5 Hot Tips for Corporate Video
In case you haven’t been paying attention – video is hot. And I’m not just saying that because I own a media company. Each year, Cisco releases an annual internet report that includes predictions about the amount of video traffic generated. And each year video content consistently outpaces the predictions. According to Cisco, one million minutes of video crosses the internet every second, and smart devices (i.e.: phones, tablets, computers) have accelerated the use of video, too. According to Insivia, mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year.
This information begs the question: How can your business capitalize on these trends? If you haven’t started implementing video in your business and marketing strategy, here are 5 things to consider.
#1 Become a storyteller.
From stories about your employees, cool products, and efforts to give back – people love hearing a good story. So create quality stories that show off your company in unique ways. But that’s only step one. Once you have the content created, you must get it in front of the right people. Your video can’t just live on your website. You’ll want to consider branching out and utilizing other social media platforms. Sites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. are where consumers are thinking about purchasing decisions. Apps like Instagram and TikTok allow companies to share bite-sized content to users who will enjoy seeing it. Believe it or not, almost 50% of users on Instagram enjoy video ads. Who would have thought that? As you look to create these video stories remember the individuals must be “camera-friendly.” That means choosing someone that is willing to share their story and be engaging.
#2 Take a cue from the “For Dummies” brand.
Video explainers are huge. An overwhelming majority of people (94%) watch video explainers to learn more about a product and 84% are swayed to a make a purchase. With that in mind, take a page out of the “For Dummies” brand. You know, the folks that show you how to do everything from fix your car to learn an obscure language, to crash courses on C++ programming. People want to learn, and video is critical for that. An engaging education video will interest a wide variety of individuals, and your product does not have to be physical, either. It can be a service, an app or something else. So, think about how you might use this format.
#3 Let your customers sell for you.
Get those testimonials! Customers who love your company, what you do and what you sell are going to help turn prospects into leads. Testimonials are the best way to showcase how you work with others to solve their problems, meet their needs, and delight them. It is way more impressive and believable to have your customers say how great you are and how you’ve made their lives better in some way. Not to mention, you could see a significant boost in brand trust and customer-brand relationships by featuring real customers in video and marketing materials.
#4 Opt for Edutainment.
You might be wondering, what on earth is “edutainment?” It’s one of those mashed up words: Education and Entertainment. We all know how important training is today – but it doesn’t have to be (and in fact, it shouldn’t) be boring. Think about how you can create video training that engages your viewer. Maybe you have pop quizzes, or interactive activities. Much like creating video explainers for a front-facing audience, training videos should be both educational and engaging. Because without a doubt, when you make it fun, people will learn something.
#5 Amp up your webinar.
2020 was the year of the webinar. Many people worked remotely and needed to connect, so webinars were incredibly popular. CK and CO helped produce several global and regional webinars and virtual events. I know this trend is going to continue. But please, if your business or company is preparing to do a webinar, steer clear of being just a “talking head.” Try to incorporate short video segments, demonstrations, case studies, or anything else that may be fun and educational. At the very least, share the virtual stage with someone else because no one, myself included, is that interesting for any length of time. As the pandemic slows down and the world reopens in some capacity, there will be a shift to more hybrid events. You may need to plan accordingly for both virtual and in-person webinar attendees.
Bottom line – people are watching video, on their desktops, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. And based on market research, video works. According to Insivia, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. And research by Wyzowl found that 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. Video is a big deal, and the numbers back it up. If you’re looking to capitalize on this trend, make sure you’re implementing video production and promotion in your sales and marketing strategy.
To help you retain all 5 of these tips, check out the video version of this blog.