Lights, camera, action to reach your audience
FOR business of all sizes, video content is starting to reign supreme in the suite of marketing tools.
The increasing dominance and variety of video content has much to do with the fast, light and powerful devices we now have available, combined with high-speed connectivity, transforming the way we not only consume, but the way we create video.
For us as business owners and marketers, video is too hot to ignore, and it is here to stay. In my years in television and then in public relations and marketing, I have seen vast developments in video production, least of all the size (and weight) of cameras.
We are seeing Hollywood filmmakers shooting feature films on the latest — and not so humble — iPhone, proving the low-cost capability of our everyday sidekick.
And video is proving to be one of the most effective ways to create a brand, and weave in the stories that put your business and products front of mind for the end user. We have reached a point where, as small businesses, there is no denying video content needs to be a vital platform in any business strategy.
Why? Well the statistics tell us a third of all time spent online is dedicated to watching videos; five million people worldwide are watching a video on Facebook every day and shoppers who watch a video are 1.81 times more likely to buy a product.
On average, Facebook videos receive 135 per cent more organic reach than photos and 82 per cent of Twitter users watch video content on Twitter.
By next year, it is estimated video traffic will be 80 per cent of all consumer internet traffic. Ponder some of those stats and it may make it easier to commit to video as part of your marketing.
According to Inside Small Business, video already makes up most of the content on the internet. Add to that another statistic: 90 per cent of customers report that product videos help them make buying decisions, and 64 per cent of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it.
Video use is exploding. Cisco calls it the “zettabyte era”, and predicts the growth in video will continue at a cracking pace, with 82 per cent of internet traffic being video in the next three years — at which time somebody has estimated it will take five million years to watch all the video crossing global networks each month!
As Cisco suggests, you only need to browse your feeds on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram to see that videos are breeding like wildfire, getting the most engagement and, seemingly, being prioritised in search results.
An Aberdeen Group research report takes things a step further, finding that marketers who are using video are seeing 49 per cent faster growth in revenue. Another study found that having a video on a sales landing web page can increase sales by 80 per cent or more. So when it comes to video, it seems it is tick, tick and tick in driving engagement and hopefully, sales.
So what can businesses be doing? For a start, it is probably not a good idea to try to do everything at once. Try one of the bigger platforms where your customers spend time, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube, platforms with which you are familiar.
There are a lot of ideas out there: live streaming, Snapchat or Instagram. You could try product demonstrations and “unboxings”, perhaps interviews with clients or experts, or asking the public for opinions (street reporting). Even if you do not have footage or hate being in front of the camera, simple animations can be powerful.
Take the time to practise shooting — always landscape, not portrait — if you are using your phone and do invest in simple editing software.
You do not need to spend a fortune on production costs, but do plan your messages and try to be a little creative, without going over the top and heading for Funniest Home Videos.
If you can possibly afford it, save yourself the time and effort and invest in some professionally produced video content.
Either way, once you have gone to the effort to create a great video for your online channels, why not broadcast it in your shop, reception area or at events and conferences?
A final tip, quality counts. As video publishing increases among businesses, so will the competition to stand out. Make your efforts count. Leigh McClusky is McCo Group Communications managing director