27/06/2017
It’s truly amazing to see how fast technology has evolved over the span of the new millennium. We’ve jumped from brick Nokias to high powered smartphones in the space of a decade, there are children who have never heard the sweet sing of the dial-up tone when logging online, and there’s hardly a piece of knowledge we now don’t have at our fingertips. The way we absorb information has also evolved with the times, with video now a prominent medium for both learning and marketing.
An estimated three quarters of all Internet traffic is video traffic. While the use of video marketing as a storytelling device in media is hardly a new phenomenon, the rate and quality in which it’s produced is, as well as how people are seeing it.
So how can you take advantage of it for your marketing?
When YouTube first burst onto the scene twelve years ago, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the monster it would become. Video creators have made entire careers from this site with over three-hundred hours of content uploaded every minute and almost five billion videos watched each day! It ushered in a new era of content sharing, with professionals and amateurs alike flooding the site sharing their creations. The demand for new content only grew as the years progressed with the ability to watch on the go getting easier and more content than ever available to browse.
With the Google owned site now having an estimated worth of $70 billion and being the second largest search engine on earth, do you need any more proof that online video has a huge audience to tap into?
So why is online video so popular today?
The answer is all of the above and more.
Video marketing is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your digital arsenal nowadays as it is the perfect platform to promote your brand and increase traffic to your site. There are a number of different ways you can use it; the limit really is your imagination! Why not add an ‘explainer video’ to your site or social media? These are short presentations about you and your business which can showcase your team and/or services stronger and more memorably than any wordy presentation. You can also film testimonials which can build credibility and trust for your brand by presenting the satisfaction people have found with your work.
If you really want to break away from the limits of filmed video, then try an animation. These can really give you free reign of what you want shown, and can make your subject matter more engaging and fun!
If a picture is worth 1000 words then how many is a moving one worth? When making a video for your business, it’s different to your average video shared on Facebook or YouTube. Think carefully about content. While the temptation to follow the latest fad in a vain attempt to go viral is there, remember to keep a level of professionalism. Like all aspects of your marketing, video marketing is a reflection of you and your business.
Something amateur looking, or something that’s going to be dated in about two months isn’t going to drive anyone towards your service. Unlike a tweet or a Facebook post, videos can have a much longer lifespan depending on where they’re posted, so your content should be relevant for now as well as the future.
