Over the past ten years, the importance of video in the marketing industry has evolved stratospherically. Social media has put video content front and centre of product and service promotion, using intelligent and subtle technique to engage users, driving consumers actively.
Creating short clips which capture users attention in under two minutes is challenging. The ideal video length for Instagram is thirty seconds, Twitter is forty-five seconds, Facebook just one minute and Youtube stands at two minutes. So much content is rolled out across socials every day; audiences are becoming ever more saturated with what they see and read. Text-based assets remain important but, when produced effectively, video can not only appeal to your target audience, as well as the potential to draw in potential new leads, outside of your regular remit. Video can be styled and scripted to express your brand's personality. Brand identity is a powerful tool. In a fast-paced world full of impersonal adverts and blogs, video content provides a unique opportunity to reach out of your computer screen and engage with your audience in a meaningful way. Whether users choose to watch videos in the background or click play during a lunch break, video is a simple and easy way to speak to your following directly, in your intended tone.
So what form of video works best for your brand?
There are multiple types of videos which serve varying purposes for promoting your business.
Your very own show: Many brands host Youtube channels which platform guests connected to their brand, discussing current, topical issues. Regular shows a great way to build your social following; guests will share their featured shows, and your reach will build organically. Your audience, established and new, will engage with your shows regularly building brand loyalty and growing your identity. The bigger the guest, the quicker your following will grow. Conceptualise clever ways to entice known names onto your show to promote any projects they are working on.
How to's:
Whatever your brand specialises in, is your expertise. So show it off, use your platform to present tutorials on how to create, build and promote anything and everything! By teaching your audiences new skills, you can educate and ingratiate yourself simultaneously. Brainstorm pain points, research topics based around your brand that are most frequently Googled. This is a great tool for increasing your SEO.
Go live!
Instagram Live allows users to broadcast live videos to other users on the platform. Instagram stories attract over 50 million active viewers per day. Business accounts host one-third of the most viewed stories. When you use Instagram Live, you're fast-tracked to first place in the Stories that are shown above the feed. Instagram is regarded as the most influential platform in marketing. 80% of Instagram users rely on Instagram to decide whether to buy a product or service. Instagram automatically notifies your followers when you host a live video. This keeps you current and in clear view of your audience. Throughout your broadcasts, viewers can interactively pose questions and comments via a sidebar. This gives you direct access to what people like and don't, which is truly invaluable for growth.
