Just like it was in 2008…and 2010…and 2012, video is still the Next Big Thing online. There’s no doubt that the amount of video available online now is absolutely enormous, and people are consuming more of it than ever. Given increases in device processing power, web usage trends, and shifts in how people prefer to receive content, 2015 may just be the year when video becomes much more widely adopted and expected by web users.
But, does this mean that you need to start putting videos all over your website and social channels? More to the point, does it mean that it’s profitable for you to spend marketing dollars on video? That’s a whole other metric of success. And the answer is (drumroll please)…It Depends.
Making Video Work for You
You’ve no doubt been sent a cat video or two if you spend any time online. But besides YouTube turning into one giant episode of Ow My Balls, is there a way you can promote your business without resorting to some corny attempt to “go viral”?
Here are some tips for businesses that want to make videos with both an educational and entertainment focus:
- Keep Videos Short – Stay under a minute whenever possible. If you have more to say than can possibly fit in a minute, take a step back and figure out a way to chunk up that content. Most people won’t think twice about watching a 30 second clip. But 2 minutes is a lifetime in online video.
- Tell a Story – Here’s a great way to ensure someone watches your whole video: intrigue them right out of the gate. For instance, if you want to promote a new skincare product, don’t start out with a shot of the product and then rattle off a bunch of talking points about why it’s so great. Start out with three super-short clips of people saying that they found a skincare product that changed their lives. Tease the benefits and make the product name the big reveal at the end of the video.
- Tap Your Customers – People want to hear from other people who have used your product or service. You can take on some of this content development, but also take some time to encourage happy customers to create their own short, creative and positive video reviews.
- Ditch the Intro – People watching online video don’t have time for even a 5 second opening with some stock music and graphics. Yeah, it’s nice for branding. OK, fine. Make it one second then and get to what the viewer cares about. Or drop a logo in the bottom right corner. Start out strong or you’ll lose viewers.
- Think Shelf-Life – Some really great video content will survive for years, while other content may only be relevant for a week or less. If you just want to take 5 minutes to don party hats and send out a quick Happy New Year message to your social followers, go for it. But if you’re working on a video that you want to last, take a step back and ask yourself how you will make it stay relevant and engaging for months and years to come.
What Doesn’t Work
Here are some types of videos that just won’t get much attention in the competition for eyeballs:
- Traditional “ads” that clearly pitch a product or service – Sure, you could get really clever and make your ad entertaining enough that people will want to watch it even though they know they are being advertised to. But we’ve seen precious few small businesses pull this off.
- Lectures or long presentations – These may be highly educational, but they’re just too long and dry to be a good video resource for the vast amount of people online. If there’s some key info you want to highlight from content like this, find a more entertaining way to do it.
- Clearly self-promotional pieces – For instance, for our plastic and cosmetic surgery clients, research has shown that people overwhelmingly do not want to see or hear the doctor speak about how great he and his practice is. These types of videos get very little viewership.
- News story segments – In general, web users regard a lot of the video produced by local news sources about local businesses and “fluff.” It certainly helps to get your message out and you should always jump at contributing to relevant media stories, but just keep in mind that this isn’t likely to be your most engaging content. Plus, keep an eye on copyrights and make sure you have the right to publish any content from news sources before doing so.
How Much Should You Spend?
Doing video “right” absolutely does not mean going out and spending a small fortune to have videos produced. Video content is successful if it is entertaining, directly addresses a viewer’s concern or question, or both. Production values are pretty low on the list, unless the visuals are a key to selling the product (for instance, if you are talking about a new facelift technique you definitely need high quality clips of before and after images).
For clients who are already doing video and seeing success, you already have a good idea of the level of investment that works for you. For clients who want to try more video, we encourage you to start small.
Set up a spot for a few customers to rave about you, record a few clips, and share them on your social channels. Experiment with some other inexpensive content to develop and see what kind of interest you get. Not everything will work but the great news is that video is now extremely cheap to produce.
As you start to get more traction with your video content, then it might be time to splurge on some more involved video production and creative ideas that can reach a greater audience.