Visual marketing has gained massive popularity in 2015 and the trend is projected to dominate the marketing niche in 2016 and onward as Google rolls out with in-SERP video advertising. As a small business owner and startuper you do not have the budgets and resources of Fortune 500 companies to craft epic video marketing campaigns. However, that certainly doesn’t mean you should not join the video marketing bandwagon. You may not have the best video equipment or a celebrity spokesperson on the screen, yet you have some other strength to offer.
Below are the 3 key video marketing tips to help you succeed.
1. Be Authentic
One of the most common mistakes small business owners make is trying to mimic TV commercials and larger brands. The truth is, however, an iPhone video shot at your desk can bring you the same scale of impact and value. As Marcus Sheridan brilliantly puts it: “But in the world we live today, there is a place for amateur video of all levels.“
The most popular YouTubers did not get their loyal fan base by spending thousands on professional equipment, directors and scriptwriters. In fact, their videos are really simple and somewhat whimsically appealing.
As a small business, that’s the strategy you can adopt. Instead of trying to sound and look professional on screen, show the human side of your business. Show behind-the-scenes of your office or product; shoot a short, yet actionable video teaching your potential customers something new; and tell your unique story and speak of your brand values.
2. Optimize for Search Engines
You do like your videos to reach your target audience, right? Well, that’s why you need an SEO strategy to promote your videos.
Just like Google, YouTube has a few ranking factors in place:
- Video retention – the percent of your video people tend to watch.
- Comments – the more, the merrier. Those also let YouTube know that your video is awesome.
- Subscribes after watching – instant subscription sends another major positive signal to the platform.
- Social Shares on other platforms
- Favorites and Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down.
So, how do you get those positive vibes? By following a proven blueprint:
- Make your videos at least 5 min long. Same as with content – longer videos tend to perform better.
- Add keywords to the video file name. Help YouTube identify your video content faster by using your target keyword in the video name file.
- Your video title should be at least 5 words long. Make it descriptive and don’t forget to include your keyword as well.
- Optimize your description. Video descriptions are most valuable real estate. Make sure you include your keyword in the first 25 words, however refrain from keyword stuffing, as that would ruin all your efforts. Mentioning organically your keyword 3-4 times for a 250 words description should be enough. Include a link back to your website closer to the top to maximize CTR, but do not include more than one link again for the sake of not being considered a spammer. Listing links to your other social media profiles is a legit practice, however.
- Tag it! Tags not only help you rank better for the desired keyword, but help your video appear in the “related” next to other videos on the same subject. Meaning, more eyeballs on your content.
Next, promote the heck out of your video on other social media channels and relevant platforms (like your blog, other blogs in forms of guest posts, Q&A websites like Quora, and even your email signature). You can learn more advanced strategies in this course to help you develop your own successful campaign.
3. Use Facebook Strategically
As Facebook has rolled out their own video platform, it’s been getting a steady growth and in 2014 raced passed YouTube with four times more uploaded video.
Most brands now stopped posting links to YouTube videos on Facebook and now upload their visuals straight to their FB business pages, as those tend to score higher engagement rates.
Use Facebook to your advantage and sustain your existing audience interest with new valuable how-tos, short funny daily vids and opt for a video add, instead of the traditional sponsored posts to attract and retain new users.