Video is being used more and more in marketing, but simply making videos won’t guarantee success. To be ideally effective with most likely customers, videos need to be targeted.
Video content is the new king in marketing
In marketing, video content is the new king. Approximately one third of online activity consists of people watching videos for education or entertainment, and smart marketers have realized people prefer video content over reading motionless content or listening to audio messages.
Effectively, videos engage more senses and make messages more entertaining and memorable. Most people are impressed by companies who use them, and they have the ability to present more of a message in less time. They also require less effort from viewers. As a result, people can feel more, learn more, and make better decisions faster.
Companies who fit pages worth of product information, how-to instructions, product demonstrations, and interesting promotional information about themselves into short videos (20 to 60 seconds is optimal) reap great benefits from doing so. With videos, their most likely customers are easier to reach and more receptive to their calls-to-action.
How to make the most effective videos for marketing
Simply making videos and distributing them for marketing isn’t quite effective enough for most companies. However, by incorporating the following strategies, videos can produce exceedingly well and generate the ROI companies have in mind when they make them.
- Select the right method of presentation. Selecting the right method of presentation requires a clear definition of the desired outcome as well as an understanding of what will be the most influential on viewers. If an analytical presentation would be best for viewers who are analyzing data, then a video with charts, graphs and statistics might be best. If an emotional presentation would be best for viewers who are being asked to donate funds to a charitable organization or in support of a cause, then video footage depicting poor circumstances or ways in which their funds will benefit those in need might be best. To be the most effective, the primary focus of a video should be on how to most effectively engage and influence viewers.
- Choose appropriate timing for your sales cycle. As with many things, timing is key for when videos are watched. Depending on the purpose of a video, it may be best to use it to begin interaction with a prospect. Or, it might be more beneficial to use a video after the initial meeting. Or, in some circumstances, the best time to use a video might be near the end of a sales pitch or as a way to increase recall through repetitive and unique characteristics that trigger memory retention at a later date. Because videos have the ability to be so dynamic, they can serve multiple purposes and be used at different times.
- Define your target audience. The most important element of an effective video is that it directly appeals to a target audience. Some people make the mistake of thinking the more prospects their video appeals to, the better. However, that is not correct. Videos that directly appeal to most likely customers and/or ideal prospects have proven to be the most effective. To maximize the number of people who make a purchase or respond to a call-to-action, viewers must relate to the content and tone of a video. Content that is driven by the viewer’s wants or needs returns the greatest results. For example, young entrepreneurs interested in sports cars will respond better to automobile companies presenting videos demonstrating the swiftness and agility of their sports cars instead of focusing on their fuel efficiency or cargo space.
- Use appropriate and appealing language. Most people prefer watching over reading, which is probably the biggest reason for companies to choose video marketing over other techniques. Language sometimes can make or break a video and using appropriate language that appeals to a target audience can strongly impact how effective a video becomes. By using key words or phrases at opportune moments and language that appeals to a target audience, companies can increase the likelihood of their videos performing how they envision.
- Short videos are often better. Studies have revealed the ideal length of a video is between 20 and 60 seconds. Therefore, companies should try to keep their videos fairly short. We live in a time when attention spans seem to be shorter than ever, and to truly keep a viewer’s attention and be remembered, video content between 20 and 60 seconds is best. Remember, other videos or links to more information can be shared, and it is sometimes better to keep people guessing as opposed to bombarding them with loads of information all at once.
Reach your most likely customers with video marketing
We can help you reach your most likely customers with video marketing. It might be unbeatable as a way for companies to reach their best prospects, and we have years of experience in it.
Using videos in marketing products like video brochures and point of purchase displays (POP displays) is working exceedingly well for companies around the world, and so are custom-made CDs and DVDs, USB flash drive, video mailers and video boxes.
Messages presented strategically in video can help move most likely customers further down sales funnels or even motivate them to purchase right away. Also, handing out video marketing products is an excellent way for salespeople to get follow up appointments.
To learn more about video marketing or any of the products we offer, contact us today.
Having owned an advertising magazine in Utah, I’ve worked in marketing for over twenty years.
I started writing for MediaFast in 2014. The first time I held one of their video brochures, I thought something like, “Wow! This blows away our magazine and any other print advertising I’ve ever seen. This is like a TV commercial, and I’m holding it in my hands. Amazing!”
Since then, video brochures, video mailers and video boxes have become leaders in marketing performance. It’s a privilege to write about them. I also love MediaFast—with its top-notch product quality, industry leading customer service, and all of the wonderful people I get to work with.
