Video rules for digital marketers
VIDEO may have killed the radio star, but it has given birth to a host of YouTube stars, and it’s showing no sign of slowing.
Given the mind-blowing amount of video that is produced and consumed, it’s no surprise that brands and agencies have got involved – it’s the fastest-growing advertising method.
Imagine your brand not having a social media presence. It is unthinkable! The same will soon be said about video, so what are your options?
Most people jump to YouTube when they think about video marketing but there is a wide variety of platforms for you to market your business.
Most South Africans own a smartphone and most of our internet browsing happens through social media. It is logical then that you should ensure your videos are on a social media platform relevant to your target audience.
Now that you have considered the platforms your audience consumes, you need to decide on the type of video to produce.
Just like other marketing tools, content is critical; you could create a show-stopping, perfectly edited video, but if the concept and content are not relevant to your market, it will fail.
The length of your video is also significant. There is a trend for longer videos on Facebook and YouTube (by long, I mean two to three minutes).
There used to be a theory that brands should get their message across as quickly as possible before the audience lost interest, but if your content is engaging enough, length is not an issue.
Now it’s time to think about how you’re going to get your video out there.
It’s always best to upload your video directly to the platform, rather than to link to YouTube or Vimeo – the reason being, “native” video autoplays on timelines/newsfeeds.
This means your engagement rate will be higher.
As a creative, I am all too familiar with considering a piece of work as art rather than marketing. But it has a purpose. You may not want to ruin an intelligent plot with an uncouth call to action.
But remember, video marketing can drive purchase behaviour, but you have to provide them with a little direction.