CREATING VIDEO CONTENT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The popularity of video content on the internet has exploded over the past decade. Because videos are a highly engaging way to convey information quickly, they are a powerful tool for presenting product benefits and telling brand stories. Businesses can reach larger audiences now than ever before, making video content a crucial piece of a modern marketing strategy.

The true power of good video content lives in the highly shareable nature of life in the social media age. An effective video with compelling content can “go viral,” rapidly amplifying marketing efforts and attracting new potential customers. An intelligent video content strategy is necessary to stay on top of the competition and cut through the noise of today’s digital world.

How Can Creating Video Content Benefit Businesses

Video content can be incredibly effective for businesses to engage with their target audience and increase their bottom line. Here are some key ways businesses can benefit from incorporating video content into their marketing strategy:

• Increased engagement

  Websites with videos will have higher engagement rates and “time-on-page." Studies have shown that people are more likely to absorb content through a video and less likely to read content on a page. Businesses that utilize video content will do better at getting their message heard.

• Improved search engine visibility

  Video content is great for search engine optimization. Search engines like Google will prioritize video content, improving a business’ search rankings. Better search rankings benefit a business’ online presence and make it easier to be found by customers.

• Higher conversion rates

  Video content on a landing page leads to a significant increase in conversion rate. Most landing pages will see an increase of over 80%. That’s close to doubling the conversions by just adding a video! It makes sense as a video explaining a product or service will naturally increase the buyer’s confidence level.

• Cost-effective marketing

  Video content marketing provides a high return on investment (ROI). With the rise of smartphone camera technology and DIY tools, creating compelling videos without breaking the bank is easier than ever. Combine low cost with increased conversion and engagement to create a win-win strategy!

• Increased brand awareness

  Viewers online will enthusiastically consume and share video content that is entertaining and informational. Potential customers are much more receptive to engaging content shared by a friend versus sales material promoted by a business. A viral video infused with strong branding has the potential to be viewed by millions online.

Does Keeping Video Content Fresh Affect SEO Rankings?

We established that video content positively impacts search engine optimization (SEO), but is it important to keep putting out fresh new content? When a business publishes new video content regularly, it signals to search engines that the website is active and worthy of receiving traffic. A marketing strategy with regular fresh video content will likely achieve higher search rankings.

Fresh video content keeps Google happy, and it also keeps customers happy. When visitors stay to watch new video content, it will drive up engagement metrics and time-on-page stats. These positive results are a key factor in improving search engine rankings. Fresh and engaging content is also more likely to be shared online through social media. This positive feedback loop further increases brand awareness and generates more unique visitors to the business.

Continually releasing new video content is a path toward building a highly engaged and devoted fan base for any brand or business. It is crucial to stay “top-of-mind" and give these hyper-loyal customers something to talk about.

Build a Following For Your Content On YouTube

YouTube is far and away the largest exchange for video content, for both businesses and general entertainment. Since most viewers go to YouTube to watch videos, your business needs to have a presence there. Not only does YouTube provide a platform for your video content strategy, but it is also a robust search engine for reaching new potential customers.

To trick to marketing through YouTube is to understand and cater to the various algorithms that YouTube employs. A successful video content strategy will leverage this opportunity to allow the algorithm to “do the work” and find viewers who will naturally be inclined to become future customers.

Here are some tips for using YouTube successfully:

• Use analytics to create content

  Talking about analytics before making a video may seem counterintuitive. The truth is the data should drive every decision made in a YouTube content strategy. It’s about something other than how cool, funny, or entertaining the boss might think your video is. What matters is how YouTube viewers react to it. Is the intro too dull? Engagement time graphs will tell you exactly the second when most users click “next video.”

• Get viewers to click

  Before anyone can watch a great video, they need to click on it. In the world of YouTube, the critical elements are the video’s title and the thumbnail picture. There is an entire science behind creating these elements effectively, but the starting point is to contemplate these thoughtfully. Study the “Click-Through-Rate" (CTR) to learn if the title and thumbnail are hitting home or striking out.

• Keep your promise

  Once a viewer clicks on the thumbnail, it is crucial to “pay off the promise.” In other words, give the viewer what they clicked on. If the video title claims to teach a business secret, get right to the point when the video starts playing. Nothing makes viewers drop off quicker than a long boring intro unrelated to the topic that grabbed their interest.

• Include a call-to-action

  The goal is to promote a business through video content. Make sure to include a call-to-action in the video content itself and also in the video description. YouTube offers several additional choices for directing viewers based on content strategy goals. Some of these include clickable “cards” and product merchandising.

• Follow a consistent release schedule

  The best way to create a snowball effect with YouTube success is to consistently release new content on a fixed schedule. Rather than creating videos when time is available and posting “as soon as possible,” schedule a specific day and time for new videos to be released. Be consistent and maintain a queue of new videos waiting for their release date. Analytics will help inform the best day and time for your content.

How To Measure The Success of Video Content

Analytics is the key to success for a business’ video content strategy. Which creative works best? Are viewers responding to the message? Is the content strategy generating enough return on investment? These questions can all be answered through analytics. Here is a guide to some of the most important video analytics:

• Views

  The most basic metric is the number of views a video has received. Views are more like a milestone rather than a map. They tell you how far you have come but not how you got there. Either way, the number of views is important and is the first high-level metric to review.

• Click-Through-Rate

  This is one of the most important metrics to track. Until viewers click to watch the video, it won’t matter if the budget is $1 or $1,000,000. Optimizing thumbnails and titles for the best click-through rate is a change that can be made dynamically with analytics fueling the decision.

• Audience Retention

  Viewers are watching the video; that’s great! Now we need to know if they stay till the end or leave once the CEO starts talking about his cat. Reading audience retention graphs help us understand, down to the second, which parts of the video are strong and which need work.

• Conversion Rate

  This is particularly important for videos hosted on a landing page or company website. We need to understand the conversion rate before and after a video has been implemented; this informs effectiveness and, ultimately, ROI for a video concept.

With the proliferation of video platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and more, businesses must develop an effective video content marketing strategy. With modern smartphone cameras, video content is for more than just large businesses; it is now something every business needs to consider to stay ahead of the competition.

Video is an incredibly versatile tool for business marketing. We can tell a story, demonstrate a product, explain a process, and much more. The ultimate goal is to create content that spreads through social media as viewers share with friends so that strangers can become potential customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are some types of video content that businesses can create?

A: Businesses can create a wide range of video content, including product demonstrations, explainer videos, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes footage, event highlights, webinars, and promotional videos. The possibilities are endless, and the best path to success is to work with a professional video company to map out business goals and identify the most effective content strategy.

Q: What equipment is needed to create video content for businesses?

A: The equipment needed to create video content will depend on the type and quality of the video. At a minimum, businesses will need a camera (which could be a smartphone), a microphone, and a tripod. Additional equipment could include lighting, backdrops, and editing software. The more involved the video production becomes, the size of production crew required will grow.

Q: How can businesses ensure their video content is engaging and effective?

A: Gauging effectiveness for video content is simply a matter of following the data. Track analytics from the target viewer and use this data to inform future video decisions. Creating and adjusting a video content strategy based on real-life data can give any business a successful video marketing campaign.