Have you been spending a lot of time and money crafting SEO-optimized written content, and yet you’re struggling to attract leads and convert them into sales?
If that sounds like you, it might be time for your business to harness the power of video marketing.
Indeed, according to the latest figures on Biteable, mobile video consumption increases by 100% a year, and by 2022, online videos will be responsible for over 82% of all consumer internet traffic.
Besides, social media platforms and search engines are now favoring video content as it’s usually more engaging. In fact, a video is 50 times more likely to show up on Google’s first page of search results than a traditional webpage. And as video content production is on the rise, fueled by new video consumption habits, so is the number of businesses harnessing the potential of video marketing.
As a result, whether creating:
This form of marketing has become an essential component of any company’s successful business strategy.
In fact, in 2020, 81% of businesses used video content as a marketing tool, up from 63% the previous year.
If you’ve decided to try video marketing and are wondering where to start, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll highlight our five top video content creation tips to help you turn 2021 into a successful year for you and your business. If others have done it, so can you!
5 Top Video Content Creation Tips
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Have a Great Opening Line
The first few seconds of your video should be optimized and quickly convey your story in a compelling way.
Indeed, with an average consumer attention span of 8 seconds, marketers need to use the first few seconds of their video wisely to ensure they grab their audience’s attention. In fact, according to Hubspot, viewers who watch the first 3 seconds of a video are more likely to watch it until the end. Therefore, make sure your video uses a powerful hook to engage your audience instantly. It could be a vivid first frame, a preview of what the video is about before deep diving into it, or a relevant question to pique their curiosity, for instance.
Another great way to instantly appeal to your audience and grab their attention is to upload high-quality and crisp thumbnails. This will give them a glimpse of the story and increase your play rate.
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Focus on Storytelling
What if we told you that by scripting your videos, crafting amazing plots, and telling engaging stories, you could increase your views and sales?
From the 30,000-year-old cave drawings in Lascaux in France and the incredible ‘’The Iliad’’ poem from Omer to Instagram stories, human beings have always loved stories. Indeed, they’re a way for them to communicate, escape, share experiences and connect. They are what makes us human.
And while only 5% of people will remember statistics, 63% will remember a story.
As a result, storytelling has become a critical component of businesses’ marketing strategies. As you transport your audience through a unique journey, sharing powerful and engaging stories or compelling product tips, you’ll elicit an emotional reaction and create a deeper bond with them. They’ll connect with you, trust you, and will therefore be more likely to buy from you.
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Adapt your Videos to your Audience
Video consumption habits can significantly differ whether you’re targeting Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2015), Gen Y (born between 1980 and 1994), or Gen X (born between 1965 and 1979). Therefore, knowing what platforms your customers or target hang out on and what type of content they like is paramount as it’ll help you create relevant videos and ensure you connect with your audience.
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Gen Z
This highly connected generation makes up about 40% of online consumers and prefers content on YouTube over social media content. They use the platform to educate themselves and become more knowledgeable but also as a way to escape from their stressful life. -
Gen Y
Millennials, just like Gen Z, spend a lot of time online. Their favorite platforms to watch videos are YouTube and Instagram. They use these to watch the news, but also as a source of entertainment. Besides, professional and compelling product videos usually work very well with this demographic as 85% of them will purchase a product after watching a video. Product demos and testimonials are critical to them as they seek information online. -
Gen X
Gen Xers usually watch video content on YouTube and Facebook. In fact, they represent 1.5 billion daily views on YouTube. They use YouTube to watch videos about past events, educate themselves, and keep up to date with the latest trends so that they can connect with their children. They enjoy purpose-driven content.
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Create Different Content for Different Social Media
Including videos on every marketing channel you have created is the best way to optimize your video content and leverage different platforms’ reach and audiences. However, you should always keep in mind that repurposing a video and duplicate it across your channels might not produce optimum results. Indeed, the optimal video length and format varies based on the platform it’s published on. Therefore, different formats and different types of videos will work well on different networks.
For instance, live videos on Instagram can be up to 60 minutes, and the longer you record yourself or film something, the higher your chances to reach a bigger audience. Indeed, for this format, it’s often recommended to shoot for over 10 minutes. However, if you’re recording a transitory video on Facebook “stories,” your video should be less than 20 seconds. Instagram feed videos should be 26 seconds and your Pinterest videos should be between 3 to 5 seconds.
Besides, format matters as well. Indeed, on YouTube, landscape videos drive the most engagement, whereas portrait videos will work better on your Facebook and Instagram news feed. You’ll find more information about optimal video length and format here.
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5 Video Type Trends
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Live Videos
The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards live videos. Indeed, as people have been experiencing strict social distancing rules and lockdowns, they’ve increasingly turned to live streams, including Q&A with influencers, classes, and workshops. In fact, according to a study published by Hubspot, in 2020, live videos were number one on the list of the most-consumed video types. Besides, while product videos have always been popular, live product tutorials have gained popularity due to their authentic aspect. -
Transitory Videos
As our attention span continues to decrease, shorter videos (also called ‘’snackable’’ video content) educating consumers around a product or providing a short form of entertainment will continue to rise. With over 1.7 billion accounts using the “story” format every day across the planet, social media stories are experiencing increasing success. And as such, they should therefore be one of your main priorities in 2021 when it comes to your social media strategy! As a small business owner, it’s more important than ever to start using trending video types to maximize your video marketing potential, boost your leads, and increase your bottom line.
Over to You
If you’re a novice or don’t feel confident turning your videos into powerful marketing tools, it could be a good idea to hire a professional videographer. While it might seem expensive at first and can be tempting to try and do it all, a professional videographer will be able to create powerful and engaging videos for your audience.
This will, in turn, help you increase your engagement and ultimately your bottom line while allowing you to focus on what you do best; running your business or your team.
However, if you have the right equipment, the right video space, and plenty of determination, you can certainly perfect your skills and produce amazing content that your audience will love. You can start by following the tips above to optimize your video content creation and browse the internet to deepen your knowledge.
Indeed, there are plenty of online resources available for you, including our Ultimate Guide To DIY Video For Beginners And Small Business Owners. You’ve got this 😉