Video Marketing 2018 – Why it is NOT for EVERY Business

Three questions I “always” get asked from business owners:

(1)   Will video work for my business?

(2)   How much will it cost?

(3)  Will it bring me more sales?

With only a few years of video marketing experience, I left my former employer to start The Visual Cube. Like every novice who ventured in to a startup, I thought “I knew it all”, and “I had figure out the market”. I believed that video marketing was the next big thing and though video was for EVERYONE!

Back then (in 2015) my video marketing campaign was haphazard at best – I just made a video, slapped it on youtube and thought it would ignite the right conversation(s) that could help me shake up my startup status.

Fast forward three years since… I was still struggling.

As I started to work with a diverse clientele and creating videos for different niches, it became apparent that “video DO NOT WORK for every business in generating results”. Some businesses and brands were “built for video” because of their audience. Because of that those businesses/brands enjoyed more success with video than others did.

Let’s examine a few business types that enjoyed more success with video:

– Musicians

– Apps/Software Developers

– Gamers

– Motivational Coaches

– Wealth/success Coaches

– Digital Products

– Bloggers

– Weight Loss Programs

– Fitness Instructors

– Digital Course Owners/Instructors

– Entertainment Providers

– Real Estate Agents

– News and media Organizations

What is the one (and most important) attribute all the above businesses have in common?

Their customers/clients/followers “search” them online and prefer to be informed by online video than any other medium.

Let’s be realistic – unless your audience is searching for your business on Google (or on youtube), your videos will do very little for your business. This is the cold hard truth about why video will not make the kind of impact the above business list are enjoying.

Even if you do have videos with an agreeable amount of views and engagement, and you still find no lead generations, there could be an entirely different problem.

Difference Between a Viral Video and a Marketing Video.

First you must understand that marketing videos for a business, organization or a personality is different from a viral video. That don’t mean a marketing video can never become a viral video, but sure as heck the vice versa is not true. A viral video is often composed with intent to become popular through sharing on social media. Viral videos are aimed at Entertainment, while some viral videos evoke strong feelings of hilarity, anger, sadness, rejuvenation and determination. The end result of a viral video is what gives the title “viral” as viewers engage the video (like, comment and share) and cause a chain reaction.

Unlike the viral video audience, those who seek information about your business take an active interest in watching your videos to inform, and educate themselves about your products and services. The video will lead them to take action (eg: visit your website, lead to download an e-book, link to more videos of your business). So ask this question – would you rather prefer a video with a ton of engagement or a video with a few engagement that drive traffic to your website that increase your sales?

So before heading to the drawing board to begin your video strategy consider the below pointers to maximize what your videos can do for you and your business:

Know the 3 Fundamentals

The purpose of any marketing video is to (1) Entertain (2) Educate and (3) Inspire.

Find the MOJO that will “wow” your audience.

As a business owner you know your clients and customers BEST! Think how your services and products can benefit them, and figure out how to present a compelling story.

Figure out what is the BEST! video type for your business.

Remember you are not doing television commercials. So try not to look like one and sound like one. Online videos can become your 24/7 sales force, so choose from 6 unique ways to use videos for selling as you think fits best.

Brevity is GOLD!

Use your video(s) to tell a compelling story and not a prolong story. Everyone likes when you get to the point quickly, so are video audiences.

Get creative with titles by inserting keywords.

A great video has no value if people can’t find it. If you are a plumber in Fresno California, then use the keyword Plumber Fresno in your video titles because those who require your services would search the internet using phrases that contain Plumber Fresno.

Have a strong sign-off and a call to action.

Don’t end your videos abruptly – if so your viewer may very well be directed to your competitors’ videos. Direct them to another video that may have additional information about your business or have a strong call to action (eg: special offer, free download, etc) that will direct traffic to your website.

Plan a multi-faceted video marketing campaign.

If your business is already using facebook, twitter, Google +1, twitter, Instagram, then keep your followers posted regularly. A onetime standalone video is not a video marketing strategy. Once you start an engaging video series, your viewers will look forward for your next videos. Take a look at video marketing statistics from 2018.

Fine Tune the Small Stuff

As you keep doing more and more videos, plan to improve on your production quality. Improve your lighting, audio, special effects, call to actions. Every new video should be an improvement over the last video. Learn more on getting the right set up and the right equipment.

Remember… doing a good video for any business will never hurt or detract in value. A video is a multi faceted tool that you can use in your own web site, social media, e-mail campaigns, and press releases. Video is now the preferred way for your customers and clients to inform in 2018. A video is now more important than adding a shopping cart to your website. So start Igniting your video marketing 2018 campaign NOW!