Have you ever opened an email from a company that was…meh? What did the email contain? Maybe a description of a new product? A link to the shopping page, perhaps? How many of those emails stuck with you? Did you just scroll through them without even blinking an eye? Emails, while one of the more cost-effective and simple ways to market your business has a relatively low conversion rate. Even the best, curated emails are only able to get a 20% open rate. What can you do to try and engage your customers? Video content can bolster your marketing efforts by educating customers about your company and product while also being very engaging. 

Purpose of Using Video Content

The purpose of video content is not just to generate brand awareness, but to also educate and convert potential leads. Customers are looking for solutions to their problems. This is where a video can be of great help to them. You can create a video that answers any questions they might have about you or your product. It can help educate the customer. This can make the customer consider choosing your brand. Video content also gives your company a face that customers can look at, making you look more trustworthy and transparent. 

What Types of Video Are There?

One of the advantages of using videos in your marketing strategy is the nearly limitless amount of ideas you can have for creating one. There are many types of videos that can range from introducing the customer to your company to providing an update about a change in the product. Create a video that will benefit you and your customer.

First impressions are always crucial when dealing with a potential customer. Have you ever gotten a call from an insurance salesman that seemed shifty and untrustworthy? That first meeting probably lets you know that you do not want to do business with them. Customers are the same way, and they want to make sure they can trust whoever they choose to do business with. One personal and engaging way to introduce them to your team is a “Meet the Team” video. This type of video will help a customer understand who you are as a company, why you do what you do, and your mission. This shows the customer that you are going to be transparent with them if they consider using you to solve their problem.

Another type of video you can use in your marketing efforts is a vlog. A vlog can give the customer a unique perspective into the daily lives of the people at your company. Vlogs can show people that interact with your brand what goes on inside the company as well as ways they help people outside of the company. An engaging vlog can go a long way in fostering that customer-company relationship. This type of video allows you to show the customer a more human side of your company.

One other type of video that can be of interest to a customer is an announcement video. An announcement video can provide an update to a consumer about a new product or location. These videos are essential to help keep the consumer in the loop about any new changes within your business. These videos should be informative as well as short to engage the consumer. Losing customer engagement in your video can lead to your video being skipped and forgotten. 

Finally, a video that can help develop more trust and transparency with your customers is a Q&A video. A Q&A video provides answers to questions your customers may have regarding a product or your business. These responses can show your customers that you are listening to them, and their problems are not falling on deaf ears. This helps the customer develop more loyalty towards your company as you are going out of your way to answer any questions they have.

Benefits of Using Video

One of the main benefits of using video in your marketing strategy is the actual customer engagement. Traditional marketing emails do not have a high conversion rate as they only have a 10% to 15% open rate. That means many of your customers will never open those emails as they will just scroll right by them. A video can allow your customers to engage with your company. You can create a video that answers any questions they may have, help educate them, and share any new announcements.

Your videos can also be implemented into your social media strategy. Social media sites, such as Twitter and Instagram, are huge platforms to reach your audience. Creating videos for these platforms can also provide analytics based on how many people have viewed, liked, and even shared your video. This can provide valuable insight into what your customers find interesting and/or useful. Taking these analytics can help your marketing team curate videos that your customers will enjoy and find helpful in the future.

Common Video Practices to Engage Your Audience

Have you ever watched a video that was so painful to sit through? What made it so tedious to watch? Can you recall anything you learned from that video? You do not want to make a video that your customers will not pay attention to. You want to make a video that holds your audience’s attention and allows them to interact with you. Here are a few ways you can use video to engage your audience.

You must know who you are making the video for. It is important to know your audience, so you create videos that interest them and provide valuable takeaways. You are not going to make a “How to Start A Business” video for someone who has no interest in starting a business, right? Your video has to be appealing to your audience; that way, you can have a better chance of converting them.

Not only do you have to know your audience, but you must be able to instantly hook your viewers within the first 3 seconds of your video. Why 3 seconds, you ask? According to Facebook, “45% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video will keep watching it for at least 30 seconds.” This makes it extremely crucial to start your video with something that catches and holds your audience almost from the get-go. Any longer than that and your audience begins to lose interest in the video. Do not take too long to introduce what your video is about. Instead, try jumping right into the topic you are going to be talking about. Doing this can help make sure your video is not skipped the next time your audience views it. 

One of the simpler ways of making your video engaging is the use of visuals. Hearing somebody talk about how to market a business can get boring pretty quick if they don’t have any visuals about what they are talking about. Adding a graphic or even just plain old text can go a long way to making your audience more engaged about what you are talking about.

Any of these video practices can engage your audience to make sure they are hearing and understanding what you are discussing. Hooking and keeping the attention of your audience is very important. Try using any of these tips in your next video and see how your audience reacts to them.

Conclusion

Video content is important to get the attention of your customers. Creating an engaging video with great content that your customers will enjoy is essential. Do not make a video that they will forget within a day, try to make one that sticks with them.  

We have several solutions that focus on providing a better ‘x’perience for anyone who interacts with your brand. One of these solutions is inbound marketing, where we help your business grow online. One way we do that is through video. So, if you need help with ideas or creating appealing video content, check out our solutions!