2015 was dubbed the year of video by HubSpot and it shows no sign of slowing down for 2016. The effectiveness of video has been proven time and time again. So the question is, how can you get in on this? And even more importantly, how can you incorporate video effectively in your marketing strategy? Believe it or not, there is a method to this madness.
by Hayley Eastep
Before you begin incorporating content into your marketing strategy, you must first make sure you check off a couple important things. First, make sure that the content you are creating stands out and makes a connection with your audience. And second, make sure you are creating a large variety of video content that will help you establish a relationship with your clients. Now that you know how to make memorable content, you are ready to incorporate it into your marketing mix.
Include Click to Play Images in Email Marketing:Â
Video in email can boost open rates by 20% and increase click-through rates 2-3 times. Simply using the word “video” in an email’s subject line will boost open rates by 19%, click-through rates by 65%, and reduces unsubscribes by 26%. Those are some tough statistics to ignore! But again, how can you make sure you are that effective. One way to engage customers is to, first, let them know there is a video in your subject line and, second, include a click to play image. Click to play is important because it keeps customers in your email instead of opening another window or directing them away from your message.
Embed a Video Channel on Your Site:Â
By embedding a video channel on your own domain, you are able to control every part of your brand image. Free platforms like YouTube have their place. However, they tend to fail your marketing efforts in both generating traffic to your website and by having too many distractions. An embedded video channel allows you to direct all your video marketing efforts into your own site and have complete control over the user experience. There are no issues with suggested videos that have nothing to do with you or your brand, and could actually direct potential leads over to your competition. Social media platforms like YouTube should absolutely be part of your distribution strategy, but it should not be your hosting solution. Make sure that traffic is directed to your site, not a third-party and get all the SEO value of your video on your domain as the publisher of that content.
Here are some gorgeous video channel examples:
http://www.atlantafinehomes.com/eng/videos
http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/videos
https://www.halstead.com/propertv
Incorporate Video into Your Home Page:Â
You only have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention online these days. How do you compete for that attention, grab someone and pull them into your site? The answer: video! I know you probably knew I was going to say that, but the impact of video cannot be underestimated.
Landing pages with video lead to 800% more conversion (FunnelScience). In fact, 88% of visitors stay longer on a site with prominent video displayed (MistMedia). Those that stay longer spend an average of 120 seconds more on a retail site and are 64% more likely to purchase after viewing a single product video (comScore).
One of the best ways to make an impression and be sure people will remember your site is to have a large beautiful video playing on your home page. Our partners at Sotheby’s International Realty do this flawlessly. Something else that they have incorporated is a little info tab in the bottom left corner to tell you more about the estate they are featuring. Make sure when you incorporate video, do not add sound, people do not like browsing their phone or laptop in a quiet place and all of the sudden start blaring music and drawing attention to themselves. That’s not fun for anyone.
Utilize Video on Social Media:
Video is shared 1200% more times than links and text combined. Diode Digital also discovered that 60% of viewers will watch video before reading any site text, and will share their experience when presented with a “share this video” button. Even more encouraging, Invodo reports that 92% of mobile video viewers share video.
Facebook was once a place to share posts and status’. I am not sure if you have noticed, but most news feeds today are shared articles, pictures, and videos. I scroll right past anything that doesn’t have a link, interesting picture, or play button. Social media posts that include video get significantly more engagement than those that do not. It is the best way to get you followers attention and to get them to engage with you on social media. It is also a great way to showcase your brand’s personality.
Optimize for Mobile:Â
According to Marketing Land mobile video accounts for 55% of mobile data usage. With the rise of networks like Vine, Snapchat and Instagram video, “micro-video” have taken Millennials, who just happen to be the largest group on potential homebuyers, world by storm. But traditional video is still charging ahead in its own right. 65% of the world’s population are visual learners this means video, in particular mobile video, is more critical than ever to grab a customer’s attention. 80% of Internet users use smartphones to search the Web. Speaking personally, I know that I am almost always browsing on my phone or ipad, my laptop is pretty much only dusted off for work. With this in mind, make sure that the content you have created is being optimized for those smart phones and tablets. You want your site and your marketing content to be universal.
Video content is king, and its reign is continues to be proven. It has become absolutely essential to any brand, and a marketer who understands the power of video, how to create excellent content and how to implement it in the most effective way will become one of the most important ambassadors for your brand. Video is not a trend, it’s here to stay and properly harnessing it to it’s fullest will be critical to your success in 2016 and beyond.