entirely different style of writing.
Quality and editing
I recommend creating high-definition (HD) videos and low-resolution videos for video email. The results are also much better if you record in full screen mode than in a limited size image. Remember, you can also cut it down during the editing and production process.
One of the biggest differences between amateurish videos and high-quality videos is the editing. Make sure you use quality editing software and take the time to ensure that your cuts are clean and both your images and sound flow smoothly. Don”™t overdo transitions or special effects. People are there for your content, not to see a lot of flash. You can also include an intro and outro, which, if they reflect your brand, will provide a more professional appearance.
Always include a Call To Action (CTA)
If you don”™t have a call to action, why do the video at all? Even if it”™s for educational or training purposes, you should still include a clear and concise CTA. To make sure it really stands out, highlight your CTA as a caption towards the end of your video. (This is similar to the CTA page that is prominent in most webinars.)
Video production can at first be overwhelming. It”™s different and often more time consuming and expensive to produce than most other forms of media. Yet it can be extremely beneficial to your company regardless of whether it is in a B-to-C or B-to-B industry. The key considerations are that it functions as an extension of your brand, provides quality content to your target audience and upon close scrutiny, demonstrates a high return on investment (ROI).
Bruce Newman is the vice president at The Productivity Institute L.L.C. He specializes in content creation and digital marketing. Most of his time is spent in the creation of content for webinars and their promotion, email marketing, education and social media campaigns for clients. He is also the creator of the highly popular The Complete Webinar Training Course. He can be reached at bnewman@prodinst.com.
