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Video Marketing 101: Getting Started With Video

Published Date
Author Kristin Martin

It’s no secret that in 2022 video is everywhere. According to Salesforce’s State of Marketing Report, video was the “star channel of 2021,” gaining more popularity as a result of lockdown and maintaining popularity after lockdown was over.  Because of this, video has quickly become a “must have” over a “nice to have” for many brands.  When surveyed about what digital channels they utilize, 90% of marketing organizations cited video as their top channel, and 9 out of 10 marketers plan to use it moving into 2022.

Video is an increasingly powerful tool for marketers. I’d argue it’s one of the most persuasive tools a marketer has in the tool belt. Why? Because consumers love watching videos. As a matter of fact, 49% of people watch more than 5 videos per day. With the rise of platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, videos have become a staple in everyday life.

So, what is video marketing? Video marketing is a key component of a well-rounded marketing strategy. Video can be used for anything from a simple customer interview, to a detailed explainer animation, or product demonstration. The possibilities are endless! 


Why is video important?

Video adds a human touch.

As marketers, our goals are to create messages that resonate with our audiences and to find new ways of getting their attention and strengthening our connection. Video is an opportunity for marketers to unleash their creativity and engage customers in a different way. Emotional connection has been shown to have direct influence over a consumer’s choices. By creating relatable content like video, you form an emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a notable impact on how companies across the world connected and reached new audiences. Video filled the void created by closures and enabled marketers to continue to establish an emotional connection with their audience from the safety of their homes. For example, sports and entertainment venues were forced to close which prevented them from hosting events or shows during the pandemic.  Video quickly became a tool for these companies to remain connected with their viewers and even engage new audiences outside of their stadium or concert hall, encouraging their audiences to remain invested in lieu of regular programming.

One example of this was how Liverpool Football Club used video in a way they had never done before to continue to connect with their fans. By streaming a virtual yoga session with their team, fans were given a unique opportunity to see their favorite players off the field.
 

Video helps increase understanding. 

Humans are visual learners and video is a potent and successful tool for increasing understanding of products and services.  Learning studies have shown that 80% of the population are visual learners. 

Ninety-four percent of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. Explainer videos have become a popular option as they allow companies to present the benefits of their product and services visually. In addition, they explain to customers why they should use your product and/or service and demonstrate how you can solve their pain points. 

The Innovation Series we began in 2021 is a series of explainer videos that showcase how Lev customers are innovating with Salesforce products to drive marketing success. Each video serves as a visual case study explaining why customers partnered with Lev and how they saw success. 

Here are a few examples of videos from that series:

Video gives people what they want. 

When asked how they’d most like to learn about a product or service, 69% said they’d prefer to watch a short video. This compares to 18% who’d rather read a text-based article, website or post, 4% who’d like to view an infographic, 3% who’d rather download an eBook or manual, 3% who’d rather attend a webinar or pitch, and 2% who’d like a sales call or demo. Eighty-five percent of people would like to see more videos from brands in 2021 (Source).


For example, in the last 30 days three out of five of our top performing content pieces on our website were videos. Each getting 1,500+ page views since being published. 
 


Video has the power to convert. 

Seventy-nine percent of people say they’ve been convinced to buy or download a piece of software or app by watching a video. Eighty-four percent of people say that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

Video is a great opportunity to elevate your email marketing. Major companies like Starbucks, DropBox, and Headspace are prime examples of brands utilizing this strategy to convert their subscribers into making a purchase (Source).  By incorporating these interactive components like video and GIFS in your emails, you provide your subscribers with the visual information they’re looking for when considering a product or service in a quick and efficient way. 


Video increases your reach.

Video prompts people to share! In fact, people are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, including social media posts, blog posts/articles and product pages. 

Video is some of our most engaged content on Lev’s social channels. In 2021, video content was shared 162.5% more than other content on our social pages and most shared content pieces across our social channels were video. As a result, video content saw 46% more impressions when compared to our average impression rate.


How do you get started?

It’s also important to ensure your content is intentional and relevant. Don’t make videos just because they drive engagement and increase performance; make videos with the goal of connecting with your audience and developing brand loyalty.  Before you pick up a camera and start recording, get your ideas flowing by asking yourself these questions: 

  1. Who am I trying to reach?
  2. What am I trying to accomplish?
  3. How will I measure success?
  4. What video ideas best align with the answers above?
     

What channels should I utilize to promote my video content?

Now that you’ve identified what videos you’d like to produce, it's time to decide what channels are best to deliver your message and accomplish your goals. From pre-produced video to GIFS, a strong video campaign is preceded by a solid strategy, a deep understanding of the target audience, and a thorough activation plan to distribute the video across the channels where they’ll have the biggest impact.  

  • Email -  Utilizing interactive content is one of the top email marketing trends for 2022. Incorporating interactive content like video and GIFs into your emails has the ability to boost your performance metrics. Video helps your email standout in a busy inbox and encourage your customers to engage. Here are few ways you can incorporate video into your email campaigns:
    1. Use a static image with a play button. Create the illusion of embedded video in your emails without being an expert in HTML by adding a play button on top of a static image. Place the image in your email and link to video content, either on your site, YouTube, or Vimeo. 
       
    2. Use a GIF. Another easy way to give the illusion of video in email is to use an animated GIF. GIFs are a great option for sharing a preview of a video and linking out as explained above. In addition to linking to a video, you can also use GIFs to add visual interest to your email images. For example, many retail stores will use GIFs as images to showcase a collection like “New Arrivals” or “Sale Items.” Not only does this let you showcase a wider variety of content but it also creates visual interest. It’s worth noting that GIFs are well-supported across email clients but Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, and Windows 10 do not support this image type—they only show the first frame of the GIF. 
       
    3. Add video to your email signature. Similar to the static image option above, you can add a thumbnail for your video to your email signature. To do so, simply take a screenshot of your video and scale it down to thumbnail size (1280×720), add the image to your signature, and then link your video to the thumbnail.
       
  • Social Media - Video on social media is having a major moment right now. Why? Because video content typically performs best with most algorithms, based on the fact it captures a viewer’s attention for longer. Videos on Instagram generate more engagement than any other content type, and tweets with video see 10x more engagement. 
     
  • Paid Advertising - If you are running paid advertisements in 2022, you should strongly consider incorporating video ads. Video ads are great for brand awareness and help your business reach a wider audience. In addition to reaching a wider audience, video ads are more dynamic than plain text ads and are often harder to ignore because they’re more dynamic. 
     
  • Website - Having video on your website for search engine optimization (SEO) and brand awareness is just as important as written content. By incorporating keywords into the video title, descriptions, and tags, it can help boost your website’s organic traffic. In addition to boosting SEO, video provides an elevated website experience.