We’ve all heard the old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Building on that logic, a video must be worth millions!
In the past few years, online marketing has shown a significant shift toward video content. Whether embedded in the content of an email, displayed on a website’s homepage, or shown in search results, videos are popping up with greater frequency than ever.
Why the change?
Videos are one of the most cost-effective ways to reach a large group of prospects over a short amount of time. They can grab an audience’s attention with moving pictures, entertain them with humor and personal connections, and express information both visually and audibly. Marketers can pack a big punch in a short amount of time with a well-composed video.
Some basics to keep in mind:
- Keep it Short and Sweet: Studies show that modern audiences lose attention quickly and viewers may drop off in as few as 30 seconds. To combat short attention spans, keep your message tightly focused and your length short. If you have a couple of different points to make, consider breaking up your content into multiple, condensed videos.
- Use Both Sights and Sounds: One of the biggest benefits of video is being able to hit more than one of your prospect’s senses at once. Take full advantage of both picture and sound to outline your message. Voiceovers can be extremely useful tools, as well as charts and diagrams, to provide content to your viewers.
- Consider Your Video Type: When planning your video, don’t try to do too many things at once. There are lots of different types of videos marketers can make – anything from tutorials, to promos, to product overviews, to testimonials – and if you try and do too many at once, the focus of your video can suffer. Think about what message you want to relay and how your audience will be receiving it.
- Animation vs. Live Action: Depending on your budget, there are benefits to both animation and live action videos. Animation allows you near-total control of the look and design of your video. You can include infographics and charts to show data and walk users through content. However, there is also flexibility with live action. Audiences are inherently drawn to humans and understand their body language instantaneously. Using real locations and people in your videos can give them a sense of authenticity that may be lost in animation.
So, whether you’re unveiling a new product line or holding a customer webinar, take some time to think about how you can harness the power of video in your marketing strategy and get your customers to press ‘Play’.