I love video. I love video because it has never been more easy and affordable for anyone to produce it, including businesses.
You see, back in the day when movies were actually made on film, even a small scale production could become a very expensive endeavor. In those days, your Average Joe wouldn’t have a smartphone to record and edit footage on or a YouTube channel to upload video content to reach viewers. Realistically, if someone wanted to watch your video they had to go to the theaters.
The video landscape has dramatically changed over the last few decades and in all the right ways and it’s time to take advantage of it.
Here’s are just two simple reasons why your business needs video.
Video Captivates
So what makes video so appealing? When boiled down to its fundamentals the combination of both audio and video creates a spectacle that we’ve enjoyed since its invention. However, as time has passed, so has the viewers’ willingness to pay attention.
With this in mind, you’ll have to use video wisely for your business. For example, if you had a video on a product page at bare minimum it should state a relatable problem for the viewer, then position you as the solution, and finally present a call to action detailing what to do next. Remove the fluff. Stay on topic. Keep their attention. Convert.
While some brands or individuals are adept at ad libbing or filming live (raw) without a given script, in most cases it will be seen as more professional when production is done right. If you plan on having a video series, a script or “run sheet” will prove to be an extreme time saver.
Of course when it comes to short-form videos like 15-sec Instagram videos or 30-sec Twitter videos you can be a bit more “raw” as it’s platform expected. This also holds true for live-streaming video production apps like Meerkat or Periscope.
Tip: There’s a reason ‘pre’-production exists. Take time to script out your videos whether they are company overviews (about us) or product centric. Keep the viewer in mind and be concise with your mood-altering messaging.
Video Informs
When it comes to producing video for your business, there’s no better way to introduce your company than a well planned out video. A well produced video can do wonders in quickly informing a viewer as to who you are, the value you bring, and how you do it.
Another case would be if you have an online app or membership site, creating a screencast tutorial video can help drive new member onboarding and retention.
Video also informs search engines about what your website is about. Posts or pages that include relevant rich media like video tend to factor into search engine results.
For example, the video hosting provider, YouTube, is known to be the second largest search engine and is also a property of Google. This means if your video is optimized including keyword rich titles, meta descriptions (including a link back to your website), and most importantly retains viewers, you could see additional traffic generation and awareness for your business than if you didn’t create video content.
Tip: If you’ve uploaded your video to YouTube, you can use YouTube’s audience retention analytics to see just how long viewers are sticking around to watch it. In time, YouTube will detail which areas in your video where viewers dropped off. Use this info to create a revision or completely new business videos.
If you can’t wait for that data to aggregate. You can use YouTube’s real-time analytics to watch the initial performance of your video.
Do you believe in the power of video for businesses? Have you benefited from business related videos? Do they play a role in business decisions? What other advantages do you find when producing video content for your brand? Let me know in the comments below.
