10 Secrets to Successful Video Marketing on the Internet

Video is growing in popularity and isn’t about to slow down. A recent CISCO study predicted that more than 80% of online traffic will be driven by video by 2021. If current trends are anything to go by, this prediction is likely to come true.

Despite the popularity of video, many marketing teams cringe at the thought of video marketing. It can be an intimidating medium to work with. However, with the right information, your team can be successful at it.

Tips for successful video marketing

While videos are very popular today, not all content results in success. You may therefore be wondering what makes a great feature and what you can do to keep your viewers engaged. The following video marketing tips ought to help you in the production of great content for successful video marketing.

1. Focus on telling a story and not on making a sale

In the past, video marketing was all about advertising. Companies focused on making the sale. However, things have changed drastically with the growing popularity of social media. Traditional adverts are no longer as effective as they once were. Brands now have to compete with entertaining content.

Traditional adverts serve to interrupt entertainment. Many consumers are put off by these adverts. If you want your production to be watched, you will need to create value. You should therefore focus on telling stories about your products, services or yourself. These will resonate with the viewer.

2. Hit them right at the start

A fifth of online users turn off videos within the first 10 seconds of viewing them if they feel that they are not interesting. This means that you only have a few seconds to make an impression and draw in the viewer to keep them watching until the end. You should therefore make your introduction stand out. Ensure that it is entertaining, informative and inspiring enough to encourage the viewer to keep watching.

3. Ensure that it is mobile friendly

Video consumption by mobile users is on the increase. If you want to reach a larger audience, you should ensure that people accessing the internet from their mobile devices can view the videos. This will also work to improve your search results page rankings.

4. Optimize your videos

Videos are great for SEO. Search engines such as Google love this type of content. If you want to maximize your video marketing campaign, ensure that you optimize your video. This can include using relevant keywords in your description.

5. Ensure the story is clear with or without sound

Although videos now auto play on Facebook and other websites, they often do so on silent mode. In fact, more than 85% of videos on Facebook are viewed while the sound is off.  You therefore have to draw your audience’s interest without sound. This will mean creating a story whose visuals are compelling even without audio.

6. Include a call to action

This is something that many people forget. While your video may not directly lead to a sale, you still need to provide the audience with information about what you want them to do after watching it. A call to action may instruct the viewer to share the content, check out more content, comment, follow or like your company’s page or subscribe to the channel.

7. Keep it short

Internet users don’t have time for lengthy videos. In fact, many are looking to get information as quickly as possible. You should therefore strive to keep your productions as short as possible.

8. Include content that your customers have generated

Consumers relate best to other consumers like them. They trust other consumers more. Using content that has been generated by other customers is an effective way of putting the doubts of potential buyers at rest.

9. Teach your audience

If you’re looking for video marketing ideas that will help to engage customers, you should try tutorials. These are a great way to show viewers how your products or services can help to solve their problems. Viewers can see your products or services in action. This may be exactly what they need to make that final purchasing decision.

10. Keep it professional

It’s easy to get carried away with video marketing ideas for your production. However, it’s important to remember to keep it professional. That means going for quality not only in visuals but also in the words that are spoken and the voice used. Remember that the film will be a reflection on your company. What image are you trying to portray?

Video marketing is something that companies can no longer afford to ignore. If it isn’t already part of your marketing strategy, it’s time you included it. The video marketing tips shared above ought to help get you started.