As good marketers, we can’t ignore our target audience’s daily media consumption habits. Instead, we should use this information to improve our marketing tactics. In this article, we’ll explore why video should be a part of your content marketing strategy, and how to make an impact with campaigns based around video content.
On average, internet users are watching at least 1.5 hours of video per day. That’s a lot of video content, and it can’t all be cat videos. Users consume video for all kinds of reasons. For example, 86% of YouTubers report using the platform to learn something new.
So, why does video content work so well?
First, let’s take a look at why video is finding such favour with audiences today.
- It’s dense and rich in relevant information. Forrester Research suggests that a 1-minute video conveys the equivalent of more than 1.8 million words.
- Video builds trust. According to EtailingGroup, 57% of consumers reported they are more confident when they watch a product video in advance of making a purchase online and therefore less likely to return that product.
- It engages our senses. A combination of auditory and visual senses means we’re activating more parts of our brain than by simply reading. 95% of viewers retain a message when they watch it on video compared to 10% when reading it in text.
- Great for storytelling. Combining audio, video and animation allows for rich information to be communicated efficiently and memorably. Conveying emotions in video is easier and therefore creating connections is possible.
- Share-friendly. Videos are shared on social media 1200% more than text and images combined – that’s a lot of organic reach.
Going viral: the video Mecca
As you’ll know, whether your video goes viral or not isn’t just a lottery. There are actually some consistent features behind ultra-successful online videos.
For content to go viral it has to make a connection with the audience plus provide valuable, realistic and actionable information.
This makes the research and planning of a viral marketing video absolutely crucial. There are many types of video content, that companies can offer to their audience throughout the buyer’s journey. As marketers, we need to be able to identify our audiences pain points and produce a video that makes a connection with them while positioning a solution (which is typically our product or service) as the answer to that problem. Simple right?
How have some other brands done video marketing well?
Purina launched a video series called Puppyhood. They engaged with their audience through showing the loving bond shared between a man and his cute puppy. The videos received millions of views and went viral in dog lover communities. Relatability? Check. Emotional connection? Cuteness overload? Check. They knew their target audience well and how best to speak to them.
In 2016, American Greetings ran a marketing campaign called the “World’s Toughest Job”.
They published a single 4-minute video that spread like wildfire. The clip went straight to the number one spot on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter and received substantial attention from media giants like The Wall Street Journal.
We won’t spoil it for you, check out the video yourself!
Relatability? Check. Emotional connection? Check. Made you think a little? Check.
Getting the hang of viral videos yet?
We hope you’re as pumped for video marketing as we are!
Before we can get started though, let’s build the foundations of a viral marketing video by creating a stellar content marketing strategy. This will give us the ability to make sure we have done the preparation and set the groundwork to effectively guide, nurture and educate our target audiences on why our solutions are the best suited for them.
Content strategy is a book-worthy topic which is why it’s beyond the scope of this post, what we can tell you though is that we’ve prepared one for you already. If you want a practical and easy to do guide to creating a content strategy, check out our free ebook “Content Marketing That Works”.
Wait so, should we be doing anything else aside from video marketing?
The answer? It’s crucial that you do.
It’s true that video is gaining a lot of popularity but what matters most is the message, not the medium. Having a great video content marketing is just one part of a larger strategy that should take into account multiple touchpoints of your buyer journey. Even if the video is a focal point, how do people find it? What do they do when they’ve seen it? How does it drive action?
As an integrated marketing agency, we stick to our guns and advocate that in our marketing strategies we should be focusing on using the mediums that provide the most return on investment.
Keeping in mind that the more touchpoints we have with our audiences, the quicker a relationship is established, ultimately leading to happy customers. Video is just one of those channels, but if it’s done well within the framework of other integrated activity, the ROI can be amazing.
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