Online video marketing continues to grow and expand as more and more people look to the internet to get their shopping needs met. The world of online video marketing in particular is growing at an enormous rate — according to Comscore, nearly 85 percent of internet users in the United States view online videos every day. This makes videos an excellent strategic element for all kinds of marketers, but it’s not as simple as recording yourself talking into a camera and throwing it up on YouTube. Check out these five online video marketing tips to keep in mind.
Tip #1: Strategy
Know your goals. Know your target. Know how you will track success. All before you start putting your online video marketing effort together. When everyone understands the desired results, the outcome is sure to improve. When it comes time to get down and dirty with video production, don’t be afraid to hire professionals who know what they’re doing. Or at least, turn to an expert or someone with DIY experience. A final important aspect of your strategy is to have a plan for getting viewers, even if that means spending money on channels like social media or online advertising (YouTube & Facebook).
Tip #2: Don’t Bore the Audience
Internet users have a short attention span. That doesn’t mean you need to dumb down your online video marketing content, but it does mean you should get to the point fast. Engage the viewer with an image or question that piques their interest and draws them in, then move straight to your pitch. Looking again at data from Comscore, the average online video advertisement is 24 seconds long and makes up just over 25 percent of all videos viewed. That gives you less than a minute to excite your viewership into a call-for-action so they’ll move right away on what you have to offer. There are many exceptions to the video length rule, as laid out in a previous post.
Tip #3: Include all the Relevant Links
If you’re planning to use online video marketing with YouTube, be sure to include a link to your site in the video description as well as a short URL to your site in the video itself. If a viewer is interested in what you have to say, they’ll look at the description for more information after the video is over, but plenty of people jump from one video to the next without even bothering. For this second group, a short and memorable URL in the video is a great way to give them the info they need to take the next step towards learning more about your product or service. Successful online video marketing always pushes interested viewers further in the marketing loop.
Tip #4: Questions, Questions, Questions
Online video marketing isn’t all that different from traditional marketing. It’s all about presenting a solution message to a relevant audience. Posing a question, and then answering it. Perhaps the biggest difference between online video and traditional television ads is that internet users are much more savvy. They’re also bombarded with marketing messages more often. This means you really need an engaging message or story. That means quickly finding an angle for your product that will effectively connect with the viewer—making sure they understand how your product solves their problem.
Tip #5: Use Search Engine Optimization
Whether it’s results on Google or YouTube, you want your video to come up at the top of the pile when someone is looking for a product or service. Once again, this is where the importance of the video description comes in. Use keyword-rich copy in the description, tags, and title to optimize your search results and to make sure you get the most out of your online video marketing efforts.