There is no question today that online video is becoming more and more popular. Over 26 billion videos are viewed per month in the US alone. Furthermore, videos account for 60% of all internet traffic. The best part about video marketing is that it costs a fraction of what it would cost to shoot a commercial and air it on TV. All you need is a camera and a computer. Of course, you have to have the right strategy before you even begin to develop you video marketing campaign. The key is to provide value for viewers and to build relationships with them.
Here are some key tips for any business looking to develop a video marketing campaign:
1) Know your target market. This is the key for any marketing campaign, but equally as important when considering video marketing. Consider your entire target market and then break them down into niches. You may want to focus on certain niches and then develop topics that would appeal to them. That way your message is more specific and relevant to your viewers.
2) Plan out your videos ahead of time. Once you have the topic in mind determine how you’d like to present it. A video series is usually a good idea since you typically don’t want your videos to exceed 2-3 minutes (people will lose interest). Make sure each video has a purpose. Is it going to be for sales or branding? If it’s a sales video make sure there is an offer at some point in the video.
3) Engage with your audience. When you shoot the video make sure you get some “face time.” Show your personality and be unique. Consider asking questions or addressing concerns that your target market is interested in and then walk them through some solutions. Provide examples where you show the audience how you’ve overcome their concerns or fears. Remember to be creative and excited about what you’re talking about.
4) Add a “call to action.” Editing is very important because it allows you to brand your company. Consider creating an intro and outro page with you company logo (and slogan). Music can also help brand your business, especially if you already have a jingle. Inspirational music is good to use in many instances because it can make your video seem even more prolific and important. Finally, consider adding your phone number or website address in the footer of the video. The last thing you want is someone to watch you video and wonder: “how do I get a hold of these guys?”
5) Get your video out there. It’s not enough to simply post your video to YouTube. You’ll want to syndicate the video out across a variety of different video marketing and social media websites. The more you put out the more likely it will rank on search engines. You’ll need to make sure that you’ve properly optimized the titles and tags of the video based on the keywords you want the video ranking for. Consider some long-tail keywords because the video will be more likely to rank quickly.
Like all other forms of marketing, video marketing requires a solid strategy. You won’t be very successful airing one commercial, posting one Adwords ad, writing one blog post or having one Twitter Follower, so why would you only market one video online? Map out a plan to create, shoot, edit, optimize and syndicate two videos a month, ten videos a quarter, or whatever you can handle. The point is to create a plan and stick with it.
If you have any questions about getting started or implementing a video marketing campaign, consider talking to a Turbo Social Media professional today. We can walk you through the steps and help your business map out a successful plan.
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About The Author: Tom Sullivan is the senior account executive at Turbo Social Media. He has managed accounts for a wide variety of businesses, from small “Mom and Pop” businesses to multi-million dollar corporations. His success in business stems from his entrepreneurial drive and his desire to do “whatever it takes” for his clients to be successful.
Tom received his BA in Business Management Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is a former collegiate rugby player and he enjoys playing softball, golfing, camping, and snowboarding in his spare time. 
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