Thought Hive: Video Marketing Campaigns

Marketers from around the country dubbed 2017 “the year video takes over marketing” because of how well it caught on with the masses and of course its effectiveness.

But, how can you get started if you haven’t thus far? Learn how you can incorporate video into your marketing mix? That is just what we will cover in this edition of the In-Sites Thought Hive.

Video marketing is an iteration of content marketing that punches well above its weight class and offers companies that produce video campaigns higher click-through and open rates, more top rankings on the first page of search engines like Google, and a fresh injection of more leads and conversions directly into their CRMs.

Develop a winning video marketing strategy

To get all the benefits described above, you need to employ a few tactics proven to jumpstart the success of your video marketing campaign.

Learning how to engage social media communities and spark a conversation in real-time, for instance, can dramatically increase the chances of your videos being commented on and shared around the web.

YouTube might be the ideal example to get going because, when done right, YouTube advertising combines the three pillars of effective video marketing—earned, paid, and owned media.

The beauty of developing a video marketing plan is that you are making it easier for the viewer to be exposed to the information you are trying to communicate.— Chris Sandoval

Still have questions about how to incorporate video into your marketing strategy? Check out this video from The In-Sites Video Series:

Combine earned, paid and owned media

Video marketing is happening so quickly that a lot of people struggle to keep up with the latest technologies, let alone some of the marketing lingo. So, what’s the difference between earned, paid, and owned media?

Owned media might be the most intuitively named since this is media that your company owns—the web and mobile sites, social media feeds, and your blog. Earned and paid media are more frequently confused with each other, yet they’re easy to understand.

Earned media is synonymously known as free media since, unlike paid media, it doesn’t cost you anything. Earned media is mostly made up of resharing on social media, customer testimonials, mentions, hashtags, and repostings.

The newest frontier for video marketing is in the paid media realm since it allows for behavioral and contextual targeting and flat-out produces results for your company. Paid advertising via YouTube’s TrueView gives your viewers more options and increases the chances that your content will spark greater levels of customer engagement, more sharing, and subsequently, far more views.

What’s the takeaway regarding video marketing strategy? Simply that your best bet is to combine earned, paid, and owned media—colloquially known as the marketing trifecta—to take advantage of the advanced targeting that paid media offers, the free exposure afforded you by earned media, and the autonomy of owning your media (e.g. your blog and website).

Integrate all your owned media together

Owned media is stuff that you already own, and therefore (like we alluded to before) this gives you a lot more autonomy. An excellent tactic is to take that autonomy and run with it: embedding YouTube videos into your website can significantly boost your sales, make your blog posts that much richer, and increase the cross-device compatibility of your owned media.

Since YouTube videos play nice with smartphones and tablets, you can rest assured that your embedded YouTube videos aren’t stymying your mobile compatibility. From a marketing perspective, though, an embedded YouTube video attached right below a description of one of your products can tempt your customers to go ahead and move those items from their cart to checkout.

Even when you are marketing to your entire audience or customer base, you are still simply speaking to a single human at any given time.—Ann Handley

A customer tutorial YouTube video would make a great addition to a product description on your website because it’s user-generated content that’s free to you and acts as a convincing social proof of quality for other customers thinking about purchasing one of your products. Inserting a few quick blurb reviews from customers can make the message that much more persuasive.

Looking for something more customized than a YouTube video player? Do you have a campaign that you would like to brand to look more like your website? Check out this short video on the difference between the various online video hosting platforms (OVPs):

Incorporate top-, middle- and bottom-of-the-funnel videos

The most effective branded content reaches a wide audience and covers a diverse range of topics. In other words, a well-rounded video marketing strategy should cater to top, middle and bottom-of-the-funnel potential customers at different stages of the buyer’s journey.

Your top-of-the-funnel videos are going to be more general and seriously bolster the rest of your content marketing efforts. As an example, if you want to increase the conversion rate for your landing page by 80 percent (and, why wouldn’t you?) then try attaching a top-of-the-funnel video to your landing page.

Embedding a few popular videos like this can increase the strength of your content marketing, gain more views on YouTube and followers across social media, and receive an SEO boost and more organic traffic streaming into your website. Incorporating video into your email marketing campaign can even increase your subscribers’ click-through and open rates.

Make sure to include middle-of-the-funnel videos to reach those on-the-fence prospects at the evaluation stage. Using videos to spruce up trails, guides and more in-depth blog posts can enliven your content marketing and get your videos talked about and shared on social media.  

Take video to the next level with live streaming video in 2017

If you didn’t know about live video streaming before, then you should definitely put it on your radar. And the reason why live video should be on your is on the radar is because it has become a widespread commodity. So much so that everyday people can live stream about whatever is going on in their day publicly—to their followers as well as the larger social communities.

Social media sites and video go hand-in-hand, and most sites encourage video posting and sharing. The viral video opportunities are endless when you use the right strategies to create and post your videos online.—Amy Porterfield

The many benefits that live video offers are much larger than just the value of video. Because, live video can be used as a brand building tool to not only increase your brand awareness but also increase your engagement with your audience in real time.

So, if you need ways to boost or change up your content and marketing strategies, then discover the many benefits that live video can provide for your brand.

Build new and existing relationships between you and your audience

One of the benefits of live streaming is its ability to build new and existing relationships. A live video that is hosted on a social channel automatically posts your broadcasts publicly. You can publish social media posts to notify your audience—allowing them to know you are live as well. This will allow for others to have the opportunity to share your link with others.

Pro tip: Be sure to take note of the engagement between each of your broadcasts and then compare the difference. Gain insight and develop content that will educate and resonate with your audience.

Knowing your audience is essential regardless of your social media platform. So be sure that you are reaching your audience during the times they are online as well as creating eye-catching headlines that appeal to the content your audience wants and looks for in your brand.

Build and nurture trust Instantly

Lack of trust is a huge problem that brands face when trying to market to customers over the Internet. A great way to combat that with live streaming video is opening your brand for your audience to the full inside scoop.

Launching a new product? Why not use Periscope or Facebook Live to stream production how-tos or mini-interviews with the production team. Host a live stream to discuss the history behind your brand. Maybe you have a funny or passionate story behind brand. Then let your audience hear it directly from your mouth. Customers will be more likely to embrace your brand if they can see your passion behind it. Building and nurturing begins and ends with you. So be as open as possible with your brand in order for people to reciprocate with their support.

Receive immediate feedback and testimonials

Need a more engaging way to gather feedback and testimonials from your customers? Try hosting a live streaming video Q&A with your audience or host a live stream where customers, both old and new, can share their experiences with your brand—not only for your benefit but also allowing your returning visitors and leads to hear all the great things your brand has to offer.

For more information about how to get views on your videos take a moment to watch this video:

Have fun

Live video is a fun medium to experiment with while growing your brand at the same time. Hosting live giveaways or creating exclusive content for your audience really makes them feel special—convincing them that you have a genuine desire to serve them—not just a desire to sell to them.

So, during your next strategy meeting, think about the benefits of live streaming video campaigns in relation to your overall marketing and business goals. Don’t let your company fall behind.

Instead, start producing your content in real time with the compelling and engaging power of live video.

Take your marketing to the next level in 2017 with video marketing and live streaming video. Give it a shot. If you have questions, comments, or are looking for a bit of help to jumpstart your video marketing campaigns feel free to give us a shout.

Want to participate in the In-Sites weekly Thought Hive? Direct Images Interactive welcomes contributions that will be featured on our weekly In-Sites Thought Hive every Monday. We are looking for original, previously unpublished, thought-leadership insights that offer actionable tips for our readers.

Until next time. Be a part of the BUZZ!