Sammy Greener

In the past, if you wanted to find out about the latest news, trends or products, you had to search through print publications or pick up the phone and call customer services. Nowadays however, anything you want to know is just a click away, and as the digital age continues to move forward, online videos have become one of the most useful ways of finding information.

Although videos are not particularly a new phenomenon, with the first motion picture created in the late 1800s, today’s consumers operate with a stronger “want it now” mind set than ever before. People are looking for quick fixes to satisfy their wants and needs – something YouTube provides with its huge directory of content.

From interviews with experts, how-to guides, and fashion and beauty tips to the latest news stories all in short, it’s only natural that including digital videos within marketing strategies is becoming the norm.

According to a study by comScore, the average internet user will watch 32 videos per month, and 64% will go on to make a purchase after viewing – which are pretty impressive statistics for video content marketing. Digital videos give businesses the opportunity to engage with customers on a personal level and are easily accessible thanks to social media sites such as YouTube and Vimeo. They can show customers a company’s personality, put a face to the brand, bring case studies to life and give a fresh insight into products and services.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a few key points to bear in mind when introducing online video into your marketing plan.

Be creative

There are many different ways video can enhance your marketing. Think of what your customers would like to see; for example, testimonials and case studies, expert interviews, instructional how-tos or a behind-the-scenes insight into a company. These are great alternatives to showcase your product without the use of obtrusive advertising. Plus, these are clips customers will actively seek out whilst researching a product or service.

Keep it short and simple

On average, viewers will only watch the first minute of your video, so to avoid customers turning off too soon: keep online videos succinct but engaging. Similarly, although digital video has its benefits, a poorly constructed one could have the reverse effect. If you don’t hire a professional videographer, keep in mind the lighting and sound of your location and always have a steady camera.

Consider distribution

Once you have uploaded your video, think about how you will make it accessible. Some ways to share your creation are to embed it in your website and utilise social media to promote it — providing consumers the opportunity to spread it with their family and friends. A great example of how strong social media sharing can be is American company, Cardstore, promoting Mother’s Day. Its video was shared internationally, and now boasts 16 million views for this creative marketing clip.

Vloggers

If creating your own video is something you feel unsure of, there are thousands of video-bloggers (vloggers) that create regular short films and have a large following of subscribers, which can be a great PR tool.

For example, vlogger Zoella talks through her beauty regimes and fashion purchases to four million subscribers, and this clip alone has showcased the mentioned products to 1.5 million viewers. Customers find the opinions and reviews from vloggers as trustworthy and reliable, so build relationships with these rising stars and they may feature your products in their content.

Have you utilised online videos to help promote for your company? I’d love to see them – leave me a comment below or tweet me @sjgreener1.

This week is Climate Week, one of the UK’s biggest environmental campaigns of the year. And as part of it, organisations across the country will host a variety of events and activities providing practical solutions and simple tips to help people live and work in a more sustainable fashion. However, if planned correctly, weeks like this can also be a positive marketing tool for businesses.

When planning a marketing strategy, the goal is to deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time through the right channel – and one of the best ways to tick each of these boxes is through event-based marketing, or in other words, planning a strategy around key events in the customers calendar.

For our clients in the renewables industry, we’ll be using Climate Week to further build their image by hosting industry events and workshops and implementing the week into our social media strategies. By focusing on this date, we hope to increase awareness and build engagement with customers during a time, which is relatable to them.

To help you make the most using event-based marketing, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind when planning your strategy.

Identify what will work for you

There are hundreds of key dates and events that happen throughout the year, and it’s important to identify those that are relatable to your business. These could include national holidays like Christmas, big events like the Olympics, or national awareness days where you could integrate events into your local community. However, don’t choose a date simply on its popularity; it should always be applicable to your business.

[Editor’s note: This week is also Apprenticeship Week, and Shrove Tuesday, and International Women’s Day on Saturday.]

Be creative

Think about how you can utilise the event to promote your brand and message. This is a chance to let your creative juices flow and come up with some innovative campaigns to engage with your customer, some examples may be a Mother’s Day competition, a themed video to promote via social media or your own industry or community event to support a national cause.

Plan ahead

Like with all marketing campaigns you need to create a detailed plan, which highlights exactly what you will do and how you will do it. Indicate what you hope to achieve from each campaign, whether it is to reach new markets, or simply to build your relationship with existing customers.

Does your business get involved with event-based marketing? I’d love to know, tweet me at @sjgreener1