Think about your own use of social media. Which posts are you most drawn to when you’re scrolling through Facebook or Instagram? If you’re like most people, it’s going to be the posts that have a visual element to them – images, memes, or videos. We’re going to focus on online video content, with some reports suggest that video will account for approximately 75 percent of ALL website traffic by 2020.
BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?
When you start looking at the numbers, you begin to understand just how important a video marketing strategy and online video content is for your business.
- According to Brightcove, a leading online video platform, social video generates 100% more shares than text or images combined.
- 100 million hours of video are watched every single day on Facebook and is growing rapidly.
- Companies that use video see, on average, 41% more web traffic from search than those who don’t.
- 62% of Google searches include video.
- Following on from the last point, Google loves Video! Websites with embedded videos tend to rank higher in Google searches due to users spending longer on the website by watching video content.
- 43% of people want to see more video content from marketers. (HubSpot, 2016)
- Nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer video that lasts under 60 seconds. (Animoto, 2015)
While the numbers speak for themselves, it can be a little daunting trying to understand how your business can start reaping the benefits of online video content.
WHERE TO BEGIN…
Firstly, producing engaging video content that your customers will want to watch begins with a plan, so don’t neglect this critical step. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you press record on your camera or smartphone.
What is your goal? Is it to increase website conversions? Increase newsletter signups? Create buzz around a product or service? Build brand awareness? Your answer to the goal is how you will structure your videos, and each video will probably be unique to the goal attached to it.
Where will you use the video? Will it be embedded on your own website, on social media channels, or both? If it’s both (and it probably should be), you’ll want to tailor each video to each place you’re going to use it. Whilst a more corporate video will work fine on your site, you will probably want to have a more informal approach to sites such as Facebook and YouTube, etc.
How long will your videos be? Again, if it’s on your website, you can get away with a longer video time, but statistics prove that anything more than 60 seconds is too long on social media channels, and people will most likely not see the entire thing.
How often will you produce a video? There is no hard rule here, but like most things, consistency is key. Be realistic as well, producing a video can take a lot longer than expected. While you may think that you can produce a video a day, the likelihood of that happening is slim to none. Perhaps, in the beginning, shoot for one video a month, and then gradually increase it as you get a better feel for how long it’s going to take.
SO, YOU’VE MADE YOUR FIRST VIDEO… WHAT NOW?
You can have the greatest video in the world, and if no one knows about it or sees it, then you most likely won’t reach your goals.
A lot of the principals we apply to website SEO also applies to video. Keep your target audience in mind when coming up with the title of your video – ask yourself, will your average customer be drawn to click on it? Consider using relevant keywords in your video’s description as well, Google uses this when deciding if your video is relevant to someone’s search.
Lastly, and most importantly, make it easy for your viewers to share it with their friends and colleagues. Most of the major social and video platforms have the ability to share your video content quickly and easily, however, if your video is uploaded directly to your website, it may not be so easy. Utilise features like YouTube’s embed video function when adding your video to your website to ensure it can be shared easily.
Ready to start producing your online video content or need some help with a video marketing strategy? Chilli can help!
Learn more about how you can boost your online traffic here.
