Ah, video marketing! The saviour of the modern attention span or, dare we say it, the end of reading as we know it? It’s time for a down-to-earth chinwag about why you should care—especially if you’re one of those old-timers who still think a viral video is one you caught off a dodgy DVD.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably not watching a video. That’s a real shame. Videos have swanned in like a reality TV star—annoying yet irresistible. Forget whitepapers, infographics and podcasts, mate; the video’s where it’s at.
Look, before you dive into the black hole of YouTube or get lost in a TikTok vortex, you’ve got to admit: video is taking over the world. Seriously, mate, it’s like the Beatles of the marketing universe but without the questionable haircuts. Let’s chat properly about why this is all important, shall we?
The Perks of Video Marketing
Remember those dreary slide decks and PDF brochures? Yeah, me neither. Video has swaggered into our lives like a loveable rogue at a house party, and now it’s impossible to ignore. If your brand isn’t on the video bandwagon, it might as well be in the Stone Age. Look, videos are not just the latest TikTok fad but the Swiss Army knife in your marketing toolbelt.
1. Audience Hypnosis
Videos grab your audience like a good gossip column. A great video’s like that bloke at the pub who can’t help but draw a crowd. It’s all about that engagement, baby!
2. Converting the Masses
If you’ve got a video on your landing page, people will stick around like they’ve found a comfy armchair in a bustling shopping centre.
3. Google’s Favourite Child
Search engines love videos. Plop a well-optimised video on your site, and you’ll shoot up the search rankings faster than a toddler on a sugar rush.
4. Too Lazy to Read? Perfect!
Videos can sum up a thousand words in a couple of flashy scenes, saving the audience a heap of time. It’s the fast food of content.
5. Building Trust or Just Showing Off
Fancy yourself a thought leader or just want people to know you’re legit? A well-placed video does that in spades. Nothing says ‘we know our stuff’ like a quality video. Think of it as your digital handshake.
6. Viral, But the Good Kind
Got a hilarious or heartwarming video? Watch it spread like a good meme. An engaging video can go viral, providing free promotion and significantly boosting your brand awareness efforts.
7. Mobile-Friendly
With an increasing number of consumers using mobile devices to consume content, videos offer a mobile-friendly way of engaging your audience. They are as easy to consume on mobiles as a pint on a Friday night.
Top 6 Video Marketing Trends You’ll Pretend You Knew About
Alright, you’re sold on video marketing. So what’s hot and what’s not in 2023?
1. Short-form Videos
Ah yes, short-form videos, the saviours of a generation who can’t focus long enough to tie their shoes. Platforms like TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat’s ‘Look at Me!’—ahem, Spotlight—are riding the gravy train of our collective goldfish memory. Bite-sized morsels of visual delight that you can digest faster than a cuppa. Short-form videos are not just for teenagers lip-syncing to pop songs. It’s about capturing attention before your viewer’s next swipe.
2. Live Streaming
Ah, live streaming—the telepathy of the digital age, connecting brands to their cult followings without the middleman of editing. Why watch a polished video when you can see your favourite brand stumble over their words in real-time, eh? It’s ideal for occasions like product launches, where everyone pretends to be surprised. Or how about a live Q&A where no one ever asks about your returns policy?
And let’s not forget the ‘real and raw’ behind-the-scenes tours that are about as spontaneous as a royal wedding. Live streaming is like having a cup of tea with your audience, except the tea is virtual, and the conversation is one-sided. Real-time is the new prime time. Forget scripting; give people a raw look at your brand. Just don’t be boring.
3. Social Media Stories
Social Media Stories: the digital world’s answer to ‘carpe diem,’ originally dreamt up by Snapchat and then shamelessly photocopied by Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. These 24-hour Cinderellas are all the rage, vanishing faster than a politician’s promise after an election. Because why wouldn’t you want to check your phone obsessively to catch these fleeting gems? They’re the perfect stage for your brand to host its own mini-dramas or flash sales—here today, gone tomorrow. These videos are like a good brew; enjoy them while they’re hot because they’re not sticking around.
4. Personalised Video Messaging
Bid farewell to the days when video content was like your nan’s Christmas jumper: one size depressingly fits all. Oh no, darling, we’re in the 21st century! With AI and data analytics now basically stalking us—sorry, I meant ‘getting to know us better’—video ads are turning into personalised matchmakers. Imagine an ad that knows you’re into organic soy candles and existential philosophy! These bespoke video snippets are not just hitting the mark; they’re practically reading your diary to make you offers you can’t refuse. It’s like getting a serenade from a brand that really, really wants to sell you something.
5. Shoppable Videos
Move over, infomercials! Shoppable videos are here to transform your harmless scrolling into an episode of ‘Supermarket Sweep.’ Why just lust after the shiny things in a video when you can click on them and empty your bank account right then and there? Ah, the wonders of modern technology! These clickable mini-masterpieces are shrinking the buyer’s journey from a marathon to a sprint. It’s like they’ve built a pub at the end of your existential treadmill. Suddenly, your social media feed is not just a time-killer; it’s an entire shopping district, and you didn’t even have to change out of your pyjamas—see something you like? Buy it straight from the video.
6. AR/VR Videos
Step aside, ‘real world,’ because AR and VR videos make the Matrix look like a Nokia 3310 game. Once the darling of sci-fi nerds, AR/VR has graduated from ‘pipe dream’ to ‘why is this not in my marketing budget?’ Faster than you can say, ‘virtual fidget spinner,’ you’re plonked into a digital world where trying on clothes doesn’t require unflattering changing room mirrors. Or you may fancy a stroll around a 3D rendition of a product you neither need nor understand. The point is AR/VR is shaking up video marketing like a snow globe in the hands of a hyperactive toddler.
To put it simply, if you don’t ride these video trends like a surfer catching a gnarly wave, you might as well stick to sending smoke signals or Morse code. Being on top of these trends doesn’t just make you the James Bond of video marketing; it arms you with enough digital wizardry to make even Dumbledore envious. The Internet isn’t getting any younger folks, and neither is your target audience’s patience. So, as the digital kingdom keeps morphing, your marketing tactics should be shape-shifting right alongside it.
Video Marketing Best Practices: The 6 Commandments of Video Marketing Awesomeness
So you’re now chummy with the glitzy trends, giving the old video marketing scene a facelift. Congrats! Give yourself a pat on the back, but don’t break out the bubbly just yet. Knowing the trends is like buying a fancy sports car; it is utterly pointless if you can’t drive a stick.
So, what’s the other half of this marketing ‘Happy Meal’? Effective execution, darling. Gather ’round as we unveil the six stone tablets—no, not from a mountaintop, just from extensive trial and error—that will set the cornerstone for your blockbuster video marketing campaign.
1. Grab Viewers’ Attention Fast
Listen up: People are swiping and scrolling through the digital maze faster than a contestant on a game show buzzer round. You have less time to impress than a stand-up comedian at a tough crowd open mic. Thumbnails are your siren call here, so make them as tantalising as a bakery window. You better serve them a visual feast in the first few seconds of your video. Remember, many platforms automatically roll the film as people scroll. So be so riveting that they forget they were just thumb-strolling their lives away.
2. Always Include a CTA
You’ve wooed them, you’ve wowed them, now what? Without a nifty Call-to-Action, your video is like a rom-com without the kiss at the end. A big, glittering ‘What was the point of that?’ Whether you want them to gallop over to your website, empty their pockets buying your latest gizmo, or share your video like it’s the latest office scandal, your CTA should be as clear as a gin and tonic and as strategically placed as a mole on a Bond girl. Make them click, tap, or swipe in the direction you want them to go, and make it snappy!
3. Optimise for Specific Social Media Platforms
Oh, you thought a one-size-fits-all video could waltz its way through the social media ballroom? Think again, darling. Each platform has its own rulebook, audience quirks, and algorithmic secret sauce. YouTube is your cinema multiplex, Instagram’s more of an art gallery, and TikTok? Well, it’s the digital equivalent of a talent show crossed with a rave. Don’t just slap the same video across all platforms and expect applause. Take a mo to get to know each stage’s idiosyncrasies, specifications, and—dare we say it—the peculiar taste of its audience. Optimise, customise, and then unleash your video masterpiece for maximum oohs and aahs.
4. Tell a Story
Listen, no one ever shared a video because it was as engaging as a PowerPoint presentation on the history of beige. So, get your storytelling hat on and spin a yarn that grips your audience like a good Netflix binge. Whether you’re solving their life’s problems in 30 seconds flat, parading an army of ecstatic customers, or giving them a backstage pass to your company’s ‘unique’ culture (every office has one Dave who thinks he’s hilarious), make it captivating. Your storyline should be as coherent as a Sunday roast, as relatable as a British weather complaint, and as on-brand as a red double-decker bus. Get it right, and your video could be the next viral sensation—or at least get a few more likes than your competitor’s snoozer.
5. Make Sure Your Videos Work Without Sound
Here’s a fun fact: Not everyone’s blaring their phone’s volume to the max while scrolling in public spaces or pretending to work. I know, shocker! Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are churning out videos in stealth mode; they auto-play like silent film stars. So, what’s the fix? Splash on captions, subtitles, or snazzy on-screen graphics like you’re decorating a Christmas tree. This way, even if your audience is watching in ‘mute mode’ while they’re supposed to be in a meeting, your message comes across loud and clear.
6. Optimise Your Videos for Search Engines
Who said SEO is only for the ‘Word Nerds’ out there penning the next great novel, erm, blog post? Oh no, my friend, videos need some of that search engine juju, too. Toss in some keywords into your titles, descriptions, and meta tags like you’re seasoning a meal—carefully and effectively. Considering posting your masterpiece on your own website first? Splendid idea! That’s like planting a flag on the moon before you broadcast it to the world. And don’t forget transcriptions; they’re like breadcrumbs for search engine bots, leading them right to your video’s doorstep. SEO isn’t just alphabet soup; it’s the secret sauce that catapults your video from ‘Who’s that?’ to ‘That’s who!’ in search results.
Become the Video Marketing Virtuoso
So you’ve been handed the Holy Grail of video marketing best practices. Follow this gospel, and you’re not just keeping up with the Joneses; you are the Joneses. Mix these rock-solid principles with the hottest, spiciest trends of 2023, and voilà! You’ve cooked up a marketing strategy that’s a Michelin-starred, five-course meal of sheer brilliance. You’re not just maximising ROI; you’re turning it into your personal applause-o-meter. So go on, strut your stuff in the digital marketplace. After all, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, right?
Ready to Elevate Your Video Marketing Game?
Feeling that twinge of inspiration but haven’t a clue where to start? Ah, then you’ve stumbled into the right digital pub, mate. As the proud bearers of enough awards to make our mantelpiece sag, we at Xanda—London’s premier digital marketing, web design, and development agency—can offer you the whole kit and caboodle when it comes to video marketing.
From cooking up strategies that would make a chess master blush to crafting content as tasty as a Sunday roast and even tuning it for each social media stage like a maestro—we’ve got you sorted.
Why leave your fate to the roll of the dice when you can have a winning hand with Xanda? Give us a ring for all the nitty-gritty details. Don’t just chase success; let us help you grab it by the lapels and make it your best mate.
FAQs
1. Why is video marketing important in 2023?
In the current digital landscape, it’s a highly engaging medium that can rapidly improve brand awareness, increase website traffic, and even boost sales. It’s no longer just a “nice to have” but a critical part of your marketing strategy. Video marketing allows brands to communicate complex messages in an easily digestible format, making it an essential tool for customer engagement.
2. What are the top video Marketing trends for 2023?
The key trends include short-form videos popularised by platforms like TikTok and Reels, live streaming for real-time audience interaction, social media stories for time-sensitive messages, personalised video messaging through AI and data analytics, shoppable videos for direct sales, and AR/VR videos for an immersive customer experience.
3. What are the best practices for effective video marketing?
To make your video marketing campaign successful, it’s crucial to grab viewers’ attention quickly and to include a clear Call-to-Action (CTA). Videos should be tailored for each social media platform and should tell a compelling story to keep the audience engaged. They should also be optimised to work without sound through the use of captions or subtitles and must be SEO-friendly to reach a broader audience.