Businesses must remember that in a world of constant changes, the most important words for attracting customers are’short and ‘worthwhile. Video marketing can be your greatest asset if you focus on your customers’ daily concerns and needs. How can you break through the clutter when there are 100 hours of YouTube video uploaded every minute, 50 tweets per second that contain a Vine link and 150 million Instagram users, 675 million viewers tuning in to view Vimeo videos?
How can marketers use video to generate leads and engage customers, show their brand, and ‘humanize” their content to appeal more people?
This article will discuss the top video marketing platforms, including Vine and Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Hangout, and YouTube. You will learn how to use each network efficiently, compare the pros & cons, and see which companies are doing it right (providing inspiration to help you crush it!
Vine
Vine is an app that thrives in the world of short, creative clips of video content. It is dependent on its users because it is a system that is dependent on them. It is a community-minded mobile app that allows interaction between users, audiences, and audiences. This allows for engagement and bouncing ideas back and forth. There are potential benefits such as increased exposure for those who share. Heather Taylor, Ogilvy’s vice-president, says Brand Vines get shared 4x more than other online videos and 5 Vines get shared every second on Twitter.
Because it is focused on your individual ideas and creativity, as well as your audience, it is a compromise. It is not surprising that users use it to find new ways to get the attention of their followers and increase their “likes” by using speed to gain popularity. You should, too.
Vine Quick Tips
- Think community. Think about what you want from your business in terms community interaction. Participate often and engage.
- Be imaginative and practical. People are looking for videos that are both entertaining and useful. You can give a demo or how-to of your product or something related to your brand.
- Make them want more. Your quick clips should be entertaining, inspiring, or humorous.
- Be authentic. This is a must-say for social media. However, don’t try hard to sell your products. Demonstrate what you stand behind. Your “Why” and your team’s success are shared.
It’s a good idea for brands
GE’s ‘6-Second Science’
Lowe’s “Fix in 6”
Vine is a great example of Vine being used right. These brands are providing something interesting, useful, and fun, instead of just talking about business. This increases customer engagement and shows what a brand can offer without sounding like an infomercial.
Brands on Vine have more great Vines
Pros
- Six second limit allows for more creativity
- Embeddable
- Launched January 2013, early-in = good opportunity to get on
Cons
- There are no filters
- Short length
- Pornography ridden
- It is quickly becoming crowded
Instagram is a marketing platform that, like Vine, allows brands to advertise in a more traditional yet technologically-friendly way with photos and short video clips. Simply Measured reports that 59 percent of the top brands in the world are currently active on the app. It is cost-effective and simple to use which is extremely important when trying to gain quick exposure in a creative manner.
HubSpot: “The primary reason brands use Instagram is to create a channel called ‘community and Culture’ in which brands share what it’s like to work at their company.”
The app is well-known for its filter photos and has reached a few milestones in the three years since its launch. According to The Wall Street Journal at the beginning of September, 150 million people used the app, which represents a 50% increase over the February update. Each second, Instagram adds one new user.
Instagram is a popular platform for consumers and brands alike. HubSpot reports that 40% of people respond to visual content, whereas videos get 3x as many inbound links as written posts.
Insta users are using hashtags to share videos to promote contests and favorites as well as to make their posts searchable by keywords. Brands can create a more personalized setting for their followers to share photos. This gives them an advantage with tons of user-generated content.
Instagram Quick Tips
- First, complete your profile . Do not skip any steps and make sure you link to your page on other social media sites.
- Interact! Find people who are interested in your business and related topics. Follow us and leave comments.
- Make yourself visible. Present your products, introduce employees, and show behind-the scenes. But, don’t be the used car salesman. Be consistent, but don’t be spammy.
- Be personable. Be real with users and not just the wizard behind the curtain. Brands that are human-like will be more appealing to people.
- Use hashtags. Instagram searches only allow you to search for hashtags. If you don’t tag any of your content, it will be lost beyond your followers.
It’s a good idea for brands
GE uses hashtags well: “Watch this timelapse of fan blades being fitted on a #GEnx#engine. It was filmed last week at #GEInstaWalk Peebles (OH). #GE #AVgeek #Video #Technology”
Social Media Examiner reports that Sharpie has gained an 89% market share thanks to social media. Sharpie uses Instagram to make ‘boring pen’ more appealing to teens.
You can also find more great Instagrammers at GE, Nike Whole Foods Market Target, Target, and Starbucks
Pros
- Filters
- 15 sec videos vs. 6 sec
- Videos can be edited
- Stabilization for shaky shots
- Facebook is now owned by us, so we have more connections
- You can pick your own thumbnail
Cons
- No looping option
- No embedding capabilities
- You can’t add text to the app
YouTube
How can you make the largest video sharing site in the world? To market your business successfully, you can use the 2 search engine. Over 72 hours of content are added each minute .
Ask yourself: Is YouTube right to my brand?
It’s wrong when it is
You might consider a paid hosting provider like Wistia, Vidyard, if your product-focused content seems more like a sales presentation that is geared towards pushing people through the sales funnel. YouTube is not the best place to start building links to your pages. Embedded videos do not connect to your site, but only to the platform.
It’s always right
A YouTube channel should only be considered if customers and others are viewing videos that relate to your field. According to comScore 90% of online shoppers consider brand videos useful when making a purchase decision while 65% will visit a brand’s website after watching a video to learn.
It all depends upon the industry and the content you use, as well as the goals that you have for the business. You should use what you believe will help you grow.
Viral videos and viral views
Video marketing is not all about viral videos. It’s difficult to do so with the volume of YouTube video uploaded every second. It’s crucial to cater to your audience’s needs and interests when creating content that has a lasting impact on clients and viewers.
YouTube can do some of the work, but YouTube’s main goal is to drive consistent viewing traffic.
Youtube Quick Tips
- Quality should be a priority. It’s a longer format so make sure you use high-quality video. To get excellent audio, team up with a professional.
- Use keywords. To increase search results, be consistent with your video descriptions, tags, or titles. For SEO and traffic, always include a link back to your site in the description of your video. Google has an algorithm that increases the likelihood of a site ranking higher in search results if it includes video content.
- Get started with great content. To engage clients and prospects more, you should think more about how-tos, explainer videos and tutorials. You can keep the connection with your audience alive by inviting them to participate in community events. Make them feel part of your work by sharing footage from conferences and marketing events. Video is a great way to interact with viewers. To strengthen your credibility, share customer feedback. Your audience will learn more about you by choosing the right content for your video marketing. This is based on how informative, entertaining, and advertising the final product is. This will improve recall, credibility, and overall perspective.
- Monitor Content. Google is working towards a channel ranking. This means you can identify what is causing your channel to lose value. You should get rid of anything that isn’t performing well.
- Create a Call to Action. Give viewers the option to choose which direction they want to go at the end of your video.
- Share it! After you have figured out the content of your video and produced it, you can set it up to get more attention. Share it with other social media accounts and upload it to YouTube.
- Connect. Reach out to business-minded audiences and businesses. Visit LinkedIn and Facebook to see more.
- Strategize. Online video and YouTube should be part of your marketing strategy in order to increase visibility, trust your audience and convert potential customers into consumers. Create a video SEO strategy to build your channel.
It’s a good idea for brands
Allstate is making big moves with their YouTube channel. It’s totally custom and showcases all the great spots they have. For increased engagement, they have also linked their Twitter account.
You can find more great brands on YouTube: Old Spice and PartSelect, Zappos and Blendtec
Pros
- Cross-platform work
- Great for SEO
- Always free
- Entertainment/Educational focus
Cons
- Advertisement
- Competitor may be included in “related videos”
- Crowded
- It is not as strong/uplifting.
Vimeo
YouTube is the best platform for video marketing because it has the highest traffic. But have you ever thought about other platforms? A smaller, more loyal audience may be better for you.
Jamie Cartwright says it in his article about B2C: ” Vimeo screams professionalism the same way as LinkedIn.” It couldn’t be more simple.
Vimeo is a small community that consists of filmmakers, their fans, and content producers. It is not like YouTube. It’s refined. Vimeo may be the right place for you if your target audience is creative people. While viral potential is lower than other video formats, the quality and presentation of videos is far better than those from its competitors. Videos are more organized, easier to find and of a higher quality. This is the quality that your brand should strive for. Vimeo has been a leader in quality since its inception. Vimeo was the first site to offer HD for consumers.
Vimeo has many benefits. For example, your video will stop playing after it is over. This means that any related videos to yours won’t be shown. Vimeo is ad free. Your customers will love that! They have also removed all commercial, gaming, and other non-user-generated content. They monitor it to ensure that it stays that way. No cat videos getting in the way of your message!
Quick Vimeo Tips
- Create community and not mass consumption. Make sure you interact with people commenting on your Vimeo videos if you are marketing on Vimeo. Why? It will increase viewers’ chances of sharing and returning, and could lead to collaboration or lead generation.
- Customize. The player’s aesthetic is excellent and can be customized with a paid account. This can be used to your advantage, by matching the player’s color with your brand. Your logo can be added to your videos.
- Keep integrity. If you are producing viral content (Dollar Shave Club etc.) I would recommend YouTube. However, if you produce quality content that is informative and has integrity, Vimeo might be a good option.
- Consider getting paid. Vimeo On Demand is a service that allows companies to pay for their video. The direct-to fan distribution of Vimeo On Demand includes Vimeo’s video player and easy-to use tools. It also has a passionate audience. Creators have the option to put their content online. This will generate exposure that helps them connect with audiences and generate a 90/10 revenue split.