Have you recently leaned over a smartphone and laughed at a cute viral video with a friend or coworker? Did you just post a video on your social media that had strong political messages? There’s something about a funny or informative video that makes us want to share it with friends, family, and coworkers. Videos can have that same impact for your B2B tech company. Here’s what a good video should accomplish:
- Inform
- Persuade
- Communicate a brand story and value proposition
- Build relationships and trust
Why Video Is A Better Investment Than Words?
Research by Forrester’s Dr. James McQuivey suggests that one minute of video can have the same effect on decisions as 1.8 million words. It would be nearly impossible to get a casual viewer to read that many words about your product or service. This is particularly crucial given a recent Forbes study that found 59 percent of executives would rather watch a video than read text. This makes video an incredibly effective choice if you’re aiming to improve return on investment.
Video Marketing Is The Future Of Content Marketing
Video marketing is expected to rule in 2017. Cisco has predicted that video consumption will account for 69 percent of all Internet traffic of consumers by the end of the upcoming year. Two big reasons for this increase are:
- Higher Internet speed
- Increased mobile usage
This change is a good news for technology B2B companies because they can use the power of video to demonstrate their services and dominate their niches. Of course, riding the wave of video marketing buzz the right way all comes down to creating and distributing relevant content . Why is video gaining the edge over words? The strengths of video are:
- Less effort to consume
- Easier to connect with speakers
- Demonstrates products in use
- Catches the eye in social media feeds
Companies That Understand The Power Of A Video
The last part of 2016 already gave us a glimpse into what we can expect in the year ahead. There was a noticeable increase in live videos and streaming at the end of 2016. Services like Facebook Live and Snapchat helped many brands and personalities dominate the conversation and in gaining enough traction. These live videos are extremely successful at making content feel personal and direct. Many established companies have also embraced video to push their products. Here are some of the best recent examples of using video to demonstrate how a product or service works:
- GoToMeeting released a commercial done completely in the style of a real-life video conference between a client and vendor – a funny video done right!
- ASOS places short videos of models wearing clothing pieces on runways next to the descriptions of those items – best way to display the clothes!
- Squarespace released a video featuring Jeff Bridges learning how to build a website using the brand’s platform – easy enough for a celebrity to build a website!
How To Tap Into The Benefits Of Video Marketing?
Many startup leaders are a bit intimated by the rise of this powerful marketing tactic because it might seem like an overwhelming task to take on. After all, not all of us have the creativity and vision to put out video content that is entertaining, engaging and visually appealing. There are two basic ways to approach the task of creating a video presence online.
The first approach is to create a completely polished channel that establishes your brand as sophisticated and developed. They key to pulling this off successfully is to:
- Use crisp audio, professional lighting and graphics
- Deliver tutorials, cover breaking industry news or offer insightful commentaries regarding industry trends
- Have a “talking head” or consistent spokesperson
The second approach is to embrace the amateur status of your videos. There are plenty of online personalities and startup brands that have gained huge following by uploading simple, no-frills videos. The key to pulling this off successfully is to:
- Embrace your upstart status
- Make your videos appear like organic, grassroot content
- Focus on making viewers feel like they are being invited to something new, fresh and developing
Why Your Startup Needs Video Marketing In 2017?
Video accomplishes what words can’t because it puts a face and voice to a brand. People are more likely to make a connection with your brand if they can imagine using it or picture how it will enhance their experiences. It can be utilized to give your marketing initiatives a boost both in the viral sense and during one-on-one sales encounters. In addition to organic shares among viewers, you also want content that can be easily referred to when members of your internal team are networking at events and trade shows; a video will give further boost to your first handshake.
So, what is the bottom line on why video is more effective than blocks of texts or long blogs? The big factor that makes video superior to words is that there are so many platforms where a video can be shared and watched in its entirety. Even a video that is several minutes or hours long can be watched on Facebook, YouTube or other popular platforms. A blog piece or article that conveys the same amount of information could not be shared on the same platform without prompting readers to follow a link to an outside page
Final words? A video can grow legs in ways that a simple blog post or article simply can’t!
