Are you thinking about adding videos to your marketing strategy? If so, you’re in the right place. Videos are an excellent way to generate leads, build trust with your audience, and secure more sales.
You may be shocked to learn that despite the explosion of visual content over the last several years, 43% of shoppers say they want to see even more videos from their favorite brands. The thing is, adding this type of content to your existing strategy is a daunting task, especially if you don’t have experience with creating videos and editing.
We know that many new entrepreneurs and established leaders need help taking their video marketing strategy to the next level, and we’re here to help.
Below, you’ll find several tried and true ways you can get more value from your videos. We will look at how you can use this type of content to increase engagement and grow your business.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Create a Brand-Specific YouTube Channel
First things first, I suggest creating a YouTube channel so you can quickly and easily upload and share your video content. YouTube is the 2nd most-visited website in the world and currently sees over 2 billion visitors every month, so this is one step you don’t want to skip.
It’s safe to assume that your customer base is on this platform and interested in what you have to say. But they’ll never know you exist unless you create a channel and start uploading content.
You’ll want to fill out your profile with things like your website link, company bio, and relevant contact information. Not only does all of this information make your channel look more legitimate, but it can also guide visitors back to your site.
It’s also essential that you include brand-specific images on your channel cover and profile picture. This step will help you boost awareness by making your brand more recognizable. If someone finds your YouTube channel, then later sees your profile on Facebook, they are more likely to follow your account because they remember your brand image.
Use your channel to share everything from product demonstrations to general industry information that will undoubtedly appeal to your target audience. If you want to see your YouTube subscriber count grow, keep an eye on your analytics and video comment sections. The people interested in your product or service can provide you with a wealth of information that you can use to make engaging videos in the future.
Optimize Your Videos for Search
If you want to get more views and engagement, you have to optimize your videos for searchability. Most people think that SEO is only for indexing websites and specific blog posts. The truth is, your video SEO strategy can have a massive impact on how many people discover your brand.
There are several ways you can make your videos more accessible to both users and search crawlers on Google and YouTube. First, you should include transcripts in all of your videos. Here’s the thing, though; you should avoid auto-caption tools, like the one provided on YouTube.
Auto-captions may save you time, but there is a good chance this decision could make it harder for visitors to find your channel. Algorithms that decide how videos are ranked look at captions when ranking for specific words and phrases. So, if you want to rank for the term “cheap coats,” and the auto-caption tool thinks you’re saying “cheap boats,” there could be confusion when it tries to rank your content.
When you create your own captions, you ensure that the search bots and your visitors understand what you’re trying to say.
If you plan to add videos to your site, I suggest including text that includes your chosen keywords and additional context for your audience. Google’s crawlers will also use this additional context when ranking your site in the standard search and video results.
Host More Live Events
Did you know that 91% of online shoppers are actively looking for more interactive content? Live video events are an excellent way to engage with your audience and enhance your presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
You can choose from a wide range of events specifically designed to appeal to your target audience. Some of the more common live video streams for businesses include:
- Educational webinars
- Product demonstrations
- Ask me anything (AMA)/Q&A
- Flash sale/giveaway announcements
Ideally, you should announce your stream in advance, so your followers have a chance to sign up, set a reminder, or tell their friends. We suggest promoting big events, like webinars, at least two weeks before you plan on going live. The average person spends around 2 hours and 22 minutes on social media every day, so there’s an excellent chance your followers will get the notification and secure their spot.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re offering something valuable to people who visit your stream. For the most part, you’re going to want to focus on providing valuable insights and information. In other instances, you may want to give your audience an exclusive discount for taking the time to watch your presentation.
When you consider that 59% of people use social media for shopping inspiration, it’s easy to see how this video marketing strategy can lead to more sales and email signups.
Use Videos Strategically on Your Site
Finally, let’s talk a little more about the benefits of adding video content to your website. The people who visit your site are just as interested in video content as your social media followers. If you want to keep these people interested and engaged, on-site videos can help.
One of the best ways to strategically use videos is to include them on your product landing pages. Most people want to know exactly how your product or service will improve their lives. Reading a bullet list of features is helpful, but seeing someone use your product is infinitely more effective.
If visitors see your product in action, they will start to think about how they can apply the value you’re offering to their situation. As a result, landing pages with videos tend to get 80% more conversions than those without video content.
Another way to use videos on your site is to share relevant user-generated content (UGC). Essentially, UGC is anything posted by your customers that shines a positive light on your brand. Reviews are the most common type of UGC, but you can gather other types by asking your audience to share specific types of content on social media.
When your audience sees that other people enjoy and respect your brand, they are more likely to take action on your site. In fact, research shows that user-generated content can improve your conversion rate by a whopping 161%!
Final Thoughts
It’s clear that video content (both live and pre-recorded) is one of the best ways to connect with visitors and grow your brand. The tips we outlined today will hopefully help you build a video marketing framework that you can use across various social media networks and your website.
One final piece of advice worth mentioning; don’t forget to talk to your audience and find out what kind of content they want to see in the future. It’s easier to grow your business and connect with your audience when you share helpful videos that resonate with your audiences’ goals and pain points.
Making videos and publishing them on the Internet is a great way to increase your sales and market yourself. Video marketing can be a uniques source to generate quality traffic to your website and to reach the targeted audience. As I read several articles, I realise how hard the job it is. When it comes to making a video for YouTube, it is not an easy task. It comes with various parts such as shooting, lighting, editing and developing it from the scratch. Moreover, there is a market for buying and selling YouTube views, likes, getting subscribers, etc.
Marketing videos to grow your business is something that can be a challenging task for many of us. But video marketing can be very valuable, not only in generating an extra source of traffic but also in having active readers on your blog or website, as well as it adds authority to your blog and helps you to keep maintaining your brand value online.