Videos are awesome.
There’s so much you can do with it and so much value it can give back to you and your business. And just like everyone, we’re always looking for unique ways to use video marketing to further our brand goals.
And we want to help you to do the same.
So here’s a quick read on 3 cools ways to use video marketing that you may not have thought of before. They’re our personal top favorites from this roundup of the best video marketing strategies. Let’s go!
1. Shoot a Video Case Story (Instead of Another Video Testimonial)
This first tip comes from Ben Cecil, co-founder of video marketing agency UPG. He suggests incorporating an exciting evolution of the video testimonial, the Video Case Story. As you’re well aware, most companies rely on asking their customers or clients to make a video recording praising their product or service. Unfortunately, these often end up looking stilted and unnatural.
That’s why we love the idea of creating a video case story – it flips this traditional strategy on its head by putting the focus front and center on the customer.
In Cecil’s words,
“Instead of “Let’s get our clients to say nice things about our brand,” it’s more like, “How can we show prospective customers that we understand their struggle or need and have a solution that makes sense to people just like them?”
The video above lets the customer lead the storytelling – and by implication, your brand’s contributions are highlighted in a natural and meaningful way. The customer, after all, is the key to your product or service’s success. So why not let them communicate that? It makes for a far more powerful, and convincing testimonial that the usual method.
2. Use Facebook’s Autoplay Functionality to Your Advantage
We’ve all experienced casually browsing our account on a social media site, only to find ourselves completely captivated by a video that autoplays. We would have probably scrolled past it if it were a click-to-play video, just like we do with the hundreds to thousands of other posts and videos every day. But because the decision was made for us, we instead spent the time to view what turned out to be a captivating video.
This is precisely what Matt Edstrom, Head of Marketing for Bio Clarity, recommends marketers take note of. He says that instead of simply uploading a video to YouTube, you should ensure they take advantage of the autoplay function on many social media networks like Facebook, by uploading your video directly to the site.
You’ll likely see a substantial jump in your views – by capturing the attention of people who would otherwise not engage in your brand’s content. It is a simple strategy, but if well done, can have a big impact on increasing your viewership and also branding efforts.
3. Create Multiple Versions of Your Videos
Master the art of repurposing your videos, and you’ll take your budget and views further.
Shooting, editing, and uploading a video is no small feat, so it’s no wonder that we’re relieved when the long process is wrapped up. But if you’ve already put in the hard yards, why stop at one video?
Taking a one-project-one-video approach limits your potential reach, and moreover, puts a lot of pressure for that one video to perform to whatever expectations you (or your manager!) has set for it. That’s not to mention that by just focusing on one video, you aren’t making the most out of your marketing budget.
The solution is to start “recycling” or “repurposing” your video content.
Kyle Golding, CEO of The Golding Group, is one expert who has perfected the art of repurposing video content. “Long version, short versions, quick pull quotes, links with different headlines, change the graphics, etc. to keep using the same content several times over,” he says. Golding points to major brands who run the same ad multiple times over, just using different versions. There’s nothing that says you can’t follow their lead and do the same.
Just be sure to keep your brand voice and core topics consistent – there are fewer things that turn off customers that a confused brand message and inconsistency.
Wrapping Up
Chances are you already have some great video strategies underway, and the three tips we mentioned above can be easily incorporated into your existing video strategy framework and will help to complement the video content you have already – and along with data-driven video insights, your video marketing strategy can really go a long way.
