Oftentimes, our social media video marketing efforts are weighed down by our own customers for the lack of thoughtful stories that can touch upon them. These are like run-of-the-mill, telling everything that the target viewers are least interested in knowing. And the heavy budgets we utilize to create a ‘so called’ powerful video is usually downcast as a no-brainer. There does exist a gap between what we do and what is expected of us. Whether it is B2B video marketing or B2C video marketing, the underlying objective of filling the gap remains the same.
Read aloud to know what it takes to fill the gap and take you closer to your target audience through effective video marketing strategies.
Tell a story that resonates with THE CUSTOMER'S problem
First things first. Your viewer who is also your target audience is the protagonist of your story, not you. Period.
The video should only be about your customers, your viewers, your target audience whom you want to inspire, motivate, entice or call to act. Think of this as the first thought in creating your video marketing campaign.
Why do you have to do this?
Because, unless you can build a connect with them, they are not going to trust you. If you are planning to build an impression about your brand through video marketing or social media video marketing campaigns, you need to sow the seeds of trust in your viewers. And if it is done on solid grounds, it is bound to sprout into a relationship. Later you can make the relationship last by nurturing it.
Now, how do you build trust?
By telling them clearly how their problem is closer to you than anything else, and how they can find a trustworthy mentor in you, who can lead them out safely from the problem and transform their identity for good. Let’s break this down…
Your business video depicts your prospective customer’s problem as a story, wherein the customer is the protagonist, your brand is the solution and you are the Godfather who will show them the right path. Therefore, the video must take your audience on a journey. It must be like saying, “Come, today I’m gonna to take you to meet a friend of mine”. This prepares the viewer to look forward to meeting a new person, visiting a new story and throws in an element of suspense, excitement and enthusiasm to know what would unfold, how they would greet each other, what questions they would ask one another, how friendly and comfortable the meeting would be, etc.
Your business video has to be a medium to do exactly this. Only then will you be in a position to count your engagements with your audience. This being the first step to engage them instantly.
So here is how you build your video story. Take a close look at the stages below.
Problem faced by customers
Telling their own story, having them as the protagonist / subject and keeping their problem as the predicate, you can strike a powerful chord with them. Gain the initial interest to pull them to the next level.
Acknowledge, build a storyboard to connect
Through your video, you are telling them that you know their problem and that you identify with it. This is a way to acknowledge that such a problem exists, take for example in B2B, the problem of inadequate leads to website or in B2C, shortage of availability of extra-large sizes in casual wear. These are the problems faced by customers that need to be identified and matched with your offering to create a thoughtful video marketing strategy. And this is what you need to build a storyboard upon.
Gain customer's trust
Once you have conveyed their story across and have built a connect, you are on your way to gaining their trust. Because, by this time they will understand that you have got a solution to their problem and you know how to get them out of it.
Guide them out of their problem and channelize their growth
As a mentor and guide, now it is up to you to show them out of their tricky situation. This is where your brand comes into play. At this stage, your brand is the elixir that will take your customer out of a said problem and give them an identity, position or status that they have been wanting to attain in their life.
Get your video marketing strategy aligned to meet and greet your viewers through these stages. This will ensure success that both you and your viewer would be proud of. Isn’t this a sure shot win-win?
SPECIFY A CALL TO ACTION
So, your video is ready and you have all the hashtags and interlinks in place to accompany the video on multiple channels of marketing. Ever thought of how your audience will get back to you, if interested, after watching your video?
Oh, oh… It will be like reaching the finishing line first, but the medal going to a contender. So, never miss specifying a call to action at the end of the video. Clear, precise and concise, the call to action is the only actable chord in your entire video marketing campaign that can connect you with your leads or prospective customers. Never miss this!
GET YOUR VIDEO MARKETING DONE THROUGH MULTIPLE CHANNELS
Factor this. You got your first steps right. Thorough and perfect. And you went on to market your video on social media aggressively. Does it sound like an alarm bell? Yes, it does.
For your online video marketing to be impactful, you need to get it out on multiple channels. Utilize, not just social but also email, display ads, broadcasts, television, mobile, web and all other platforms where it can be aired or showcased. Employ every medium and channel to take the story to your target audience. Get it to all those places where you know you will find your target audience.
PROMOTE YOUR VIDEO WITH DIGITAL VIDEO ADVERTISING
Digital video advertising enables your online video marketing strategy to have a strong base for reaching audiences far and wide. As per a study by Cisco, 80 percent of all web traffic will be video content by 2019 and there will be a threefold surge in video traffic by 2021. Going by this statistic, we are at the verge of video content boom. And what better times could we have asked to live in?
Seize the opportunity! Promote and advertise your video on digital media like there’s no tomorrow.
SPELL OUT HOW YOUR BRAND CAN TRANSFORM LIVES
Let your audience know that they will be better off with your brand.
Clearly define the benefits they can achieve with your brand.
Underline the difference it would make to their identity / standing.
Highlight the transformation in their status post use.
Remember, this is the larger purpose…to make them feel that a brand can change their life and their business for good.
These steps are a way to do your online video marketing, social media video marketing or digital video advertising right.
The journey that you take with your viewer with these tested steps will go a long way in cementing the path for innumerable such journeys that your viewers, existing and new, will look forward to take with you.
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Digital marketing is not only providing astronomical results for Business to Consumer companies but have shown that Business to Business companies also connect through digital means. B2B companies are capturing the interest of their audiences with creative campaigns to drive user engagement. Although it may be challenging to target other businesses, these 5 companies have mastered the tricks of the trade.
The marketing “hacks” we try to follow have all been proved to work by these companies. From blogging to video marketing and reusing content there are some valuable lessons to learn from the success of the B2B marketing leaders.
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Video marketing has taken the world by a storm. Content is the driving force behind marketing. Being able to hold the attention of your audience for more than a glance at an ad gives you more opportunity to connect. Videos typically lasting between20-30 seconds have the opportunity to make more of an impact. Take a look below to find what video marketing will look like in 2018.
WHY YOUR MARKETING PLAN NEEDS TO INCLUDE VIDEO MARKETING
Video marketing is trending this year. In comparison to 2017, 81% of companies are using videos for marketing purposes making a huge jump from 63%. Many of these companies have seen a jump in sales. Marketers reported that video has been the cause for increased sales. Although it is important to know what your competitors may be doing, it is more important to know what your customers are doing. On average, a person watches an hour and a half of videos each day. From there, 81% of individuals have purchased a product or service after watching that video.
Needless to say video marketing is being picked up by many companies. Marketing professionals are seeing the value in capturing the attention of their audience through video. Now that the realization has been made to include video in the marketing strategy, which format should be used?
TYPES OF VIDEO TO CONSIDER
There are multiple ways that you can make your video marketing stand out. Take a look at these 5 options for distributing your content.
1. Live Video (Live Streaming)
The advantages offered through this method are cost effectiveness, authenticity and increased views. Rather than spending money on video editing and production, the video is expected to be in its raw form. The transparency of live videos gives your client a perfect view to your message without the typical polished content.
2. E-Learning Videos
Anyone familiar with content marketing can tell you that it should be relevant and educational. Inform your customers through engaging videos. Leverage the value of video through content syndication. Capture information from a lead by offering the video in return.
3. Sponsored Video
Social media has affordable and efficient ways to market to your audience. Facebook and YouTube are the two highest performing platforms. Beyond the platform itself, partnering with users can be highly profitable as well.
4. 360 Degree Videos
This format is becoming increasingly popular for the travel industry since it can show destinations or experiences in a new way. The full view of a location or event can be a great way to get your audience to hover over the video, move the screen, and find more to your video.
5. Video Funnels
Just as you target your audience in email marketing, Facebook and other platforms allow marketers to build custom audiences.Retarget your content based on behaviors with this approach.
DEVELOPING THE STRATEGY
Who are you trying to reach? What do you want them to experience when they interact with your company? To make sure that your video is connecting with your customers you need to communicate the right message to the right audience. The time and energy spent on creating a video should be generating result. This won’t happen if the audience is not determined. Efficiency is key when dealing with content.
Measuring how the video is performing is the next step. Test out different keywords, phrases, and audience groups. A/B testing can be a great way to determine howkey results should look like for your brand.
The visual below from Phil Nottingham of Wistia is a great illustration of how to gauge the budget for your video. Your options are either to create your video in house or with an agency. In house are typically more cost effective but will take a good amount of time. External options may cost more but the turnaround is faster. This decision should be made at the beginning to determine whichchoice is right for your marketing team.
PURPOSEFUL CONTENT
To conclude, video can take many focuses depending on the time of year, season of the company, or direction of the brand. Here are some prompts to help generate video marketing topics:
Company overview (a quick look at your company and its products/services)
Big announcement (merger, new product, special events etc.)
Product/services demo (product features, before-and-after, how-to tips, etc.)
Event promotion (sales, in-person events, event info, etc.)
Customer testimonials (quotes, interviews, screenshots of reviews, etc.)
Seasonal videos (holidays, special promos, trending events)
Q&A videos (answer product questions, take questions from customers, etc.)
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