The use of videos to promote a company and its products has been growing in recent years. In the past, these videos were created mostly for fun. However, more companies are using them as a way to promote their business instead. These videos are mainly used to educate and attract customers so a company can grow even more.
In addition to taking advantage of this new medium as a better way to reach customers, it can also be a useful marketing tool that allows you to track viewers. In the past, you could only track how many times a video had been viewed. Today, you can track more information than that, gauging how many leads have been generated and how people have interacted with your videos.
Video Can Engage and Increase Demand
The use of video is currently a growing trend that hasn’t caught on with everyone yet. However, as it becomes more popular, businesses will have to choose more creative approaches with their videos to make them stand out from their competitors. No longer are people happy simply watching videos. They want an element of interaction with the videos they watch. Creating a sequence of videos that allow viewers to choose the order in which they watch them, as well as if they watch them at all, is critical. It is also important to surround the video with other elements that really draw viewers in, including content and other interactive features.
If you make good use of videos, you will be able to implement them into your website for a better experience for your viewers. Videos can help you engage your readers with search engine optimization, engagement, sharing through social networks and educating the customers. Below are a few examples of how companies have used video to engage their users:
- Eloqua made use of videos as a way to educate their customers in a way similar to the old “School House Rock” videos of previous generations. These videos taught customers about revenue performance management, or RPM, through fun animations that portrayed significant pieces through the history of business. This video received more than 54,000 views through YouTube and encouraged Eloqua to create a second video to use for similar purposes. This company also uses videos to promote their products and showcase video customer testimonials to encourage new customers to give them a try.
- HubSpot uses videos for multiple purposes, including communicating with customers at various stages of the purchasing process and creating videos just for entertainment value. Through their series of videos, viewers can learn about current trends in the field, view the products offered by the company and learn how to effectively use those products to the best of their abilities. They want to show their customers how to best use their marketing software options so customers can see the growth in their business they desire. HubSpot uses the tracking tools available through YouTube to learn which videos do well and why. They have received more than 1.2 million hits and have seen a three-fold increase in product awareness.
- OpenView Labs has created around 300 videos with more than 60,000 YouTube views. These videos are aimed at teaching viewers about thought leadership through fun, engaging videos. They have shared those videos through YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to better reach their target market. When potential customers view and share these educational videos, they are learning why they should choose OpenView for their marketing needs. They do this because videos are another way to engage and interest potential customers.
- Pardot is another marketing company that has made use of videos to better educate their potential customers who are just learning this area of business. In addition to producing videos solely for Internet distribution, Pardot also records webinars they hold and publicizes them for on-demand viewing. Through the experts they use in their videos, they have been able to make themselves into an expert in the field of marketing. Their primary video has been viewed more than 3,000 times since its release several months ago. They have even seen an increase in their webinar attendance as a result.
Best Practices for Using Videos
There are several important factors to remember before you consider using videos for your marketing:
- Keep Your Videos Focused. Don’t be afraid to release your videos specifically to a target market. Your videos won’t be as effective if you allow them to sit out in the public where your target market will have a more difficult time finding them.
- Use a Funnel for Your Videos. What this means is making a series of videos that lead into each other. Start with broad content, such as a video about what your company is, and end with focused content, such as a specific product or service. This will draw people in and make them want to watch more.
- Track Your Success. Don’t just put videos out on YouTube or your own website and ignore them. Use the tools available to you and track how well the videos are doing. You can use that information in the future when you make more videos.
- Be Patient. Most videos don’t become a huge success overnight. Your first video may not ever be a success. The key is to keep trying and eventually you will find your niche.
