Get Your Content Strategy Streaming with Explainer, Showcase & How To Videos
While copy is still the reigning champion in the content world, video content is steadily gaining ground. There may never be a full takeover, but Explainer Videos, Showcase Videos and How To Videos are certainly proving that they have their place. The use of video in online marketing is quickly increasing with the numbers to back it up. 90% of consumers in an online retail setting claimed that video content played a key role in their purchasing decision. 64% of consumers were more likely to make a purchase after watching a video on the retail site.
But remember, not all content is created equal.
Videos, like any other design element, should only be used for a single purpose: enhancement. Web developers and designers have access to a wide array of amazing design and interaction technologies, but only those that add to the user’s experience deserve consideration for use. Seeing that you have a precious few seconds to capture your visitor’s attention, providing concise headings with your copy allows your users to locate information quickly as opposed to scrubbing through a video in hopes of stopping at the correct frame.
So then, where is video most beneficial in your digital marketing strategy? While one could make a case for a myriad of situations, here are three that we find very useful for online marketing purposes.
1) Explainer Videos
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A popular marketing tactic that has shown boosts in conversion rates, the explainer video is a short video used to tell your story. These videos are able to clearly convey your business' value to the viewer through the combination of text, visuals, and a well-written script. By using all of these elements in one format you are able to keep the user's attention for longer than if the same script were displayed in a text-only format.
An explainer video can be a great help when trying to promote your brand through social media platforms. When tapping into this vast market you want to make sure that you aren’t trying to force a square peg in a round hole. Your typical social media user is in the market for selfies, Candy Crush, or viewing what seems like an endless stream of pictures of newborns and infants. To keep them from scrolling past your posts you need to find a way to divert their attention from the selfies, and the concise nature and visual appeal of a explainer video helps with just that.
To top it all off, videos are more likely to be shared across social media platforms than text-based content, meaning that you have a better chance of your viewers spreading your branded content for you when it is in the form of a video. No-hassle advertising in a substantial market that’s free of cost? Yes, please!
2) Showcase Videos
Brick and mortar businesses may not have offer all the conveniences of online shopping, but one advantage they can still claim is that their shoppers can have an experience with their product; they can see how it feels in their hands, determine the level of difficulty to operate, how tough or flexible it is, and much more. There is a kind of acquaintance that can only be gained from physically experiencing a product first-hand, not just reading details about what one should expect after their card has been charged.
While you might not be able to provide visitors the same tactile experience on your website, you can give them the next best thing. By using video to show the product in action, users will be able to discover for themselves some of the same familiarities that would otherwise only come by way of physical interaction with the product. In this case, video can act as a proxy for the consumer’s tactile pre-purchase interaction. You are also able to highlight what you consider the best aspects, answer common questions or concerns and showcase selling features or purposes that might otherwise have gone overlooked.
3) How To Videos
There's a reason that you're the expert at your craft: you've spent a lot of time studying and researching the subject and have hands-on experience in the industry. Your consumers on the other hand may be totally new to your product or services. Time to share your wealth of knowledge!
retail setting claimed that video
content played a key role in their
purchasing decision.
Creating tutorial videos showing consumers how to set up your product or use certain features is a great way to produce helpful, shareable content for your brand. Showing how to complete certain tasks helps clients help themselves, which make the users confident that they will be able to use your product successfully, or know which brand helped them the most when they are making purchasing decisions further along in the buying cycle. “How to” videos can also help keep support calls and emails to a minimum.
Don't think that these are limited to tutorials.
Videos also make for a great way to explain the differences between various products or services, helping consumers decide which option is best for them. The more understanding you can provide them, the lower the chance that they go elsewhere for it. You also look more competent as a company, increasing consumer trust in your brand.
Help keep that brand trust high by avoiding an overly ‘salesy’ tone in your videos. Customers remember the folks who helped them when they were searching and try to forget the ones who cause blunt force sales trauma.
Do you have some copy that could use a re-boot or a product that could be better featured using video content? Here at Edge we have the knowledge, technology, and experience to help you bolster your brand with professional video and audio production. Use our Next Step tool to get started or drop us a line and we can help you showcase what you have to offer.