Why Video is More Important to Your Business Now
Ever since the early 2000’s video has become one of, if not the most important way people view content on the internet. With millions of sites and internet savvy customers, the most effective way to advertise can get a bit murky. Creating video content has never been more important to a business but some creative planning can help you navigate the crowded world of the internet.
Focus, Focus, Focus
In the past creating any type of video content made your site more visible. But as more sites launched and did the same thing it became not enough. You should always be armed with the proper information and have an idea of what kind of content you want to create, but now you need a stronger focus.
Your product and service may have many features and uses, but instead, on creating one long video, you should create multiple videos showcasing various aspects. Of course, doing an overview video in a commercial format still is effective if it’s not too long.
Not only does this save you some money on marketing because you shoot the same amount of footage, but break it up and share it over time, it’s also easier digestible for viewers, especially ones who aren’t looking for your product or service.
Make sure your marketing team knows your demographic and can come up with at least five or more clearly focused messages. Break these messages down and you have an outline you can give to your videographer to create some video content.
Wow Me
Just putting up any video, even if it is focused, that isn’t enough. There are times that having a talking head video such as troubleshooting, or an interview works, but often you need to think outside the box.
Creative marketing can be tricky. On one hand, you want to make the message clear, on the other you want to make sure it doesn’t seem too much like an ad. It’s a difficult balancing act to do, but if your video is engaging and even entertaining, the chances double that the viewer will finish the video and even visit your site or learn more.
Dual Purposes
There many smaller reasons to have video but they can easily be separated into two categories. Exposure and Informative.
Exposure-based videos are designed to gain new customers and make the world at large aware of your business. These videos are often the ones that need to be more focused and creative. A lot of marketing of all kinds is used for this purpose. Exposure means more revenue.
Informative videos are usually designed for existing customers but are also viewed for those that at least have a passing interest. Most people I talk to cite video reviews and demonstration videos having an impact on their purchasing choices. Focus is still key here, but you don’t need to be as creative. Something simple and easy to digest works best. The great part of these videos is some of the content is created for you! Delighted customers will make their own videos showcasing or teaching others about the product, but make sure you have your own content on your site too.
Cost vs Reward
Some professionals may argue that it’s hard to gauge how effective video is. You don’t NEED to have a video on your site, that the cost is too high to produce a video and so on. Video can be inexpensive when compared to what you gain. Having an understanding, even a basic one of video production costs will help keep them on the low side.
There is no reason to spend 10’s of thousands of dollars on video just to see a small margin of profit or even worse no change. Small businesses can create inexpensive videos, and the real culprit of ineffective videos comes before and after it is shot.
You need to have that focus we talked about before, and a clear understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and who the video is for. You also need to know where the content should be displayed. Your website is a given, but does it make sense to add it to Facebook or Instagram? Knowing WHERE to share the content is what really makes or breaks a video.
If you have focus, know your customers, create great content within your budget, and share it where it needs to go, your reward far outweighs the cost.
The advertising landscape is fast changing. But video has been an effective way to advertise since the early 20th century and will continue to be in the future. How the content is created (such as VR or holograms) and where it is viewed may change, but the core concept of creating a video to advertise isn’t going anywhere.
Did these tips help you? Let us know in the comments below!
Jason Graisa
Latest posts by Jason Graisa (see all)
- Business Video Social Media Advertising - June 12, 2023
- The Power of Commercials: Why Businesses Need Effective Advertising - June 6, 2023
- The Art of Event Videography: Capturing Moments that Last a Lifetime - June 5, 2023