There are plenty of reasons to use video when marketing your company’s services or products. However, there are also numerous ways it can harm your brand. So, if you're serious about capitalizing on video as an advertising tool here are two exceptionally important things you need to know in order to maximize this tool. A STORY WORTH WATCHING So you're making a video. What should it be about? Whether it's your company, your product, or an ideal your company stands for, it needs to be a compelling story. A message that would be lost if executed in a different format.
For example, if your script would be just as strong delivered as an email or pamphlet, it needs to be re-worked before you hit record.
The first five seconds are the most important. You need to hook your audience, give them a reason to continue watching, otherwise they might click away. That’s why all Hollywood blockbusters start with some sort of action scene that leaves the viewer wondering what happens next. Try something with intrigue, a catchy one-liner, an action shot which suggests rising stakes. A hook keeps viewers there.
An ad campaign that did this exceptionally well was Old Spice’s: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like. No other format would have been able to deliver the comedy and irony of this advertisement better than video. The first five seconds actively acts the viewer to engage with the content by cheekily proposing they compare their partner to the muscular actor, adorned in nothing but a towel. It’s the only advertisement in the 21st century that does an excellent job of not only “mocking the conventions of advertising” but also drawing the audience in.
LOOKING FOR ENGAGEMENT, NOT VIEWS The most important thing to get out of your video is engagement. Most marketers consider the number of views as a measure of success. But, when examining the data further, realize that the content was never actually viewed all the way through. In addition, there is no measure to understand whether the content resonated with the viewer. Adding in a call to action will help you determine who wants to learn more, versus who just watched the video.
Whether you're making an educational video, an explainer video, a demo or testimonial video or an online video advertisement, always make sure there is somewhere for your viewer to click and continue the experience. This is of course assuming you got your viewer to watch the video until the end.
Make sure there is no jargon or long words in your script. Stick to simple words, concise sentences, and use a conversationalist tone that people can relate to.
Always did an excellent job of this in their video campaign #LikeAGirl, which compiles docu-style interviews to deliver the heart felt message for girls to embrace who they are. Throughout the video, the call to action is clear #LikeAGirl.
REACH THEM WHERE THEY ARE
As for helping your audience find your video, make sure you've researched which social media platforms your audience uses most. Use relevant keywords in your tags, titles, and metadata descriptions to increase your SEO. Adding a transcript can boost your content and make it easier for search engines to index your video.
An exceptional example of this is Grammarly’s “Write the Future” campaign, which utilized Facebook video as their kickoff point for a larger social media campaign tapping into educators and everyday business owners seeking growth. The videos touch several industries but engage specific individuals through the strategic use of keywords, maximizing the videos potential to reach multiple audiences.
The above examples we’ve provided highlight some of the best executions currently airing in the digital space. And while not every marketer is able to produce campaigns to this scale, they pinpoint critical learnings - A videos story quality and visual execution can only do so much on its own. It needs to be supported by bigger thinking and an underlying strategy in order to maximize ROI.