Written by: Lexi Lu
Videos become more popular each year, so you need a strong marketing campaign that includes this media type. However, if they don’t improve the customer experience (CX) in some way, then you may be seen as spammy and not very interesting. It’s vital that you carefully think through your use of videos and how they help your customers and solidify your brand.
In a recent look at the state of video marketing, researchers found that
83% of marketers believe the use of video is growing in importance. As with most technology, you can either find a successful approach that highlights what is best about your brand or create videos that fall flat compared to others out there.
Here are some things to keep in mind that will improve the CX of your promotional efforts but also enhance your image.
1. DON’T SELL
People don’t like marketing that tries to push a product in their face or do a hard sell. If your video seems more like spam than offering information or entertainment, people aren’t likely to watch it through to the end. Why would they? The only benefit is for you and not for the customer.
Instead, think about what you’d want to know about if you were the customer. What is the problem your customer is trying to solve, and how can you help them get there? If you offer that type of value, your videos are much more likely to have an impact and be shared.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Figure out who your audience is now as well as who they will be in the near future. If you want your business to thrive for years to come, you have to tap into
one of the largest consumer markets there is — millennials. The younger generations understand the internet, having used it for most or all of their lives. They know you can absorb the same information more quickly from a video than reading an article, and things such as infographics and video marketing work particularly well with this group.
At the same time, they’ve seen it all, so don’t try to copy another video. Be unique, upfront, and show them what makes you or your product different.
3. WRITE STRONG DESCRIPTIONS
When you go to YouTube and look at videos, the sheer selection is almost overwhelming. More are added each day. If you have any hope of grabbing the attention of customers, you have to
make sure your videos are easy to find. Write strong descriptions that outline what the benefit of watching is for the viewer. Make sure the name matches the actual content.
Be upfront about who you are and why you’re releasing the video for consumer viewing. Remember to avoid just selling something, because it’s a real turnoff to consumers.
4. HAVE FUN
Society is so hectic these days. People have limited time between work, family commitments, and any extracurricular activities. Make sure your video is worth their viewing time. Have fun with it and make it entertaining, but also keep the content short and to the point. Imagine that busy parent with a few minutes to spare at her child’s soccer practice. They have mere minutes before it’s time to pass out the snacks to the other players because today is their turn. How can you help solve their problem in one minute or less, but make it fun at the same time?
5. EDIT YOUR WORK
Spend time editing your videos. There is nothing worse than bloopers that are never cut out. Stumbles or mistakes can negatively impact the customer experience. Your video should play smoothly and be at an adequate volume. Any static or background noise should be eliminated. Double-check lighting and ensure the images are clear. A video editing program can help alleviate some of the issues amateur videographers run into.
6. BE CONCISE
Don’t try to share every little bit of history you know or talk about all products in your lineup. Instead, focus on one issue at a time; solve it for your viewer and move on. If you have more to say, it is better to create additional videos. Remember to stay focused on one topic at a time and remove anything not related to your theme for that video.
7. PROVE YOURSELF
Spend time developing relationships on social media to prove yourself as a valuable asset to users. When you engage with those following you or with people within your target audience, you’ll learn what they most need help with. Then, you can deliver the right kind of content to them. The more you get to know people, answer their questions, and share their content, the more they will send your videos to others and respond to what you produce.
8. CALL THE USER TO ACTION
No matter what the purpose of your video, know what the end goal is and include a call to action (CTA) that directs the user toward what you want them to do. If you simply want to inform people, then you might invite them to sign up for your mailing list so you can let them know when a new video drops. If your goal is to
get them to your website, add a CTA that says “Visit Our Site” with a clickable link.
Think about the goal and work it into your video near the end and in the description. Users won’t know what action to take if you don’t show them.
STUDY THE MARKET
Pay careful attention to what others are doing with their video marketing campaigns. Study your competitors and come up with something unique, but make sure it falls within the parameters of what users want. At the same time, look at how larger companies reach out to their customers. You’ll learn techniques from each of them that you can apply to your own video marketing campaigns.
Don’t be afraid to try something new, but also be prepared to draw it back if it doesn’t communicate what you want to your customer base.
Lexie is a web designer and typography enthusiast. She spends most of her days surrounded by some HTML and a goldendoodle at her feet. Check out her design blog, Design Roast, and follow Lexie on Twitter.
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