Section 2.06 Video Marketing

Module 2

Video is now essential to make yourself and your business stand out of the crowd – Melvin Mayard

Video Marketing 

This is where videos are used to promote and market your product or service, increase engagement on your digital and social channels, to educate consumers and customers and reach your audiences.

Today the trend for Businesses to promote their Brand is in need of a video. Whilst it is no longer a new concept, video marketing strategy has become part of every platform and channel.

Video is no longer just one piece of your overall marketing plan. It’s central to your outreach and campaign efforts … especially your social media strategy.

The innovation and rise of MTV (Music Television) cable television network began as a 24-hour platform for music videos. MTV started in 1981 with virtually low expectations if not an experiment on music lovers’ behaviours. This phenomenon took the world by surprise and quickly became an overnight expectation and trend way before the internet was invented.

Today we see how behavioural needs have had a new adaptation and developed to its new medium of social media. Video making from music to absolutely anything has now become a necessity for business success.         

Why should you focus on video marketing today?

Videos have a greater appeal to people in general for various reasons;

• easier to watch 
• entertaining
• triggers our emotional state
• convey messages 
• no need to commit  

The list goes on as to why people prefer to watch videos than read.  

It is not as crucial as why we should focus on creating and using videos to convey our messages compared to how they evolved.  

Video is helpful for more than entertainment, videos on a website landing page are capable of increasing conversion rates by over 80%, and the mere mention of the word “video” in your email subject line increases open rates by about 19%.  Approximately 90% of customers also say videos help them make buying decisions; blog.hubspot.com.

Videos haven’t only transformed how businesses market and consumers’ shopping habits; it’s has revolutionised how salespeople connect with and convert prospects and how service teams support and delight customers. In short, videos are beneficial throughout the entire cycle reaching out and winning customers.

Compared with today’s figures 

Since there are no global surveys being carried out to find the true stats of today’s preference for video usage, based on many independent stats the following could be concluded. 

Video stats Analysis 

In the near future, we are looking for the trend to take a dramatic change to the following. 

Either way the trends for video marketing will continue to increase, and some other formats of communication will become a victim. Will it be email or blogging or something else?  It is hard to tell because it is still being produced and used.  

Types of videos

Explainer Videos

This type of video is used to help your audience better understand why they need your product or service. Many explainer videos focus on a fictional journey of the company’s core buyer struggling with a problem. This person overcomes the issue by adopting or buying the business’ solution.

Demo Videos

Demo videos showcase how your product works — whether that’s taking viewers on a tour of your software and how it can be used. 

Brand Videos

Brand videos are typically created as a part of a more extensive advertising campaign, showcasing the company’s high-level vision and mission, and can include the products and services briefly.

 Educational videos 

Instructional videos can teach your audience something new or build the foundational knowledge they’ll need to understand your business and solutions better. These videos can also be used by your service and sales teams as they work with customers.

B.E.E.D – Brand, Educational, Explanation and Demo

Video making steps  

1. The grand Plan of your ideas. 
2. Script your video if you need to.
3. Understand and use your phone and camera. 
4. Select a place of work or set up a studio.
5. Prepare your team/ new skills.  
6. Record, edit, and voiceover.
7. Choose background music- be careful of copyrights. 
8. Organise footage and administrative filling on digital devices.  
9. Produce your video by posting it. 
10. Advertise the video with the intent for it to be seen.  

Ever since YouTube made its debut, it has revolutionised video-streaming as a whole, with internet videos now more accessible to a broader audience. YouTube currently has millions of users with videos being watched more than billions of times. Additionally, YouTube has reached multiple audiences and made some of its users’ famous internet stars.

It is no surprise that YouTube is also used as an effective digital marketing platform because of its tremendous impact on web users and web visitors. For this reason, numerous video production companies utilise internet video sites like YouTube as a platform to promote various businesses and companies.

Video marketing is on the rise across all forms of digital media, that’s especially true of social media. Approximately 60% of marketers have published a video on Facebook, while about 40% have used Instagram videos.

Many social media platforms allow free video content, pay for video ads and stream live videos. 

Power of Videos

Over the past years, video has risen in popularity across the globe. You see it everywhere – on television, social media, text messages, billboards, online advertisements, and restaurant menus.

Videos making and watching have become prominent among the rising generation, and creating videos of your own has never been easier. Now, everyone has instant access to filming, editing and publishing videos via most mobile devices and home computers, i.e. mobile phones, tablets and laptops.

Almost every major social media network – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and many more – has made it easier to upload, view and share videos on their respective apps and websites.

Additionally, the importance of video marketing has never been greater. It has become clear just by looking at elementary video statistics. A significant part of business success lies in successful video marketing and the combination of social media usage.  

1. Video displays nonverbal communication.

Body language and verbal tone play a huge role in conveying a message. Text content relies on precise word choice, punctuation and visual features like emojis to establish the right tone. However, with video, viewers are able to observe and determine what the speaker is communicating including observing body language, hearing the verbal tone and other visual cues.

2. Video engages audiences.

Messages are more powerfully delivered with the combination of visuals and sound, and it’s the most popular medium, viewers are ready to listen as long as they follow up with valuable and concise content as businesses are taking advantage of their marketing videos.  

Power of mobile sharing

Mobile devices have become more powerful than a home computer at one’s fingertip. In your hand is the power to create, share immediately and engage with any chosen audience on social media. 

This opportunity is available to this current generation due to technological advancement.  Learn how to utilise your mobile devices and their functions to access the internet for your every need and to do business at any chosen moment like never before.  Today, we are left without excuses as to why we are not using this technological revolution to succeed! Use the power that is often in your hand; your mobile phone. 

Your mobile can be your friend or your enemy. It’s part of us, most of us in the developed world can’t leave it for a minute. So, for this purpose, we must make a decision if we are to have a business now or in the future if we are going to maximise its use or treat it like an enemy. 

So, which is it?

It’s a personal choice. Nonetheless, it must be made.  It’s either part of you or not. If it is, then use it to create video marketing. Begin by raising your confidence in being in front of the camera. Then practice, practice and practice even more every day until it’s second nature to switch your camera on and film something with ease. 

This will increase your skills and understanding of how to use and how the film is. All the experience would give an advantage for business video understanding even if you will not be creating your own professional videos. You must develop good judgement of video quality.     

As an entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to make the final judgement call on every aspect of your business. 

How to start practicing 

• Start by making a 30-sec video on anything without a script. 
• practice every day reporting on anything you prefer. 
• Every day increase your time by 5 secs. 
• decide what you will do with the clip, keep or trash it. 
• if keeping it for a record of your work and experience, file it. 
• practice about 15-20 videos and reflect on your confidence. 
• If you are quickly making a 5-10 mins video without a script, your natural confidence is high. 
• lean to use the script as well. 
• practice a dozen times with scripts once you feel confident you are ready.
• the whole process only takes about 2 to 4 weeks to be ready as an amateur if you practice every day. 
• Start making video clips and posting them on your website or social media pages. 

Don’t seek to be perfect, enjoy the journey, it’s fun. Perfection would come with time, patience and upgrading your equipment when you know you are ready. Try NOT to run before you can walk. 

Analyse your video footage and learn from them, question everything,

• lights
• sounds
• angles
• vibration
• distance 

As a rule, follow these (P.A.T) steps, 

• Practice every day for the 1st month
• After 30 days, record and post a video on your channels every day for at least 60 days.
• Take action consistently for three months every day, then consider if it’s right for you to upgrade. 

If you break this process, start again from the beginning. Keep the discipline, otherwise, do NOT upgrade as you are not disciplined and are looking for unskilled quick mediocre results that will lead to nothing. 

Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your videos which will lead you to become a master of video marketing -Melvin Mayard

Summary 

• Focus on video marketing 
• B.E.E.D – Brand, Educational, Explanation and Demo
• get videoing skills and experience 
• If you have a business, have a good understanding of the basics.
• Practice before upgrading equipment

ACTIVITY 2.06

Follow the outline of the video-making steps above and research it more in-depth. Create a 5 mins video marketing for your company/business venture. 

What are the 3 most challenging points you encountered? 

1.

2.

3.

Please grade yourself on this section.

Please provide your feedback on the section.