Video content is an accessible and effective form of communication for consumers and brands, whether between friends or on a commercial B2C or B2B level. After over a decade of video being hailed as the next major marketing tool, it is finally having it’s moment and audiences can’t get enough of short-form videos (less than 60 seconds in length) on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and Linked In, and educational videos such as “how to” tutorials remain a firm favourite on YouTube and websites. Video marketing is no longer just for big budget global brands or TV commercials – hurray!

Many brands, from micro businesses to SMEs are embracing video marketing and seeing great results such as bigger brand reach, stronger conversion rates, increased organic search engine traffic. In this article I explain 8 benefits of incorporating video content into your brand’s digital marketing strategy.

1. Better engagement with your target audiences
Video is now part of our everyday life and audiences consume videos daily particularly across social media platforms such as YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook, and customers want to see video content from your brand. Videos are accessible, engaging and often educational – by publishing video content your brand can engage existing and prospective customers in a more interactive and exciting way.

2. Videos tell great stories
From explainer videos to how to tutorials, and glossy brand videos to raw behind the scenes and live streams. There are many ways brands can create video content, the first step is identifying the right style(s) to connect your brand with your target audience. Define your story and deliver it well.

3. Adaptable for multiple channels
Don’t invest in video and just add it to your website, this strategy is expensive and limits your ROI, use it to reach new audiences on a variety of channels and platforms. Plan where you intend to broadcast your videos and ensure that your project brief clearly lists each format, you may wish to collaborate with a video production agency or produce video content from your smartphone with your marketing team.

Tip! Shoot content from multiple angles such as vertical, square, wide angle etc so that you have plenty of content for all of your digital marketing channels.

4. Reach bigger audiences
Video content is often favoured by social media channels (i.e. Instagram, Linked In) and is likely to shown to more users which will increase your brand’s overall reach. The more engaging your video content the bigger the audience it will reach! Videos can also be used to advertise your brand in multiple placements on multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. These sites have fantastic targeting available so you can ensure your budget is only spent attracting the right customers for your brand. If you are considering using video for advertising please check the video advertising specifications of each platform before you begin filming and producing your video ads.

5. Great value for money
Video may not be as expensive as you think, always strive for value for money by producing content with longevity and create content to broadcast in multiple places. Think of producing video for your brand as a series rather than one blockbuster film. For example, create content to last you six months then share and promote it on a pre-determined schedule. Just like websites, many cheap video templates exist but we recommend creating your own unique style so that you can bring your brand’s unique personality and proposition to life.

6. Great for on-site SEO
Always add video to your website. Put very simply, Google loves video and it can help your website increase its search engine results page (SERP) rankings. Why does Google do this? It knows how much users love to consume video and if your video is relevant to the rest of your website and adds value to users you’ll be rewarded. Video can increase dwell time on your website, reduce bounce rates, and boost organic traffic from search engines.

7. Get creative with influencers
A successful social media influencer may be able to help your brand increase its reach, boost engagement, and drive incremental sales or leads. Influencers can add credibility to your brand and introduce you to their loyal following, however, when it comes to influencer marketing authenticity is key. Consider the following questions: Is your audience on YouTube, Instagram or somewhere else? Which influencers are influencing them? Would the influencer provide a relevant, genuine endorsement for your brand? Influencers create fantastic video content day-to-day and partnering with the right one(s) could add tonnes of value and creativity to your brand.

8. Align to your digital marketing goals
As with any investment its important to set objectives and define goals. What is it that you want to achieve from your digital marketing strategy? Is it likely that video content could help? For example, if you are a new brand with a unique story, product or service to explain and your target customers are likely to be on Instagram – it’s extremely likely that video will help your business succeed. If you do pursue video content within your digital marketing strategy there are two key metrics to consider when understanding how engaging your videos are:

• • video views: the number of times your video has been watched
  • viewer drop off rate: how many seconds do users typically watch your video for

An effective video marketing strategy delivers high views amongst your target audience and engages them in your video for more than a few seconds.

Let’s explore video marketing for your small business
Are you considering incorporating video into your digital marketing strategy but don’t know where to start? We’d love to help you create the right content to help grow your brand and business. Please email us info@hidigital.co.uk or get in touch using the form below to schedule a free consultation with us.

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