Video marketing, when done well, can help customers connect with your brand. It can also allow them to trust you more, which means they’ll want to come back to your page over and over again. On the other hand, if audiences sense you’re trying to sell them something with your videos, they’ll go running for the hills.
Now is a great time to strengthen your video marketing and review video marketing best practices. According to Forbes, video marketing continues to explode as a way to reach customers. Following video marketing best practices can help streamline your workflow and make impactful content. Here are a few simple actions you can take to enhance brand stickiness through the power of video.
DON’T: Waste anyone’s time.
While there are lots of ways to make sure you’re crafting valuable content, this action item specifically refers to longer videos. While you can (and should) use videos to tell stories, make sure that story has a real purpose. In other words, use video marketing to share ideas and messages for the right reasons. Those reasons can include things like helping your audience solve a major pain point or even just making them smile. Positive experiences often help boost audience engagement so be sure to create some through video.
DO: Follow the Goldilocks rule for video length.
If your goal is to increase audience engagement, make sure you create videos that are not too long but not too fast either. Short-form videos (usually a minute or less) are entertaining enough to hold a viewer’s attention but quick enough that they’ll remember your key takeaway. While micro-content and long-form videos are a necessary and useful part of any strategy, short-form videos capture the eyes of viewers in that magical window of their attention spans as they scroll through feeds. And, as you can see from the example below, they’re great for social media and encourage likes, comments, and shares!
DON’T: Play favorites when it comes to distribution.
Now that LinkedIn, IGTV, and other platforms have stepped up their video game, you’ll find there are lots of fresh venues for your content. Leave room in your video content marketing strategy to test new channels and discover which option your audience loves the most. You’ll also want to make sure you aren’t exclusively relying on sites like Facebook whose algorithms are continuously changing. Even if you’ve produced successful content on their platform in the past it may not work as well again in the future.
DO: Be authentic.
Video marketing best practices often mention the importance of being transparent. Rather than focusing all of your attention on creating an overly polished video, work towards conveying an earnest, honest message instead. A good way to enhance your content’s authenticity is to make sure your videos all speak directly to the concerns your viewers have. Create a mutually beneficial relationship from the start and casual viewers will instantly become lifelong fans.
DON’T: Create viewer fatigue.
Is your new video marketing content eerily similar to what you’ve shared in the past? There are a lot of ways to spice things up within your existing strategy. For example, SportsCenter keeps it fresh by sharing game highlights alongside funnier clips to show off their more light-hearted side on Instagram. Most successful video marketing best practices prove that variety really is the spice of life. Or your newsfeed at least.
DO: Get outside that box.
After you’ve covered the basics it’s time to get a little more creative. Share your perspective on recent events, highlight important days in the history of your industry, or offer exclusive behind the scenes footage. Whatever you choose to do, make sure your video feed creates a cohesive and well-rounded viewer experience.
Learning how to connect with audiences through video marketing is a worthwhile investment of your time.
We all know video marketing can feel like a lot of work. Luckily, with a little help from the tips above and the right tools, you can execute the video marketing best practices that skyrocket audience engagement. When making or reviewing videos, be sure to keep these ideas in mind.
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