Online videos have led to increased sales and expanded brand awareness for companies of all sizes and industries–and video marketing is increasing at an impressive rate. In addition to creating and developing content-rich, customer-focused Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles, business owners should incorporate video into their social media marketing strategies to effectively connect with customers and prospects–and rapidly expand awareness.
Use Video Bios to Connect People to Your Business or Brand
A good video marketing entry point is the video bio. Video bios provide a great way to bridge the offline-online marketing gap, and they enable prospects to place a face with a brand’s name. They can be posted on company websites, shared via social networking sites, and linked from email footers to increase views. Unlike other mediums, a video captures the personality and emotions of business owners and works to garner your customers’ trust and confidence.
After becoming comfortable with the process of producing and sharing a video, business owners should experiment creatively. Remember to keep the end goal in mind: producing a video that will both resonate with customers and prospects and inspire them to be social about it afterward with comments, engagements, and shares.
Tips for Successful Video Marketing
The most successful (and viral) online videos are short and to the point. By nature, people don’t have long attention spans. Videos that are less than two minutes have proven to be the most popular, and this length increases the likelihood videos will be viewed to completion. According to Hubspot’s research, the recommended time for social videos are 2 minutes for YouTube, 1 minute for Facebook, and 45 seconds for Twitter.
The subject of the video can be very direct, such as product demonstrations, office/site tours, question/answer sessions, and customer features. However, those that are indirectly related to your business–if at all–can often prove to be the most memorable. Don’t be afraid to try a comedic approach to video marketing or try your hand at creating a planned series of related videos, which has proven to be a popular social video marketing strategy for building buzz and increasing online brand followers.
Once you create a video, post it to your website, YouTube and other video-hosting and video-sharing platforms and networks. It is critical to include related keywords in your video title and description to increase SEO engagement–and remember to always include your website’s URL in the video, too.
After you’ve posted your video, make the big announcement via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with a HTML link. You’ll be receiving likes, followers, and video commentary in no time. Try cross-promoting high-performing videos in niche markets, such as LinkedIn groups, Facebook groups, and online communities specific to your business. It may also be worthwhile to use paid online advertising for targeted audiences to gain access to specific groups of people.
While businesses cannot rely solely on social media and video marketing to increase profit margins, they are important aspects of a successful overall marketing strategy. Social media and video marketing can prove even more powerful when combined with other online marketing efforts (like SEO and ad placement) and can be integral to transforming a business’ web presence, resulting in increased lead generation, top-of-mind brand awareness, and improved sales. Need help with your video marketing strategy? Call the experts at Millennium Agency today.
About Millennium Agency
Millennium Agency is a national award-winning digital creative, content/PR and video marketing firm. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, our team unites creative branding and data analytics to accelerate our clients’ growth, while combining our clients’ vision with our marketing expertise to increase sales opportunities and drive brand success. From video advertising and web design to social media and PR, Millennium can guide your marketing efforts every step of the way. Contact the professionals at Millennium Agency to learn more!
Linda Fanaras is the President and Founder of Millennium Agency (www.mill.agency) located in Manchester, NH and Boston. She can be reached at 877-873-7445 or lfanaras@mill.agency.
