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Create a compelling video using these strategies from viral videos!

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Are you running low on ideas for your next video? Wondering what tactics and strategies these companies used to create their viral video ads? Your videos don’t need to be made to go viral, but learning how these companies went viral can be helpful if you’re looking to add the tactic to your video marketing strategy. In this article, we uncover the types of videos and strategies that were used to go viral.

If you’re one of the 85% of companies, according to Wyzowl, using video in their marketing strategy, then you’ll understand how valuable videos are for your company and your audience. Your video has to be engaging with your audience. Most viral videos are entertaining and appeal to the emotions of the viewers. Some use humor to talk about their product or brand, while others go for a shock factor. Storytelling is a great route to consider to share your values in either an empowering, inspirational, or personal way. If you’re creating a product video or sharing your brand story, think about how you can create a scenario that highlights one or more of the pain points, features, or benefits of using your product or the brand mission statement. For example, instead of showing how the blender operates in Blendtec’s “Will it Blend?” series, the company took a different approach and blended unusual items that revealed the strength and power of the Blendtec line of blenders.

The production value does not need to be high to get your message across. In fact, Android compiled clips of different animals playing together and ended the ad with their campaign message. The message ties the brand with the video and makes excellent use of emotions to increase the engagement of the ad. Whether you choose to create videos that are creative, humorous, out-of-the-box, include interesting characters, or invoke storytelling, remember your goals and brand values and you’ll have impactful and entertaining videos for your business.

Credit: Uros Stanimirovic  10 Best Viral Marketing Videos of Recent Times

Investing in video content is essential for your success. Find out why.

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So you know that video is constantly present in our personal lives, but do you also know that video works well in your business too? Video is a powerful engagement tool that when implemented in a marketing strategy can help reach any goals your business may have. It’s accessibility due to technological advancements have made it more possible for companies to train employees, hold meetings, and educate and entertain consumers. Include video in your marketing strategy, using these reasons to guide your decision.  

For hiring businesses, video is an excellent source to train your new employees without spending a huge sum of money for extensive training programs. Help your employees retain information by creating interactive videos that compliments every employee’s learning style. There’s no need to change the entire video when updating the video. You can make a few changes, while allowing your viewers to replay the video at any time. Businesses have shifted and adapted to using online formats to navigate the changes of the lack of workplace environment surrounding the pandemic. Video is one method that draws consumers in to make a purchase. Provide virtual alternatives to physical events and meetings so that your clients and potential consumers stay connected with your business.

Viewers’ preferences shift as technology increases and different types of content becomes preferable. Whether you choose short-form or long-form content create videos with your target audience and goals in mind. Short-form content is great when you want to engage with your audience in a span of 15-60 seconds. Long-form content works well with interviews, educational videos, how-to videos, and demonstrations. A longer video gives you the opportunity to share your brand story and explain any products services without feeling like you are short for time. Improve how you approach your long-form and short-form content in your marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and engagement.

You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch to create a video. Your written content is the foundation for your video. Your viewers will retain more of what was said in the video than what was read in the written content. Use any old blog posts, scripts from interviews, and guides as inspiration for your next video. Make your video appear where your target audience is. That means placing videos in your email newsletter, social media platforms, and website. Analyze the results from the video to make sure you’ve targeted your audience, then refine your strategy for the next campaign. Overall, video connects your customers to you. Add, adapt and analyze your marketing strategy with videos as your investment.

Credit: Luke Fitzpatrick 7 Reasons To Invest In Video Content In 2020

Louis Vuitton Behind the Scenes Slow Motion Commercial

Become fashion forward by watching this striking behind the scenes of a Louis Vuitton men’s fall-winter show 2021 commercial by CineMotion.⛸

Apply These 6 Video Types to Improve Your Business

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A growing number of businesses are seeing the positive impact videos have on their business. Videos help improve engagement and conversion rates on your websites and social platforms. With so many options out there, it can seem daunting to create one that fulfills your business goals. We’ve compiled a list of the needed six video types to create for your business.

The first four focus on your customers and viewers. If your business is in an industry many may be unfamiliar with or feature terms that need an explanation, the best solution would be to create explainer videos. Explainer videos can help viewers understand your business better and possibly increase sales. Have a new product coming out and want your customers to know all about it? Product videos are best, in this regard, as they demonstrate the product’s features and benefits to the consumers. This is the time to answer any consumer’s questions and offer any tips to use the product or service in the best capacity. Consumers are then informed with the information from the video to make a purchasing decision. Also, consider creating a customer support video that answers more questions your customers may have once they become your customer.

With those two video types created, your consumer knows your business and the products offered. What they don’t know is what past customers have to say about your business. This is where a testimonial video plays a role. Testimonials show the potential customer the positive impact your business had with your satisfied regular customers. These types of videos provide your business the opportunity to teach and show your customer that you are a valued trusted brand.

The next two video types focus on creating videos to benefit your internal team. The recruiting videos reveal a behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to be an employee at your business. Videos that inform the employee on the recent company news and train them on new product offerings are valuable resources that can be updated and accessed at any time. Answer, educate, and inform your customers and employees through these types of videos for a prepared, engaging, and competitive business.

Credit: Written by Jennifer Lonoff Schiff 6 ways video can boost your business

Finding Your True North

“If you can find your true north first, everything is gonna fall into place, because, things are gonna make sense into your mind.”

This quote from our podcast episode with “Just Trek Podcast” podcast host and producer Justin Rimon offers advice for companies and individuals discovering and growing their brand.

Justin is also an event producer, experiential marketer, former manager of the popular dance group, I.aM.mE, and former community manager at Trip.com

Listen to this insightful episode again as we explore topics surrounding community engagement, networking, and finding your true north.

Link to episode 38 on Apple Podcasts here: Authentic Community Growth, Fitness & Creativity, And The Importance Of Finding Your True North

Thumbnails and Covers

Need inspiration on thumbnail covers? Thumbnails are the glimpse of your video viewers see as they scroll in their feed. Research which thumbnails do best in your industry, video type, and social media platform as you choose your thumbnail. In this clip from our video content course, we reveal how to select a thumbnail and cover image and offer suggestions on choosing a relevant high-quality photo as your cover photo.

Start Video Marketing For Your Small Business

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Video marketing is here, it's thriving, and it's not going away. If you're a small business owner and you haven't added video marketing to your content marketing strategy yet, you still have time to join your competition. Video marketing is the use of goal-driven videos in your content marketing strategy to reach your ideal customers. With that said, videos are such a versatile content medium that adding them to your strategy will help your customers be aware of your company, your products or services, and your story. Follow along as we highlight why video marketing is valuable for your small business and how to use this strategy to improve your online presence!

Let’s start with some statistics. As technology continues to increase and the resources needed to create videos become more accessible, more and more companies are uploading videos on their landing pages, YouTube channels, and social media. Videos have the power to maintain your viewer's engagement on your video and within your website. There is a 157% increase in organic search results when there are videos embedded on your website. You can also expect conversions of up to 80% when you include videos on your landing page. In addition to increased conversions, your business might see more product sales after viewers see your product video, with 64% of them more likely to make a purchase. Choose to upload videos on YouTube, the second most popular site in the world, according to Alexa. Short videos have value, and if the average viewer watches more than 90 minutes of videos a day, and a majority of viewers use YouTube to watch videos, then maximize that opportunity to connect with your customers on that channel.

When it comes to the specific content in your video, the options are endless. This is the opportunity to teach, inform, or entertain your viewers about your business. For example, you can explain a term in your industry, introduce a team member, or produce a series of short videos answering frequently asked questions! According to HubSpot, over 74% of customers prefer to learn about a product or service through video than in a text format. This sparks a wonderful opportunity for your video content strategy. Set clear goals with an engaging and authentic story in mind for your viewers to watch. Then post your video on your website and the social media channels your customers are frequently on. Join 81% of businesses using video marketing and implement it in your strategy today!

Credit: Boosted by Lightricks Video Marketing for Small & Local Businesses in 2020

Find Your Optimal Video Length for the Best Engagement

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So you’ve entered into the world of video marketing and you’re already uploading videos to your audience! Great job! Are those videos meeting the engagement goals you set for them? Have you considered that the video length is a possible reason for not hitting your goal? If not, don’t worry, because our guide goes over the conditions in a video that could determine the engagement.

Before we get into the video length, it’s crucial to consider the other reasons why viewers might not fully watch your video. When you create videos for your business, you may create them to be informative, educational, or entertaining. The videos you upload are to appeal to your target audience, optimizing for the device they are on. This is where viewing your analytics plays a role. Look into where your viewers are watching your video as well as when the engagement tends to drop. This will help you create content that keeps them engaged throughout the video. After you’ve adjusted the content, target audience, and device optimization, if needed, let’s move on to the video length.

Video length is a good metric to review towards understanding your viewers, as you can pinpoint where most of your viewers finished the video and what they might have missed after they left the video. Each video type has a desired length that has optimal engagement. Most videos that perform well vary between 30-119 seconds, according to The Next Web. However, according to Wisita, a 2-minute video can do well in engagement. However, don’t be restricted to create videos within two minutes. The longer your video is, the more you will have to stay connected with your audience as engagement continues to drop.

Here are some strategies to include in the context of your video to help your customers stay engaged. Focus on one main subject and if that subject is a pain point your customer requested, that’s even better because you will have their attention during the video. To ensure that, write the pain point or main subject in the title, caption, and keywords of the video. Don’t forget to add captions and include a CTA to take them to another video or through a sales funnel. If you’re planning on uploading your video on social media, keep in mind that those platforms have varying optimal video lengths as well. Now your short, concise, engaging video is ready to be uploaded! For more information, click the article below.

Credit: Jesica Mraz Short vs. Long Videos: What is the Best Explainer Video Length?

Focus & Depth of Field

Have you heard of the term depth of field before? Depth of field is an important concept in photography and videography as the distance between the objects in your camera frame determine which objects are sharp and clear. Control the depth of field by adjusting the aperture, distance from the lens, and the focal length. In this clip from our video content course, we explain what depth of field is and how to adjust your camera settings and lens to make your image or shot in focus for your next project.

Finding Your Creative Niche

“You have to talk about something specifically. All your subject matter has to be around something specifically. Because that’s why people are gonna wanna come to you. Because you’re the expert on that thing.”

This quote came from podcast host Ryan Helms as he emphasized the importance of finding a specific topic as the subject of your podcast to grow a niche audience that uniquely separates you from the general podcast audience. As an experienced podcaster, Ryan Helms is no stranger to the business of podcasting with three podcast-related businesses: Melville.App, Legacy Podcasting, and Hustle to Freedom Podcast.

Revisit this episode as we talked about his journey from a 9-5 job with a side hustle to a full-time podcaster and content business owner, the importance of delegation to scale your business, and how continually evolving company with your offerings to stay ahead of your competition.

Listen to the full episode here: Scaling Up A Side Hustle To A Full-Time Business, Staying Ahead With Innovation, And The Scope For Podcasting As A Business

Run & Gun Shooting

Are you running to a run and gun shoot? There’s no need to carry all your camera equipment because run and gun filmmaking only needs you, your camera, and a few essential tools. The run and go shooting concept is excellent to train yourself on shooting creative shots in a short time-frame. In this clip from our video content course, we introduce the run and go shooting concept.

Filming Outside

Are you planning on shooting outdoors? Be prepared with what and how you want to shoot before you film anything outdoors as the location, time of day you plan to shoot, and legal documents all play a role in choosing the site. As shooting in exterior surroundings can be unpredictable, carry tools such as a windsock, ND filters, LED lights, and other essential camera sound and lighting equipment with you. In this clip from our video content course, we go over tips and advice to make filming outdoors a breeze.

The Creative Brief

Do you have a written guideline that outlines your project's strategy for everyone involved? Without a document like a creative brief, your creative video or project can be directed off course and can lose sight of the original intentions of the project. A creative brief will guide you in the direction and outcome you want to take with your project. In this clip from our video content course, we discuss the important elements that go into a creative brief.

Social Media Video Optimization

Are your videos optimized for mobile viewing? Take into consideration how your viewers are watching your videos. Your viewers need to see and hear everything on your video, no matter what device they watch videos on. In this clip from our video content course, we go over the different social media video specifications recommended for better optimization within a platform and device.

Platform Research

Let's focus on the platforms your videos will be displayed on after you've created a video creation strategy. Understanding what and how your ideal customer engages in video content will help you determine where and how to reach your viewers. In this clip from our video content course, we also uncover the benefits of posting videos natively on platforms.