Nobody ever said that marketing was easy – finding a way to stand out in a world of saturated screens is certainly no walk in the park!
Everybody seems to be selling something, and frankly, that can be overwhelming. Whether it’s influencers promoting products on social media, pop-up ads on websites or subscription emails you hadn’t even realised you’d signed up for, it seems we’re all being sold to left, right and centre.
The ability to make sure your product or service stands out has never been more important… and that’s where video comes in.
There may be millions of marketing videos out there, yet only a small percentage are doing their job properly. For those who get it right and make theirs count, video can be one of the most powerful channels to include within your marketing mix.
How to harness the power of video
Adding video to your marketing strategy doesn’t instantly mean you can reap the results. Many companies have missed the mark with their marketing videos, and that may well be something you have experience of too.
The truth is, even the powerhouse brands don’t always get it right, and history is littered with big brands getting it wrong.
From Coca-Cola’s “bite the wax tadpole” (in China!) to BrewDog’s “beer for girls” blunder. Getting it wrong isn’t an option.
There is a somewhat tenuous argument that all that extra publicity that can surround ‘getting it wrong’ is a good thing.
Perhaps Jaguar’s recent foray into the branding limelight will give us the answer!
If your video isn’t doing its job properly of selling your products or services effectively, then you may as well be throwing your money away. At a time of heightened pressure on marketing budgets, can you really afford for your video to fail?
Three key strategies to get the most out of your videos
Getting video marketing right may not be easy, but it’s certainly possible. You don’t have to have multinational budgets to make it work either.
When it comes to building engagement, generating loyal customers and encouraging repeat purchases, we’ve found these three key strategies can make all the difference in enabling you to achieve the right kind of results from your video content:
Include instructional videos:
Instructional videos can be a really effective way of engaging and building trust with your customer base. Lots of consumers are hesitant to change brands or products because they think it’s too much work to learn how to use a new product properly; a good instructional video is the perfect way to combat this, providing information and support to your customers along the way. Instructional videos can be an incredibly effective way of harnessing the power of video at a lower cost, so don’t be afraid to include them in your content offering, even if they feel quite simple or self-explanatory.
Make user-generated content (UGC) your friend:
User-generated content can be a brilliant way to celebrate your existing customers while building engagement with your brand and expanding out to new audiences. Not only can UGC extend your reach out to new customers, it can also be really effective in cementing the loyalty of those who have already bought your product or service. UGC is often considered more authentic and relatable to viewers, so use this to your advantage and give your existing customers a spotlight to share their experiences with your brand.
Don’t forget about value-driven content:
Your product has to fit into the identity of the person who buys it; it’s what will make your marketing more relevant and useful to your customers and ultimately more successful. Take someone who purchases an Apple watch; the chances are, they are someone who is health and fashion-conscious. Now think about your own product or service; what is the identity of the person who will buy from you? What are the values of your product that are most likely to resonate with them? Aligning product values with customer identity is a sure-fire way to engage with new customers and build loyalty and deeper connections with existing ones.
Don’t be a one-hit wonder
If you want to continue to maintain the kind of boost to sales you might have enjoyed with your first successful video output, you need to be producing regular video content.
That doesn’t mean you need to be churning out high-end corporate videos every week! There are many different types of video content that can be used in your marketing arsenal, and a combination will help to keep your audience interested and engaged.
The types of videos we make for our clients range from training videos to recruitment videos and everything in between. You might want to use video to help launch a specific new product or showcase an event at your company or one that your brand was involved in.
Producing regular video content may seem daunting at first, but speak to your video production company about any packages they may offer, as they usually deliver better value in the long run. For example, here at Life Media UK, we offer packages that include around 25 new videos to share across your social media channels and use on your website or perhaps at exhibitions and shows, for just £500 a month (based on a 12-month commitment). That content could cover videos ranging from training to testimonials, from processes to FAQs… almost anything to help your business stand out and increase engagement with your customers.
If you’d like to find out a bit more about our regular video packages, feel free to get in touch. We’d be very happy to chat with you to learn a bit more about your business and what kind of video strategy is best suited to your needs and marketing aspirations.
