Fundamentals of Video Marketing: A Complete Guide to Harness the Power of Online Video to Generate and Convert Leads [Part 1]

If you’re still not aware of the HUGE importance of Video Marketing, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities – big time!  One of the most common questions is “How to get more views on YouTube“, since YouTube is the most popular free service used for video marketing. Here’s your chance to rectify that and set you on the right direction; but let me tell you right off the bat – this is not your typical “How to Make A Million Bucks in 24 Hours” type of guide. These are practical tips that can help you create and spread out quality videos, get high rankings, drive traffic to your site, and boost conversion of visitors on a regular basis; however, it won’t happen overnight. Also, in part 2 of this series, I’m giving greater focus on YouTube marketing as it is hands down the best. That said, get ready to jump onboard and learn the art of video marketing.

Overview: Video Marketing and Its Potential Value

It is no secret that you can only generate income and earn substantial profits online if you have a solid customer base; which means getting your message across by putting your products/services in front of your prospective clientele. Today’s society and consuming public are much more inclined to be visual; in short, pictures and images are the most powerful tools to communicate quickly. More specifically, moving pictures and/or videos are proving to be the cutting edge method of communicating a plethora of ideas and information in cyber world. In this multi-media era, it’s an undisputed fact that online videos are now being used to draw in and entice potential customers; the primary goal of which is to boost and shore up product sales in any niche.

Check out some stats that show just how powerful online videos are and the extent of its influence on the consumers.

•     Most people spend approximately 3.5 hours per week watching online videos.
•     In U.S. alone, about 77% to 80% of Internet users watch online videos; roughly, that’s about three-quarters of all Internet activities.
•     An average of 31% of those who watch videos online visit company/video owners’ sites; while 22% search for more details and related information about the products or services.
•     An estimated 16% to 21% of video viewers are likely to talk to family and friends about a video they watched and 9% share it with social peers.
•     More often than not, consumers watch four to five related videos before deciding which one has the better deal.

As you can see from those figures, you can never undervalue the power that online videos wield.

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It is one of the most effective marketing tools that you can utilize to endorse your products and services, promote your affiliate programs, establish online presence and visibility of your brand, and promote your business in general. Statistics obviously demonstrate that this interactive communication channel has greater attraction and appeal to the masses than any other Internet marketing strategy has ever had. Here’s one other inexorable fact: online video has converted more surfers and viewers into actual leads and buyers than any other sales tool – ever!

Why Video Marketing – The Benefits

The concept of video marketing is not new; however, its importance and power as a marketing tool that can help expand business has not been fully appreciated until recently. Although it is still continuously evolving over time, new technologies for video production, streaming video blogs and video emails are also gaining maturity; making it more imperative and vital to integrate online videos to your marketing mix, no matter what line of business you are involved.

Take a look at these key video marketing benefits:

•     It is a powerful communication/messaging tool that provides higher level of engagement than mere text or audio.
•     Video commands a high degree of interest and can drive more eligible leads and conversions, which are generally measurable; thus help the business to do a better job at calculating Return of Investment (ROI) on a realistic time frame.
•     When it comes to search engine results, video click-through rates and rankings are higher in the pages as they are much more noticeable than text.
•     Though it requires a great deal of planning and organization, there are plenty of ways, especially for small businesses to utilize video marketing without breaking the bank.
•     All videos have the potential of becoming viral; expanding your market reach and influence even further (yes, your business can definitely go global!) is always a huge possibility.

Tools and Tips to Get You Started

There’s a prevalent misconception that you need tons of resources – meaning money and expensive high-tech equipment – to get started with video marketing. Absolutely wrong! It’s actually a lot easier than you think. Video production need not be expensive; neither does it have to be complicated. Consider the following options for creating great videos that don’t cost the Earth.

•     Record your presentations. Build a presentation; film yourself or do screen captures using screen-capturing software to tell your story and convey information in motion.
•     Record footages. It goes without saying that you will need a camera for this. FlipCam would be ideal but other cameras will serve the purpose. You will, of course, need video-editing software; however, if you have limited knowledge about editing, you may opt to ask a video production person to help you come up with an excellent output.
•     Convert low-cost (or free) templates into video ads. There’s a lot of software and platform on DIY video creation that integrate ad creation tools and content, which will allow you to repurpose or edit existing templates into online video ads.
•     Marketing through video curation. To put it simply video curation is essentially marketing using someone else’s video. Using video as part of your marketing strategy doesn’t necessarily mean you have to produce your own video. There are many sources on the Internet and most producers are not averse to the idea of sharing. Simply pick one that suits your own purpose and website and Presto! You have an instant online video.
•     Mix audio and images. Have fun collating and compiling pictures and music and put them together. Just like footages, you can either do-it-yourself with the help of video-editing software or you can ask for assistance from a video production person. Animoto is great tool for making quick video intro. Watch this tutorial to see how easy it is to use Animoto.

It’s All About Content

No matter how many views your online video gets if it’s only a one-time deal, then you are doomed. Your video marketing will never be effective if viewers don’t think your content is worth sharing and spreading. You need a remarkable, spreadable content – that is where a highly effective video marketing starts!

There are no covert tricks to making noteworthy contents; all you have to do is to ensure that you deliver the concept of your message clearly and concisely in a manner that your audience will understand. Think about the audience you want to reach and what type of video content to use in order to reach them. Along this line, you have to consider two very crucial aspects: length and quality.

Ideal Content Length for Effective Video Marketing

Most people neither have the patience nor the time to watch anything for more than a few minutes at most – except probably late at night when they’re ready to retire and just sort of trying to relax (this is when long-form videos of entertainment quality may be useful); thus, shorter videos are a good choice for optimal effectiveness. When you talk of video content length, the rule of thumb is: Short and sweet without sacrificing the substance of your message and the scope of information you share.

Quality Can Make or Break Your Video Marketing Strategy

It is a given that the quality of your video content is a key influence on the receptiveness of your audience. That doesn’t necessarily mean high definition; rather, it should be clear enough to follow and understand. If you’re producing your own video, you have to ensure that you come up with quality video that viewers would deem good enough to watch. Here are some key points to delve on, along with brief tips on how to treat or handle them:

•     Steady Camera. If you’re going for handheld shooting and not quite sure if you can keep a steady hand with the camera, a pistol grip may come in handy to avoid a “quivery” output. If your set up doesn’t require any camera movements, the best tool is a tripod.
•     Lighting.  A lighting kit or camera-mounted light would be perfect, but if you have neither, determine the best focal light source and let your subject/s stand near it. If it’s the window in a room where you’re filming, put your subject/s at an angle with their back to the window making sure that the light hits the face to avoid the silhouette effect; a common outcome when the subject stands between the streaming sunlight and the camera.
•     White Balance. You might not think this aspect matters, but this is important for even-toned video results, not only because of its aesthetic value but also because it’s more soothing to the viewers’ eyes. If you’re not quite adept at getting the accurate white balance, your best option is to let the camera do it: hit the automatic white balance function.
•     Clear Audio. Poor audio can crucify your video. Although online audiences are more forgiving than television or theater audiences, inaudible voice-overs and dialogues of characters or annoying echoes and boom mic in a shot is a total turn off to viewers and guaranteed to make them lose interest in your video quicker than you can say Jack Robinson. Give this component your foremost consideration and make sure that your audio is properly recorded.

In addition to the above essential features, here are other vital factors to consider when creating your video content.

•     Have a specific point and stick to it. Do you want to discuss your business? Promote or Review a product? Explain how your product works? Don’t lose track of your video’s purpose or you’ll get derailed in the process! Give your audience precise benefits and advantages they can achieve when they use your products or services. Present real examples of real people with real experiences. Your audience will thank you if your video is more straightforward and to-the-point – and this appreciation can be gauged when they keep coming back to watch your other videos.
•     Put significant information upfront. It’s tough enough to get people to watch your video but if you factor in how fickle viewers can be at times, and how easily they can get side-tracked; it’s like treading on precarious grounds. Don’t allow your potential viewers to think your video is not for them; be sure to lead with crucial key information aimed at keeping viewers glued. You’re also more likely to get an audience that takes action, which should boost your conversion probability.
•     Up Close and Personal. Give your audience something to identify with and relate to; demonstrate the “human side” of your company and products/services by presenting personal interactions with your brand or product. Believe me, this will extend the audience’s average viewing time longer.
•     Branding. Don’t forget that your overall goal is to get your business out there – to enhance your brand’s web presence and visibility; so take time to brand all your videos. You can just simply display your company logo for about five seconds, either before or after the video content. Include a link to your website in the text description of your video to encourage the viewers to visit your website. A persuasive call-to-action stating the same link will likewise serve the same purpose.

Be sure to check out back for Part 2 of this series on Video Marketing where we discuss YouTube.