Check yourself before you wreck yourself…we’ve got the skinny on TRUE video marketing
Video marketing is the talk of the town, and rightfully so! It’s quickly become the most powerful way for brands to connect with their target audiences. But the moment everyone starts to have an opinion, false rumors spread like a wildly game of Telephone. How much do you really know about video marketing? Check yourself against these 10 common misconceptions.
1. You Don’t Need Video
Yikes. Really? Are we still having this conversation? Ok…
This year, video is expected to account for 74 percent of all internet traffic (HubSpot)
4x as many consumers would rather watch a video than read about a product (HubSpot)
60 percent of marketers and small business owners are upping their video marketing ante this year (HubSpot)
52 percent of marketing professionals worldwide claim that video offers the best ROI (Digital Information World)
Need I go on? Please don’t make me. People want video. Brands are ramping up their video marketing strategies. If you fail to evolve, you will fall behind — period.
2. It Only Works for Top-of-Funnel Campaigns
People are quick to pigeonhole video as a tool for brand awareness only. But that couldn’t be more incorrect. Video is a powerful motivator during the consideration and decision phases of the marketing funnel. In fact, 80 percent of millennials watch video during the consideration stage to help validate their purchasing decision. In this blog, we prove it by pairing video with every stage of the buyer’s journey.
3. Number of Views Is the Best Measure of Success
The number of views is only an eclipse of the full impact of video. That number doesn’t tell us anything about viewer behavior after the view, only during. Instead of dwelling on number of views, focus on duration of views, click-through rate, and the number of subscribers you earned via the video campaign.
4. YouTube Is THE Distribution Channel for Video
It’s true that YouTube is a powerhouse in the digital video world. But if your distribution strategy stops there, you’re stunting your success by a long shot. Video can improve landing page conversions by as much as 80 percent. Personalized video is blowing up email marketing metrics, increasing conversions by 500 percent! And over 8 billion videos are watched on Facebook every single day. Plus, there are other platforms where you should be hosting your video! Check out this blog: Battle of The Video Hosting Platforms: YouTube vs. Vimeo vs. Wistia
5. The Video’s Title & Description Is What Compels the Click
Yes, but not really. The main thing your audiences are using to decide if your video is worth a click is its splash screen or thumbnail image. Here’s an article that teaches you how not to create crappy ones: 7 Tips For Creating “Must Click Poster Images.
6. Video Doesn’t Play Well with Others
Most people think of video as a standalone marketing tool, but it actually performs better when integrated into a diverse content strategy. Also, keep in mind that your video marketing isn’t enough to drive SEO results. In addition to following our tips for video SEO, you should also create text-based content to give search engines plenty to crawl.
7. Video Is Strictly for Watching
False. Video is best known and loved for its ability to engage audiences in many ways. Live video allows viewers to comment in real time. Interactive video lets viewers choose the course of the story. 360 video allows viewers to tilt and turn their screen to experience a larger visual perspective.
8. Video Doesn’t Fit the B2B Vertical As Well As It Fit’s B2C
Not according to Demand Metric’s The State of B2B Video Marketing report, which found that 82 percent of B2B marketers reported success with video marketing. In fact, B2B marketers are increasing their video budgets because they know that over 75 percent of Fortune 500 executives are viewing online video and more than 70 percent of B2B buyers view video product demos before making a purchasing decision.
9. Anyone Can Shoot a Decent Video
That’s like saying anyone can build a house. Just because you have a video camera attached to your phone doesn’t mean you’re equipped to use it on a professional level. When it comes to video marketing, quality matters. Supplement your online presence with live video and other fun homemade video projects, but leave the branded marketing content to an experienced video marketing partner. They have the resources and know-how to create stunning video that out-performs your competition and delivers ROI.
10. Once You Publish, You’re Done!
More like, once you publish, you’re half way there! Video isn’t like magical pixie dust. You can’t just sprinkle it throughout your marketing channels and poof! expect results. You need a killer distribution strategy and an eagle’s eye. Test different titles and thumbnails. Monitor analytics, identify what’s working and what’s not, and apply what you learn to updated versions or your next video campaign.
Unfortunately, misconceptions will always be a part of the latest marketing hype. But when you choose to partner with a video agency, you aren’t just getting quality video production, you’re getting a guide to all things video marketing. We know what’s right and wrong; true and false. And we’ll navigate around all the misconceptions to keep you on the path to success.For more reading, check out this blog — we debunk the rumor about video replacing the written word.
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