Making headway on your digital marketing strategy should be a priority for businesses right now. Studies show over 80% of consumers have consumed more video content since the coronavirus outbreak than at any time over the past 2 years. This proves video is what is needed! It’s estimated that by 2022, 82% of all content creation online will be video. So why don’t we all take the time to get a head start on our video marketing strategies? Our video production company can help if you want to jump straight in!
Over lockdown we attended a multitude of online events and those who effectively used video and video marketing techniques immediately stood out. A couple of great examples were Microsoft’s Biz Apps Summit and IBM’s Think 2020. These events used a lot, and we mean a lot of video, both approached it a little bit differently, the incorporation of an engaging video strategy made hours of content consumption more consumable. Customers are hungry for content, they have time to digest it, and they’re in a safe space like their homes and they are free to consume at will.
Many companies are focusing on digital as a substitute for the traditional face-to-face event, there’s an opportunity here to turn towards video as a means to better customer engagement, communication and retention during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have given you a few ways to incorporate video into your marketing strategy during this time of lockdown. We are finding ways to thrive!
Make Your Goals Clear
Just because we see video as being hugely popular, that doesn’t mean it will always be a successful tool. A study revealed that 45% of marketing teams have paused or stopped a video campaign midway in 2020. Crazy! This is probably because they hadn’t established a clear goal for their business. To make sure your video achieves the results you wish for, take time before you create video content to determine what your aims truly are. Do you just want engagement with your video? Do you want to retain or inform current customers? Do you want to share some information about what your business is doing? We have some great video for business examples! Make your goals translate into video before you even launch your video marketing campaign out of the door! Oh and be realistic. Consumer demand is currently at an all-time low. Change your expectations about what the consumer wants and what they are able to give your business during this time.
Make Video Marketing Content that’s useful.
Consumers are being inundated with video content right now. Everyone seems to want to tell their customers what they’re up to during the COVID-19 crisis. Which is a good strategy. However, research shows that 43% of consumers now think the COVID-19 messaging they are receiving on their newsfeeds and inbox is way too similar. Businesses appear to be copying and pasting the “we’re doing everything we can” and “we will be back to normal” messages. Even our video production company has produced this similar content! https://modusfilm.com/blog/thetimewestoppedcoronavirus/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQSRvYk2C0Q
If we are to be serious though, speaking from the heart and differentiating ourselves amidst the traffic would seem like the ideal second option. A post on Facebook came up the other day that said “Advertising before Coronavirus: Look at all these features”. It then listed: buy a <insert product name here>. A similar add said “Advertising during Coronavirus: We care about you now look at all these features”: why not buy a <insert same brand/product here>.
The question to ask is how can you change that advert? Make sure there is true purpose in your communication. Beyond having a business goal, your video or videos need to be giving something back to the customer. Digital is about the customer experience and your video marketing strategy needs to be pumped full. If the content is serving you alone and your video for business is just that, rather than the customer, you are going to be frustrating people to no end. Make the way to engage, uplifting, and supportive, or don’t send it, simple as that.
Authenticity
Video is the most likely medium to go viral and the only way to create that type of content is to be authentic. What is your brand or business personality? Oreo’s Stay Home, Stay Playful ad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcFSiBJ-bdA) is so genuine it’s heartwarming. Plus it made us fancy a pack the same goes for Facebooks own ad campaign which again tugs at the heartstrings. Now, these reactions weren’t a big surprise which came from these two big brands. These videos were made without directly calling out their products and took minimum budget.
These companies have huge pockets and probably big advertising teams, the lesson to take away is how they used their message. How can a business use video marketing and authentic voice to create videos consumers don’t just watch, but purposely search for and share?
Video marketing on a budget
So you are not Budweiser or Oreo, if you are then please do bring us into the fold? www.modusfilm.com. If like many people, you are facing budget restraints or maybe you had to follow Google’s lead and cut your marketing spend for the rest of the year. As a business or brand, you need to realise: the marketing investments you make right now may not pay off in terms of sales. Hard truth so keep your budget in mind. Don’t hire actors or extras, use real people who are at your disposal. Grab some Insta-stories. Film on your phone and use software like iMovie to edit. Better still hire our services. Point being: even though they are effective videos, they may not bring the sales you want. So, invest in a video strategy smartly. Our top tip is to keep your marketing alive and stay in the customers mind as much as possible!
Mobile is King!
During the stay at home period, some 55% of people are getting their news using their mobile phones. This figure does not include the many millions of people scrolling through their newsfeeds on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and even TikTok. Make sure your video content is mobile friendly as much as possible. Consider the platform you will upload it too. For instance, YouTube does have some benefits. Its search is integrated across both Google and itself. You get double the search power for the content you upload in this way. Details like this make a huge impact when you are trying to make the most of your tight budget.
The Last and probably important thing to take note of is the world around you. The videos going viral during this time are the ones that bring people hope, information, and joy. Theses are videos of doctors calming people, people singing from balconies. Even demonstrations of children teaching us how to wear gloves properly. People want information and support. If your company’s marketing videos and video marketing strategy can provide that in an authentic way. Well you’ll be on to a winner.
Modus Film is a video production company based in Kent and London. Our services are nationwide and our video marketing agency can help you make some groundbreaking content. If you want to discuss this further contact us or better yet see how video marketing can transform your current marketing mix. We are now fully PPE compliant. Plus we carry on working!
Do You Need to Talk to an Expert?
As video marketing experts we are specialists in all forms of video marketing. Here at Modus Film, we have completed many projects for our clients that have required us defining a digital strategy with really great results. If you want to speak to a specialist email [email protected] or call us on 01233 273 273.