Did you know that customers prefer watching a video about a product rather than read about it?
Video marketing is the ‘it’ thing right now in digital marketing. It engages customers right away and offers different ways to connect with them, proving to be an indispensable tool in any social media strategy.
And today it has become easier than ever to incorporate videos into your social media strategy with the rise of excellent free resources on the internet such as free stock videos.
Let’s take a look at how you can boost your sales with some stunning video marketing tips in 2023.
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing can be described as the use of video content or format in your marketing strategies to inform audiences about your brand and products.
There are usually 5 types of videos that are used in video marketing. They are:
- Educational videos
- Videos meant for entertainment purposes
- Documentaries
- Informational videos, and
- Promotional videos.
This is how most brands use them while experimenting with the format styles of the platform they base their social media marketing strategy on. This is where we see video styles such as vertical videos and live streams.
Here are the top seven video marketing tips to help you boost your sales in 2023:
- Vertical videos rule social media
With the rise of mobile devices, video formats suited to fit the dimensions of a mobile, i.e., vertical videos are also on the rise. The most prominent examples of this are YouTube Shorts, Instagram Stories and Reels, and TikTok.
Include them in your content strategy as much as possible as they give you the most exposure. Alter your content to fit the format i.e., focusing on keeping the important content in the middle of the frame.
For example, singer Conor Maynard recently released a song whose video had two storylines running simultaneously. This particular format would not suit Instagram’s style, so his marketing team changed the original video from side-by-side to one on top of the other.
- Use video marketing tools wisely
86% of video marketers agree that video marketing has been effective in generating meaningful leads and has had a direct positive impact on their sales. However, the success of your video marketing efforts heavily depends on how well you use your video tools.
Today, we have a plethora of video marketing tools available. You need to pick the ones that give you the maximum benefit as well as ease of use. Make sure that they have good compatibility with your system.
Video Marketing Tools
Here are some video marketing tools that will help you take your game to the next level:
- Videvo
Videvo is an online storage of over 1 million stock footage clips. It also offers royalty-free music and sound effects to help you find everything you need to make a video in one place.
- Freepik
Predominantly a photo site, Freepik also offers free stock video content to match your articles and make them more engaging.
- Live videos are here to stay
YouTube may have been the pioneer of it, but live streaming has spread to every platform today. To make the most of it, use it smartly. Don’t make long live streams that may not garner the interest of a lot of people.
Instead, make short live streams and plan them out extensively. That said, also leave room for improvisation. Make sure you don’t have technical glitches in them. You may make videos about the behind-the-scenes, process of how a product is made, or unveiling of new products.
- Avoid jumping blindly on trends
Getting your videos to go viral can have an exponentially positive impact on your brand. However, you shouldn’t just jump on trends blindly. Take your time to understand the trend and if it’s having a positive impact on the brands currently using it.
Social media users are notorious for laughing off brands trying to cash in on a trend. So, if you want to use a trend in your favor, do it in subtle ways and laugh it off yourself if you can. If gives you an opportunity to keep things light-hearted and make yourself relatable.
- Encourage customer-based content
User-generated content has three major benefits. First, it gives you an excellent avenue to directly involve your audiences in a meaningful way. Second, it helps you create video marketing content without putting in much effort.
Third, it makes your customers feel seen, heard and appreciated. Moreover, it incentivizes them to create more content in hopes of getting a shout-out from you. Here are some ideas to create user-generated content:
- Ask your customers to post videos of them using your products so that the best ones will be featured on your social media.
- Host giveaways where users need to submit videos to enter.
- Host contests where users submit videos and the winner gets a special prize.
- Educate your viewers
Though short-form viral content is in these days, nothing beats the value of a video that educates your user on the topic of their interest. The key is to keep the video interesting, engaging, and on topic.
A brilliant example of this is the 2016 film Deadpool’s makers releasing an informational video about the type of cancer the protagonist has in the movie. It was funny but truly informative, and people loved the innovative marketing tactic.
- Make the most of trending audios
Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok prioritize videos that use popular songs and trending audios. Using them in your content can get you more exposure. Moreover, it adds another layer to your content and allows users to engage with it better.
Final thoughts
Video marketing has taken the digital marketing world by storm. It’s immersive, impactful and versatile. It helps marketers leave a lasting impression on their audience and engage with them authentically.
To make the most of video in your marketing efforts, try to include it in different ways and see what works and what doesn’t.
Make content that engages the audience. And focus on the usability of your products and services as it’s the most important aspect in convincing them to engage further with you.
