Just like you do with any other form of content marketing, you must outline your business goals from the inception of your video marketing initiative.
What would you like to offer current/potential customers with your videos? What type of content will you use to present your material? What platforms will you choose to upload and share your video on?
Phil Nottingham, an SEO consultant and video specialist at Distilled, says that a goal-driven strategy is needed to ensure the success of your video marketing campaign:
- Define your business goals.
- Outline your target audience: Where will you host your video? How do you plan to promote your goal?
- Develop content that matches your goals and target audience.
Here are some of the ways businesses can promote their brands, products or services using video:
Tell Your Story
Perhaps your business has a deep-rooted history. One of the most personable and engaging videos a small business can offer customers is one that details its story.
What started it all? How much pride do you take in carrying on the family name or business? These questions may capture the attention of your most loyal fans, thus garnering shares and likes. As a result, this type of video content may find its way into the view of new and potential customers interested in learning more about your brand.
Promotional content genuinely displays a company brand, its products or its services. While it serves more like a traditional TV or radio spot, promotional video content provides a more personal look at what your business has to offer.
Family-owned pizza place Bocce Club Pizza has a tradition that dates back to the mid-1940s. In a city like Buffalo, quality pizza (and chicken wings, of course) is very much part of the fabric of the community. For many, Bocce’s pizza is a cultural staple.
The promotional video illustrates Bocce’s rich history with an amiable touch and provides a few delectable scenes that’ll entice your taste buds.
Behind the Scenes
Businesses in all industries look for ways to leverage themselves as leaders in their respective field. What sets you apart from competitors?
How about giving customers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at your winning culture? Mainstreethost recently launched a weekly series entitled #MSHMondays to highlight its employees. This allows clients to put a face to a name and get an exclusive look at some of the individuals that they work with on a daily basis.
Exhibit how your company can handle the rigors of the busiest day of the year. For example, a pizza place may want to give a behind-the-scenes look at the hectic yet manageable workload on Super Bowl Sunday.
Every restaurant has its signature dish. Give customers a sneak peak at what it takes to prepare the meal. Demonstrate to viewers how to use your product correctly. Those who watch a product video on an ecommerce site stay on the site longer on average, and more importantly, they are more likely to make a purchase.
Other examples of this type of video include clips from trade shows, guest-speaking engagements, exclusive interviews, and screencasts, which are typically narrated digital recordings of screens captured on PCs or mobile devices. The key recipe to success with this type of video content is being able to offer your customers or potential clients something useful at no charge.
Customer Service
Gone are the days of fumbling and bungling with a company’s 1-800 number, oftentimes waiting on hold to speak with a customer service representative. Today brands tap the power of social media to deliver instantaneous responses to their customers’ questions, concerns and even complaints.
A thorough explanation or response to some of the tougher inquiries or questions may be challenging to write on Twitter in 140 characters or fewer. Another avenue some companies have begun to explore is responding with video. Businesses reply to customers by posting a link to the video on either Facebook or Twitter.
Warby Parker, a company that sells trendy eyewear at an affordable price, pioneered this method of customer service. Its customer service Twitter handle @WarbyParkerHelp continues to respond to customers’ complaints and praise via personalized video messages like this:
It’s telling how powerful a simple, 53-second personalized video can be.
Viral Content
Not every business has the mettle, creativity or endless budget to develop content that has the potential to go viral (see: Red Bull Stratos). This type of video isn’t achievable for every business. The term viral refers to something that spreads like wildfire over the Internet and draws a great deal of views and shares.
This type of content could fall into a few different types of video categories, such as behind-the-scenes or customer service. The aim here is to craft something funny or bold—and most times unexpected—with hopes that it will be passed around by viewers via word of mouth, social media and a bit of luck.
Examples of viral video content include parodies of pop culture, a collection of colleagues lip-synching a prominent song (“Call Me Maybe,” anyone?) or even an intrepid statement or response regarding a current event or pressing issue (e.g., bullying).
Dollar Shave Club, a Los Angeles-based startup, turned a $4,500 production into a video that garnered more than 10 million views on YouTube. The video was funny, witty, and took a risk with the line, “Our blades are f**king great.”
Testimonials
Client testimonials can provide your website with some of the most powerful statements that back up your product or service.
Put your celebrated customers or clients in front of a camera and have them explain why they chose your company, how they benefitted from your product or service, and why they would wholeheartedly recommend your business to others in the future.