Why (Video) Content is King - 6 Simple Video Creation Tips
Posted by Beth Hrusch
Did you know that YouTube is the 3rd most visited website in the world, with over 85 million viewers tuning in on a regular basis and over 160 million viewers in 2010?
What’s not to love? YouTube offers free videos that people can create and submit for little cost, and there’s nothing people love more than free videos, pretty much.
The fact is, video has become a popular way of getting information. Sure, you’ll always have the guys who think there’s nothing funnier than filming their buddy falling off his skateboard, breaking bones while they’re off-camera laughing in delight. That’s cool, of course. But, videos really earn their keep when they contain useful information that leads to online exposure and increased sales. Video is a great marketing tool, and businesses are jumping into it.
Video marketing is growing rapidly. In fact, the recent Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas demonstrated that technology companies have video on their minds in a big way. How would you feel, for example, if the video you just posted on YouTube could be pulled into people’s homes through Internet-enabled TVs? It’s coming, along with portable viewing devices that offer on-demand video for anyone on-the-go.
Would it be worth your while to produce a video then?
Anyone with access to the Internet, a webcam and a computer can create and upload videos for free. Free as in no more hosting service or bandwidth charges. Seriously, anyone can do it. If you’re looking for a fresh new way to market your business and get more visits to your site, start giving some thought to creating videos on a schedule. Here are some tips:
- Re-use existing content. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have someone available to create new content specifically for your videos. That’s great if you can get it. But, if hiring a writer is not in the budget just repurpose existing content, such as white papers, ebooks or articles. Even website content can be turned into video content.
- Be creative. Okay. You don’t have a creative bone in your body. No problem. Tap into creative resources. Get ideas from friends and colleagues. Check out what your competition is putting out there. Believe it or not, some companies are getting their employees to act out skits that illustrate their topic (Hubspot became known for this). Creative videos score more visits on YouTube, so it’s worth the pain and suffering.
- Use SEO. Make sure that you use your industry-specific keywords when categorizing your video, and throw them into your script, as well. When people are looking for your services they will type in these words, and you want your video at the top of the list (or near, at least).
- Be clear, concise and compelling. The same rules apply to video content as any other type of content. Videos that clearly define the subject up front, stay on topic and don’t ramble aimlessly are less likely to be clicked away from. Why should people watch this video? Why should they care? Tell them how you can benefit them, answers their questions and solve their problems.
- Demonstrate knowledge. Using your video to give away free information strengthens your authority and credibility with online viewers. Don’t shy away from letting people know what you know. It will only help you when it comes time for them to decide who to purchase from. The combination of both audio and visual demonstration of your knowledge puts a recognizable face on your product or service, and this motivates consumers.
- Edit and review. It’s amazing how much you miss on the first try. You don’t have to fuss over it, but please, for the love of Pete, do your part to reduce the crap that Internet viewers have to wade through by editing out mistakes. Have others review and critique. Another set of eyes is invaluable when producing a video because it helps you assess the effectiveness of your efforts. It also catches errors.
Yes, video content is king, and not just because people have short attention spans and like shiny things. Video marketing has a bright future. More and more technology is being developed for its use, and more and more consumers are using video to make their purchasing decisions.
So that leaves only one question—is this the year that your company gets on board?