Giving You The Edge: Video Marketing

Our world is becoming more and more visual by the day. Years ago, all advertising was conducted through text. Then, the introduction of an eye-catching image to accompany the text changed the game and became the norm.

Nowadays, this trend has progressed even further with the emergence of video. Videos allow advertisers to fit even more information and eye-catching design into a short space of time to try to attract and maintain customers’ attention.

The Buggles had it right when they said that “video killed the radio star.”

Video marketing is an essential component that all businesses must consider.

Video marketing is now one of the largest advertising mediums and should be utilized by all businesses. 95 million videos and photos are shared on Instagram every single day and on Facebook users watch close to 3 billion hours of video every day.

Videos are a great way to show off your brand’s personality and connect emotionally with your target audience while keeping their attention.

And with the explosion of platforms such as Instagram Stories, video marketing must be utilized by all businesses.

So let’s examine the best tips and strategies to become AN ADVERTISING VIDEO STAR.

#1 Catch User Attention Quickly

We are all culprits of scrolling and flicking quickly through our Facebook and Instagram feeds, so why should we think anything else for other users?

The first few seconds of your video ad are vital to its success. On average, users on Facebook only watch a third of every video before clicking away. Your brand needs to compel customers to stop scrolling and watch your ad.

Here are some quick tips to help get that initial engagement:

• Incorporate movement into the first 3 seconds of the video so it doesn’t look like a photo
• Slow openers are a no-go. Create a video that is bright, moves, and catches attention quickly
• Combine the video with sound and text to provide quick information for the customer

#2 Try Not To Look Like An Ad

Counterintuitive? Maybe, but think about it. How often do you stop and look at an ad while scrolling through your news feeds?

Your video advertisement should blend as naturally as possible into Instagram feeds. This will ensure your business is not overly self-promotional and should receive a better reception from users.

#3 Add Value For Your Customer

As always with all advertisements, it is important to try to add value to the lives of your potential customers. When users scroll through their news feeds, you want to capture their attention and maintain it for as long as possible. Video marketing content that brings value to the customer is more likely to see engagement which should increase your conversions.

#4 Consistency in Your Video Marketing

Video ads should seamlessly fit in with the rest of your brand content. This includes using the same colors, styles, and audio throughout the entire ad campaign. Think of the McDonald’s whistling chime. As soon as you hear that noise you instantly think of the McDonald’s brand. Each individual component, however small, makes a significant impact on the video as a whole.

Posting supporting content that is aligned with your video ad will create a better overall experience for your audience.

If the message of the video doesn’t line up with your brand identity, it will come off as inauthentic and users may very well just keep on scrolling.

#5 Get the Dimensions Right

At the very start of your video ad planning process, you should decide exactly where the video will be uploaded. Different platforms work best with certain aspect ratios and it’s vital to get this right or you risk your video looking odd.

On Facebook, in-feed videos can be clicked into and enlarged to fill the entire screen. On Instagram, users don’t have this same luxury. Unless it’s a Stories Ad, where videos fill the entire screen.

Nearly everyone scrolls through their newsfeed vertically on their phones, therefore at the filming stage for your ad that should also be taken into consideration.

If you have an in-house videographer, then that’s fantastic, you can adapt your video for every situation.

If you have to hire a videographer, then I recommend using a 1:1 aspect ratio of 1080 x 1080 p. This will ensure your video ad is of high quality and will fit into most platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

#6 Solve A Problem

If you know your customer, which you should, then you’ll know what issues and problems they face.

A video is a fantastic way to quickly explain a story to your audience. Using this easy formula you can grab the audience’s attention and introduce your product in a matter of seconds

• State the problem
• Show the solution (your product)
• Describe the benefits

#7 Clear Call-To-Action

A clear and simple call to action is always a pro-tip for advertising. By using a “learn more” call-to-action, you will streamline the process for your potential customer. This banner sits on the bottom of videos and allows users to click to find out more information.

Once you’ve obtained the audience’s attention with your video you don’t want to lose it by dragging them through unnecessary pages. Connect your call-to-action with a landing page specific to the ad to maintain the user’s immersion in the ad and improve your chances of conversion.