When coming up with marketing strategies, it’s important to know the context of what’s currently going on. Marketing, especially with video, is one of the fastest changing aspects of business there is. You can’t work on the same strategies year after year. Consumer insights and behaviours change and so does the market.
2018 is no different than 2017 in the sense that there are now new shifts to marketing online with video. The value of video has remained steady (and maybe even increased), but the way it is delivered and consumed has changed. There are tons of ways to use video strategically to grow business revenues and brand awareness. Here are just a few of the most effective strategies you can use today when marketing with video this 2018.
Make square videos
Instagram brought the era of square images, but now square videos are becoming a thing as well. The format allows for you to even put text on the top and bottom if you want to maintain the standard 16:9 video ratio. Here’s a sample of what that may look like.
This format is becoming more and more popular and companies should start making videos in this format as well. On top of being “in,” it’s also ideal for both mobile and desktop.
Use subtitles
85 percent of videos are played without sound on Facebook. Which means that you need to be making videos with the assumption that no one will turn on the sound on your content. That’s not supposed to diminish the value of your audio (which is still important 15 percent of the time) but increase the need for visual fortifications like subtitles. You can actually order subtitles online. We do that by asking rev.com to do our subtitles. They charge very minimally and deliver on time most if not all of the time.
Leverage on Live video
More and more of web traffic from video is coming from live video- the last stat shows it to be at 13 percent. Experts say that we’re not far from the day that live feed video will overtake pre-planned video. While we’re not there yet, it’s good to get ready and start dipping your finger into live video. Some of the things you can do with live videos is to give updates to your followers while you’re on the road, give them “behind the stage” peeks on shows or the backend or kitchen of your shop or sharing small reflections that will add value to your audience.
Create “How To” videos for your followers
“How To” videos are pieces of content (mostly short and simple) that explain to an audience how to do something. These kinds of videos are deemed very valuable on an online ecosystem.
The vast majority of searches online come from curiosity and a need to learn something. How to play the guitar, fix a leaking pipe, get around Paris without getting lost and so on. Every business has some sort of knowledge to pass on to their audience that they can turn into useful pieces of “how to” content. And the great thing about these videos is it gives you the avenue to showcase your expertise to your followers and give them a glimpse of what you can offer.

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