People today watch approximately 1 billion hours of YouTube Daily. Why? Because increasingly, we’re overwhelmed with text. Naturally, we prefer content formats that are easily digestible, entertaining, and relatable. Every marketer today would do well to gain a throrough understanding of the power of video, and how to leverage it to stay competitive in their marketing efforts. After all, videos generate huge ROI, a great story for marketers to tell during their quarterly meeting reviews.

Types of Video

There are many different types of videos out there.To choose the right one, marketers need a solid content marketing strategy outlining a clear purpose. Choosing the right channel to showcase it will depend on what you want to achieve.

Below are a few video options to consider, along with the purpose and application of each.

  1. Explainer Videos: Help your following to get a better understanding of why they need your product or service. You can provide a buyer journey that outlines a solution to a common problem that you except one or more of your buyer personas to face.
  2. Interviews: Showcase your brand in relation to an influencer in your field, and facilitate a meaningful exchange between two sides of an issue. These videos can also be reused in your podcast channel.
  3. Product Reviews and Demos: Look at this type of video as your avenue to market research. You create these with brand ambassadors, that is, someone in your industry who would like to boost their social following while you get free advertising. This is good for marketing research because your brand ambassador might have reviews through engagements and comments that will help you understand your product better.
  4. Live Videos: You can provide your customers with a behind-the-scenes look at your company. Your customers and prospects have an opportunity to connect with your company and also provides an opportunity for viewers to write in a comment or question.
  5. Animated Videos: These types of videos are useful for companies that sell a complex product or service that benefit from a visual explanation. You can take the time to break down abstract terms into simple digestible visuals that help customers and leads to better understand your product offering.

Best Practices in Video Marketing

Now that you understand the different benefits of video marketing allow me to provide some pointers around engaging and optimizing your content.

It’s important to know which social channel you would like to reach. That’s because you must ensure your video is the optimal length of time. Here is HubSpot’s recommendation:

  • YouTube: 2 minutes
  • Twitter: 45 seconds
  • Facebook: 1 minute
  • Instagram: 30 seconds

Some other tips for increasing engagement and optimization:

  • Create captions for autoplay
  • Put the video on silent on any landing page so you don’t scare people away
  • Ensure your videos are mobile friendly
  • Practice good SEO, consistently checking your metrics
  • Make sure to always have a call to action at the end

Conclusion

Video is becoming to be the most popular form of content. Remember, the digital world is very impersonal, so people are naturally drawn to a sense of connection and personality. Use video for your business to connect with your audience and provide them with a true and genuine understanding of your businesses. To build a positive connection with your business practices, offer your viewership valuable information and share interesting real-life examples. If you want people to return, you need to give them something worth returning for.