By: Cheska Sia
Two words to describe today’s society: tech savvy. As technology continues to advance, the virtual world becomes more easily accessible. From desktop screens to mobile devices, people are frequently exposed to video streaming as a source of advertising.
For years, businesses have utilized video marketing to their advantage. Videos can effectively promote key messaging, boost SEO results, and reinforce brand recall. Whether businesses make commercials for popular events or monetize ads on YouTube, there are many ways to target consumers and gain profit.
If you are wondering how to keep up with the rapid progression of video advertising, here are a couple of tips.
If you are wondering how to keep up with the rapid progression of video advertising, here are a couple of tips.
- Short and Concise Videos
- Don't Rely on Audio
- Circulate Video Through Personal Network
- Communicate With Viewers Through Live-Video
The goal here is to entice curiosity and maintain viewer interest. Many videos on social media platforms range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes because this is the average time people spend watching them. People generally skim through the numerous status updates and video shares on their social feeds. Therefore, make the first few seconds of your video attention grabbing. Once viewers click on your video, try to keep them entertained.
Create a video that is both promotional and informative. Illustrate how a product or service that you offer is connected to an event or common interest shared by many. PepsiCo effectively uses video advertising to target football/soccer fans through a collective love for the game.
Working with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), PepsiCo’s 60 second video emphasizes how influential football/soccer is on a global scale. Within that short time frame, you too can educate your viewers by bringing them on an experiential journey.
Your video can be more effective without sound. Besides choosing a visually appealing thumbnail, emphasize bold captions, a minimalist backdrop, humor, or a negative headline that captivates your audience at first glance.
Whether viewers are situated in quiet libraries or busy food courts, viewers should be able to watch your videos without disrupting the people around them. Since many people watch videos during their commute, create a video that does not require headphones. On many social media platforms, audio is usually disabled so the main focus is on visual approach. If your video has dialogue or a voice over, try using captions.
Above is a screenshot from WatchCut Video’s “American Kids Try Christmas Foods From Around the World” episode on YouTube. They have included their own subtitles for their viewers. However, for some video hosting sites like YouTube, you also have the option of automatically enabling subtitles (see the screenshot below).
Your video should affect its audience without volume. As long as you produce a “volume-agnostic” video, a term coined by Steven Belser of NowThis, your visual presentation alone should enhance viewer experience(s). By giving people the freedom of watching your video anywhere and at any time, you may observe a quick increase in the rate of shares on your videos.
Although paying for a sponsored post may seem like the best approach, viewers tend to skim through these numerous advertisements on their feeds. It is likely that people share videos under two scenarios: the videos are shared by friends or family, or the viewers are given an incentive to share. Therefore, post your video for your followers on social media before paying for a sponsored advertisement.
Give consumers across the globe the opportunity to contact your business directly from the comfort of their home. Now that many platforms support live-streaming, customers can easily initiate conversation while businesses broadcast product trials, conduct interviews, or even share experiences.7 With this feature, viewers can ask questions, suggest areas of improvement, and receive immediate feedback from business professionals.
As a result of higher interaction metrics, it is more likely for your business to observe an increase in sales and customer awareness.8 On platforms like Facebook, your videos can be viewed even after the completion of the live-broadcast. In any case, it is important that you include an effective call to action (CTA) option. By doing so, viewers can keep up to date with your business’ future endeavors and/or developments.
Using these tips, businesses can adapt to and thrive in this era of technology. With the frequent circulation of digital media, investing in video production is beneficial for your business. Paired with marketing and advertising techniques, this medium easily draws in customers and can lead your business to success. Share these tips on your social pages and if any of them help your business grow, let us know!