Chances are, you’ve grown up watching an alarming amount of television, watching reruns of your favourite cartoons and the occasional movies. Between everything you’ve seen, there was bound to be an advertisement or two. Online video marketing is the modern equivalent.
It could have been one of those corny direct-response advertisements trying to sell you strange mops and stranger chemicals to wipe away last week’s “lasagna.” You’ve probably bought into a lot of it within a short amount of time of being exposed to it.
The power of audiovisual marketing has always been prominent in many businesses for over half a century now. Thanks to the leaps and bounds the Internet has made over the past couple of decades, diligent marketers are starting to tap into the massive marketing power of online video marketing.
Hopefully, in this article, we can help you learn a little more about online video marketing.
Why Should You Use Online Video Marketing?
Videos appeal to our dominant sense of sight. The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Videos also convey more emotion and personality than other mediums. More practically, and according to statistics:
90% of consumers say videos help them make buying decisions.
72% of businesses say video content gave them positive ROI.
Shoppers who viewed product videos were 144% more likely to add to the cart.
In other words, video is a powerful tool to leverage and achieve your online marketing goals. It’s OK, however, if you’re sceptical about using it for your business, but looking at how other businesses use online video marketing to their advantage can, and should, inspire you. In fact, the biggest businesses in the world are using the online video market to promote a wide range of services.
Seeing is Believing
It’s no secret that people like to be shown things rather than told, so we go to YouTube if we have a problem. There are multiple videos of a step-by-step guide on how to tie a tie with millions of views.
As much as we probably don’t want to admit it, humans are lazy. We like to digest our information in the easiest way possible and with enough entertainment on the side to keep us involved. Think about the countless times you have seen an advertisement for a service or product and subconsciously thought you needed it immediately.
Here to Stay
It wasn’t too long after all of the top dogs in the industry used to scoff at the idea of online video marketing. People tend to take time to change from their stubborn ways, and they like to keep a good thing “good.”
It wasn’t until a few innovative souls decided to pool their efforts into online video marketing and carved a niche for all to engage in. It’s no longer a hip new fad or the next big thing. Video is, and has always been, a well-established medium of captivating the masses and using their hunger for easily digestible information.
With the advent of the Internet and the fast-paced progress of technology, everyone has easy access to all sorts of video content at their fingertips.
Mobile Marketing
Before smartphones were glued to our hands, online video marketing already had a strong foothold on personal and portable computers, gathering steam and massive revenue from people’s idle scrolling and site hopping, be it on social media or simple blogs.
Everyone now has a mini-computer in their pockets, meaning it is even easier to reach people. Most websites, blogs and social media are mobile-friendly, meaning online video marketing has several places to reach audiences.
The majority of video content is found on YouTube; content creators are now able to use their videos as TV channels because they can put advertisements on; these can be found halfway through the video. Advertisements on YouTube videos are possible thanks to being able to monetise their videos.
Online Video Marketing for Mobile SEO
In the ever-growing world of online content creation and video marketing, getting your work to be seen can be tough.
Search engine optimisation is pivotal; getting your content to the top of search engines should be your main goal. Making it easier for Google to understand your content will go a long way in increasing traffic to what you’ve produced.
For a small business, trying to improve its SEO can be a daunting task as most of the big boys in the business have an established readership that will read whatever they produce. Using appropriate keywords along with attractive metadata and adding high-quality video content, your blog or website will show in Google’s search engine result pages.
YouTube and Vimeo should be as high a priority as Google. Having a channel which produces engaging and educational content would go a long way in improving the brand awareness of your business and, in turn, increasing the sales of your product or service.
Be Careful with Online Video
The impact of online video marketing on businesses and consumers alike is undeniably strong. But you should be wise to the clear benefits and deficiencies when it comes to video content to harness its full potential.
For starters, weigh the pros and cons of whether or not you should convey your message in video over standard text and image format. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Video content, when done properly, provokes immediate emotional response and engagement, offering the viewer a passive and enticing experience.
Remember that if your video fails to captivate its audience within the first few seconds with an interesting enough approach, the audience will stop watching it and move on. Some might even be put off entirely, meaning a loss of valuable potential leads.
With text and image formats, this is less of a problem.
People generally enjoy watching things as opposed to reading them. But, with text, you always have the option to skim through vast swathes of text to find the information the reader is looking for.
When approaching online video marketing, plan whether or not your idea, product, service or what you have should be conveyed through attractive video content or tried and true text format. It is tough to know whether what you’re offering is entertaining enough for online video marketing; always thinking, would a consumer be entertained?
Also, It is important to choose a comprehensive video hosting platform that encompasses all the necessary features for video creation, publishing, and monitoring.
Tips and Tricks for Online Video Marketing
Now that you have seen how online video marketing can both be a blessing and sometimes a hindrance, it’s time to move on to a few tips and tricks for online video marketing.
Don’t Just Be a Salesman
Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer; how would you feel if you watched a video advertisement just throwing the product’s name at you and why you should buy it? The consumer has to be emotionally invested, give them relevant information, tell them stories, and ensure it is genuine.
People are more likely to be interested if they can relate to what they’re watching. If you have a character in your video, make them feel they are a real person; don’t let them feel like a robot that is just reading off a script.
Appeal to their requirements organically rather than forcing your message on them. It might seem like a risky approach given your newcomer nature, but don’t worry about potentially losing leads with this process. It’ll pay off in the long run.
Entice Them
It is pivotal to grab the interest of the consumer straight away in a video. You need to seduce them so much that they’re willing to continue to watch; people’s attention spans can be short, especially online.
Do not waffle at the start; lay out the benefits of purchasing this product or service. Ask the viewer questions, and make them feel like they’re having a proper conversation.
Building connections with a viewer results in them researching your business further and checking out what you have to offer them.
It is very plausible that there are other options on the market, so be sure to offer what they’re looking for. Don’t be afraid to put a little humour in your video; making someone laugh releases positive emotions.
The Power of Social Media
Social media is a major part of any marketing strategy, not just online video marketing. Social media is a free way to promote whatever you have to offer, so make use of it!
Using social media, like Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat, is a great way to push your product or service to a larger audience than what might be on your blog or website. Think about how often you’ve seen the same video or post shared by your friends on Facebook; it’s time to make it your video!
A newcomer to the game is TikTok, an application solely used for videos. It is the perfect tool for any business wanting to use online video marketing. The longest video can be 60 seconds, but shorter videos are more likely to attract people. Working with TikTok influencers is a great way to advertise your product, as they would have such a large audience.
Take advantage of the fact that many people can be visual learners. The most important thing you could do when someone watches your video is to educate them. Thankfully, there are several ways to educate. You could show how to use the products properly, or you could provide them with a few tips and tricks on the product, kind of like this article. Transform your educational content by seamlessly adding captivating captions with a reliable subtitle generator. Elevate accessibility, expand your reach, and enhance understanding for all viewers.
Optimising Your Videos
Follow these best practices when developing video content:
Maximise Production Quality: Invest in high-quality equipment and production. Viewers expect a polished, professional look.
Keep It Concise: Shorter videos perform best. Around 1-2 minutes is ideal for marketing content.
Leverage Data: Use tools like Tubular to analyse top-performing videos in your niche. Apply those lessons to your own content.
Prioritise Mobile: With growing mobile video consumption, optimise viewing experiences for smaller screens.
Use Captions: Use accurate and keyword-rich captions to enhance your video’s SEO, making it more discoverable while improving accessibility for all viewers.
Include Calls-to-Action: Give viewers specific directions to convert, like visiting your site or purchasing.
Amplifying Reach
Developing great video content is only the first step. You also need distribution strategies:
Paid Ads: Promote videos on platforms like YouTube and Facebook using targeted ads.
Email: Send video content directly to your subscriber base.
Social Posts: Share videos natively on social media outlets.
Influencer Marketing: Have respected creators share or collaborate on videos.
Website: Feature videos prominently on your site and blog.
Tracking Performance
Use analytics to identify your best videos, then double down on similar high-performing content. Key metrics to track include:
Traffic referred from videos
Completion rates
Engagement metrics like likes, comments, shares
Conversions and sales from video viewers
Evolve your video strategy based on real data insights into what resonates with your audience.
Conclusion
Video marketing is more than just a nice add-on. It’s quickly becoming a must-have channel for brands to reach and influence buyers in 2023. An effective video strategy can elevate your brand, capture qualified leads, engage customers, and drive sales in a memorable, shareable format.
Well-executed video marketing is an investment that generates impressive ROI across the customer lifecycle—partner with our video experts to maximise your impact and views with creative, strategic video content. Use this guide to start implementing impactful videos tailored to your goals. Rather than set it and forget it, continuously test and optimise your content based on data-driven insights into performance.
FAQs
How often should I be posting new video content?
Most brands aim for 1-2 new videos per week, minimum. The more content, the better to keep audiences engaged. Shorter videos also allow for increased output.
What types of videos perform best?
Customer testimonials, “day in the life” footage, entertaining reels, interviews, webinars, product tutorials, and behind-the-scenes videos tend to see high engagement.
What’s the best video length?
Ideally, 60-90 seconds if promoting on social media. 3-5 minutes for YouTube tutorials or testimonials. For long-form content like webinars, 20-30 minutes.
How much should I invest in video production?
Quality is crucial, so $500+ per finished minute is reasonable, depending on the complexity of your videos. The ROI from highly engaging video content justifies the upfront costs.
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