People like watching video. Data shows would rather watch a video about a product than read about it. So what does that mean for your B2B marketing strategy?
It鈥檚 not everything, but monetizing video can be a key tool in your marketing plan.
Incorporating videos does not have to be expensive, time-consuming or complicated. A little bit of effort can result in a more engaged audience.
Plan ahead
A little bit of planning keeps your video concise. Know what response you鈥檙e hoping to elicit from the viewer. Do you want to establish your brand as an expert in the field? Do you wish to drive visitors to your website? Keep your goal in mind at every step.
Create a road map for your video. If you鈥檙e creating a how-to video for a product, lay out the essential steps you鈥檒l be explaining. If you鈥檙e showing off a product, list the features you want to highlight.
Keep it simple
Know what you鈥檙e trying to communicate. Make sure the video focuses on something your audience cares about.
Video length plays a big role in viewer retention. On average, 37 percent of viewers make it to the end. However, if your video is less than 90 seconds, that number climbs to 53 percent. If your video is longer than 30 minutes, only 10 percent of viewers will watch to the end, on average.
Get to the essence of your video quickly. An overly lengthy video means fewer views. If you need to cover complex ideas, . Or create a series of short videos instead of one long video.
If something is complicated, utilize the visual tools available. You can create a chart or actually demonstrate an action. Have some fun with the medium.
Use what you鈥檝e got
When people think about creating video, they tend to assume they鈥檒l need a state-of-the-art filming studio. Not true.
These days, it鈥檚 possible to film decent video on a smartphone. You just need to check .
Check your device. Video requires a lot of storage. Make sure you have plenty of memory before hitting that record button.
Sound. Poor audio quality is one of the easiest ways to lose an audience. If you鈥檙e in a fairly quiet area, the microphone on your smartphone will probably be fine. If you鈥檙e in a crowd or outside, you either need to be very close the subject you鈥檙e filming or you need to invest in a separate microphone. Lavalier mics are inexpensive. Beware of wind when you鈥檙e outside.
Lighting. You need to be able to see your subject. Unlike photos, video can鈥檛 easily be lightened after filming. Make sure your filming subject is easy to see on the screen. Use lighting from the front or sides. Most cameras have trouble picking up subjects that are backlit. Try not to rely on flash. It鈥檚 not flattering.
Stability. Human hands tend to shake. If you don鈥檛 have a tripod, set your camera on a desk or stack of books at the appropriate height. If the camera will be moving, the person holding it needs to use both hands and stay focused on the screen.
Rear camera. Don鈥檛 use the front camera if you鈥檙e trying to look professional. If it鈥檚 an informal video, have fun with 鈥渟elfie mode.鈥� If you don鈥檛 want it to be obvious you filmed on a smartphone, use the rear camera. They produce higher-quality videos.
Landscape mode. The upright portrait mode is fine for fun or informal videos. Videos in landscape mode are typically expected for everything else. However, . More and more videos are being watched on mobile devices, which lend themselves to a vertical format.
Zoom. Don鈥檛 use it. Just don鈥檛. Get physically closer. The zoom on your smartphone is going to cause pixilation.
Out in the world
Once you鈥檝e created a video, share it! Every day, of video are watched on Facebook alone.
You can post the video on your website, but you鈥檒l get more traction by sharing it on social media, too.
Don鈥檛 forget to include captions. About of Americans report some degree of hearing loss, but even those with perfect hearing like captions. The majority of video on Facebook (85 percent!) is watched without sound. Another reason to include captions: SEO value. Including captions makes your .
There are a few ways to create captions for your video. You can pay someone to do it, or you can create the captions yourself. The provides some great resources on how to create your own captions for free.
Keep it brief. Nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer video that is less than sixty seconds.
You still need other mediums
Video is a useful tool in your B2B marketing, but it can鈥檛 carry your product alone. You want a combination of .
Digital marketing comes with a lot of noise. People are easily distracted. Print allows customers to focus and provides a tactile interaction while adding a natural authority. Readers tend to perceive printed content as . Print is also viewed as more permanent content, whereas online content is perceived as temporary.
