Video Marketing & Video SEO

Using video content to engage customers and drive new prospects is still a surprisingly under-utilized strategy with brands big and small. Not only is it relatively inexpensive to use but video content can be leveraged in many different ways and is easy to promote through social media.

How would you describe video marketing? Is it just another form of advertising or does it have its own unique characteristics?

Video marketing has become a powerful tool for businesses looking to reach customers through social media. In fact, according to HubSpot, nearly 80% of consumers watch at least some amount of video every month.

Video marketing is a type of Internet marketing that involves creating and uploading videos to various platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. The goal of video marketing is to increase brand awareness, generate leads, boost sales, and improve customer service. Video marketing isn’t just about posting random videos on the web; rather, marketers should create valuable content that engages viewers and encourages them to take action.

Here are 5 suggestions along with examples from companies who are getting it right:

• • 1. Tell your Story: What is it about your company that makes you unique? Video is a very visual and compelling way to communicate emotion and a mission statement. If you are passionate about your company and its products, check out this post from Wistia How to Tell Your Company’s Story in Under 90 Seconds, with video. Do something similar with your product and brand.
  • 2. Start a Video Podcast / Diary: Video diaries can run the gamut. They can be self-contained chapters that cover a variety of topics or they can be multi-chaptered ventures that cover a single event, trip, or odyssey. Video diaries are a great way to show an inside, relaxed viewpoint of a brand or company. A great example of this is the “Why Xerox” video campaign used by the company to promote their student intern program. Xerox interns produce and submit completed video diaries of their time at Xerox and these are promoted through the company site and YouTube channel.
  • 3. Use Video to Highlight your Products: A great example is the current The Love Letter series sponsored by Outdoor Research which follows two climbers, Fitz and Becca Cahall, and their 300-mile journey through the Sierras. Not only did the climbers use Outdoor Research-provided gear, but the video was prominently seen by thousands through the Outdoor Research YouTube channel and cross-promoted heavily through their site and social media channels, resulting in a lot of media mentions and certainly new fans and customers.
  • 4. Video Humor to Drive Traffic: When you think of humor on the Internet, one site springs to mind: Cracked! With a tagline of “America’s Only Humor Site Since 1958” Cracked publishes several video series called “Cracked Video Series “ and the series won the Audience Choice prize at the Steamy Awards. The series has resulted in noticeable increases in both site visitors and ad revenue since its launch.
  • 5. Video as Customer Outreach: Zappos.com is well-known for its detailed video product tutorials. But they really hit a home run with their new Zappos.com Video Experience series. Using their best resource, a highly rabid customer base, Zappos has made it easy for its customers to share testimonials about their experience with Zappos and its products by providing information on how to submit video testimonials. Here’s Some Examples

Oh, ..and don’t let other people advertise on your videos, if you host on YouTube.

Zapos.com Integrated Story

This Generic Brand Video, by Dissolve, demonstrates the power of stock video and storytelling.