Video marketing is a key part of many marketing campaigns, not only because it helps get the word out, but because videos are better suited for telling a brand’s story. However, the most effective video marketing campaigns incorporate certain strategies for better results. Not all businesses focus on video marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy, but more and more of them are realizing that this is an efficient way to reach their target audiences.
For many businesses, the first hurdle of video marketing is the video production process. Some companies obtain the necessary resources and talent to take care of this in-house, while others use a video production company like Charter & Co. Regardless, quality should be a priority in any video marketing campaign. If consumers can see that a company doesn’t take its video content seriously, they’re less likely to take the overall message seriously.
Let’s say that a business has all its ducks in a row to produce amazing videos – now what? Well, there are a few ways to leverage those videos within a marketing campaign to engage more viewers, increase brand recognition, and boost customer follow-through.
#1: Improve retention
If that sounds overly scientific, here’s a simpler version: people remember information learned from videos better than from other mediums. There are even scientific studies to back this up. According to one, participants retained 95% of a video’s message, compared to only 10% of what they read. That’s a pretty drastic difference, and it’s one that businesses should capitalize on with their video marketing campaigns.
For example, a business that’s pushing a new health supplement might want to communicate several different things about its product. This could be anything from an easy-to-absorb formula to the product’s ethical source. Whatever selling points the company wants to emphasize will be included in the marketing.
The question is, how much of this information will consumers remember the next time they’re shopping for this particular type of health supplement? If they came across the information in a written format, they probably wouldn’t remember much. Even if they’d bothered to read all the information, not much of it would stick. If they watched a video advertisement, though, they would be far more likely to remember key talking points about this product.
Even better, consumers are more likely to pay attention to videos compared to text-based ads, or even pictures. Video marketing is more likely to attract casual consumers, especially if the videos look sleek and entertaining. More traditional forms of marketing, on the other hand, will still reach the target audience – but they’re less likely to draw in people who aren’t already interested in the product being advertised.
#2: Focus on storytelling
A big part of any brand’s image is storytelling. Food brands could be associated with abundance or indulgence, sportswear brands could be associated with self-discipline or longevity, and so on. But guess what? Most of these businesses aren’t all about promoting abundance or hard work for their consumers; they’re about making money. Unfortunately, making advertisements that say “buy our product to boost our profit margins” has yet to be successful. Instead, companies use the power of storytelling to create compelling video marketing campaigns. This engages consumers simply by being interesting and encourages customer buy-in down the line.
You can’t just create an emotionally compelling video campaign and watch the results roll in, though. Why? Because there are many different ways to tell the story of a brand or product, and they can all have different results. Video campaigns should be based on the desired results, and then shaped around those goals.
For example, a video that’s meant to increase brand awareness should be much different from a video that’s supposed to inform consumers about a new product launch. Not only is the information different, but also the length, pacing, style, and tone. Remember, storytelling isn’t just about being interesting; it’s also about telling the right story, at the right time, to the right audience. It can be tempting to create multi-purpose video content, cramming all the information you want consumers to know into a single video. However, this muddies the message and confuses your audience. Instead, make sure that each video has a focused message for a greater impact.
#3: Increase relatability
What makes a for-profit business seem relatable? When we see their products in situations that we could picture ourselves in, or appeal to something we’re already emotionally invested in. This is why so many brands partner with celebrities: these celebrity sponsorships give the brand an immediate “in” with fans.
It’s all well and good to appeal to someone’s love of good food, physical strength, or whatever else the company is trying to relate to. In order to be truly relatable, though, a video marketing campaign has to do more than just evoke those feelings through stock-video-type footage or background images. Instead, the audience should feel like the person in the advertisement is talking directly to them. That person has felt the joy of eating the perfect spicy chicken sandwich, or the satisfaction of completing a hardcore workout.
Sometimes it’s appropriate to use spokespeople in video marketing campaigns, but at other times a character could work better. From Disney’s Mickey Mouse to Progressive Insurance’s Flo, these characters are instantly recognizable as part of their brands’ overall message. We don’t just like them because they relay the information we want to hear; it’s because they’ve found a place in our hearts, something that a mere product could never achieve on its own. Thanks to effective video marketing, however, we somehow feel like something as boring as car insurance is now more relatable than before.
The takeaway
Video marketing is something that belongs in pretty much any company’s marketing campaign. Video ads are more engaging, resulting in greater retention, and are even more relatable than many other forms of advertising. They may take more time and money to produce, but the results they bring in make them worth the cost.
