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3 Simple Tips to Getting Started with Online Video Marketing

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As the popularity of video content is on the rise, it’s now more important than ever for marketing departments to develop an engaging video marketing strategy. Many B2B businesses are ready to dive into the world of online video marketing, but they just don’t know where to start. At first it can be intimidating, but here are 3 simple tips that can make the transition easy for your business.

1)Make Sure Your Content is a Good Fit for a Video Format

Before you jump into video creation, make sure your ideas are a good fit for this medium. Some content is better suited for text in blog posts. Other content should be displayed in images like infographics. Video should be used when the idea can’t be expressed in a single post or image, or when the visual allows the brand to connect with customers better.

A great example of this is Kinaxis. Kinaxis has created several video series, including how customers use their supply chain management software and perspectives from industry leaders, which provides insights for future customers.

Similarly, Crimson Hexagon created a video library that takes the approach “Show. Don’t just tell.” Video is best used in this approach because visitors can see exactly how Crimson Hexagon’s products can solve their problems.

2)YouTube vs. Paid Hosting

Now that you have your ideas placed into a video, what do you do with it? There are primarily two options in video hosting. You can use a free service like YouTube or you can pay for a service like Wistia to host and place on your website. There is a third option which is a hybrid of the two. Each option has its pros and cons.

YouTube

YouTube definitely has its advantages when it comes to video hosting. It is the second largest search engine right behind Google, and it has created a vast audience that can be tapped into. This can make it easy to quickly get some traction with a video. The downside is that the video will generate traffic for YouTube from both search engines and referral sources. Traffic that could be sent to your website is sent to YouTube.

But, there is a way to capture traffic on your website by embedding YouTube video code. It’s very easy to do. Simply go to the video page on YouTube. Click “Share” and then click “Embed.” Copy the HTML code and place it on a page within your content management system.

Youtube Embed

Paid Hosting

Using a paid hosting service like Wistia brings its own benefits. With Wistia, you can embed your video on your own website, which will generate traffic and links that help with search engine rankings specifically to your website. This gives you more control to build the authority of your own website rather than a 3rd party one. However, this approach requires more promotion to get the video out in front of your target audience.

The Hybrid

For many companies, a hybrid approach is the best option. First, use a paid hosting service like Wistia and place the video on your website. This will generate links and traffic to your website for about a month. After the initial promotion of the video, you can then place it on other video platforms like YouTube to get the benefit of search engine discovery with your video.

3)Video Must Lead to a Goal

If creating a video does not lead to a goal in your overall content strategy, it can be a complete waste of money. Don’t create videos just because you can. Create videos because they can impact your overall business goals. There are 3 primary goals a video should help you achieve.

Brand Awareness

Video can be leveraged to put your brand on the forefront of people’s minds. A great example of this is Jean Claude Van Dam doing the splits for a Volvo commercial.

Many people might not typically think about Volvo trucks, but for a few weeks it was what everyone was talking about.

But then a Hungarian company took the video and used it to springboard their company into the spotlight. They created a computer generated parody with Chuck Norris.

This elevated a no named group into the spotlight for the following weeks.

Traffic

A well created video that touches people’s emotions, or generates excitement, or creates awe has a much better chance of going viral. If a video does go viral, it can drive a lot of traffic to your website or social media profiles.

A great example of this is the Dove Real Beauty Sketches. Even though this is a B2C video, B2B companies can learn from this example as a way to drive plenty of website or social traffic.

It has currently been viewed more than 63,000,000 times.

Conversions

Another goal that can be achieved with online video is conversions. Building brand awareness and driving traffic is essential, but it is the conversions that directly impact a business’s bottom line. Make sure your videos are used to fill your funnel to help lead the traffic down a specific path to convert into leads or customers.

As you can see, online video is a great medium that is still untapped by many businesses. Now is a great time to learn how to utilize video in your business. Are you ready to get started but still have more questions? Feel free to send me your questions and comments below.

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