Why video should be part of your marketing strategy

If the thought of creating videos for your business scares you, you’re most certainly not alone. But creating video content doesn’t have to be overwhelming or a huge time commitment – and it will almost certainly make an impact in your credibility and sales. 

With the growth of TikTok and it’s 800 million users  being quite a clear indication, video content is highly engaging and in demand by users (and likely isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future). 

It’s not just TikTok that’s capitalizing on video content, either. Over 2 billion logged-in users visit YouTube each month, generating billions of views each day, and Instagram continues to roll out video features, including Instagram stories (released in 2016), IGTV (released in 2018), and Reels (a TikTok spin-off if you will, introduced in 2020). 

Why? 

Visuals are memorable and effective. They’re super easy to consume, and help people understand and retain more information. Plus, video can help consumers more deeply connect with the content – evoking emotions more strongly than images or words alone. 

What does this mean for your business?

Possibly more than any other type of content, video helps you to create and nurture a strong connection with your audience – a connection that is imperative in helping you gain their trust and a connection that can lead directly to sales.

Here are some quick stats just in case we haven’t convinced you yet: 

• 80% of video marketers say video has directly helped increase sales.
• Posts that include images produce 650 percent higher engagement than text-only posts.
• People are 85 percent more likely to buy a product after viewing a product video.
• Posts with videos attract 3X more links than text-only posts.

How to start integrating video into your marketing strategy: 

Decide on a platform. 

You don’t need to stretch yourself thin trying to create content across all platforms! Ask yourself what form of video would likely do best for your brand: short videos are likely best suited for TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, whereas longer videos may be better off on YouTube. 

Get clear on your ideal client. 

Who are you trying to sell to? Which platforms are they most likely on? This can give you some idea where you should be showing up as well. 

Brainstorm a list of video ideas your company could create. 

Try to align these with your overall marketing strategies. For example if you’re launching a product, start creating content specifically around that concept or product to build excitement. After the launch, how-to videos might be helpful for those who have purchased your product or service, along with testimonial videos from those who have purchased. 

We’ve included some more inspiration and video ideas below for you!

Ask your audience what they’d like to see from you. 

If you’re looking for more content ideas, simply ask your customers! They’re often more than happy to share their ideas. 

Just start! 

Video can be intimidating but like everything else it only gets easier with time. You don’t need an elaborate setup or the newest camera on the market to start creating valuable videos. 

An iPhone, phone stand, and a large window to light your space is all you need to start (or if you don’t have good natural lighting available, a simple ring light can do wonders!). You can always invest in more equipment later. 

Remain consistent. 

As with most things, consistency is key. Your first video may not be a great success, but as you get more comfortable behind and in front of the camera, your content will improve. 

Beyond that, the more videos you create the more you’ll be able to gauge which content is actually resonating with your audience, so you can hone in on that. 

Video ideas and inspiration for your business: 

Explainer or promotional videos: 

Especially if you’re a new company, or have a product or service that often requires some explaining, consider making a promotional video introducing who your company is and what you do to start to create some buzz. 

In the video you can answer some of your most frequently asked questions, or show why your company has an edge on others. The video can be short and informational, and will still provide more of an impact than trying to explain the same things in text.

Check out this video by the Dollar Shave Club to illustrate what we mean. Created in 2012 when the company was just starting out, this video now has over 27 million views! 

Demonstrate a product: 

Short videos explaining how to use your products can be beneficial for consumers. This allows customers to see things that can’t fully or easily be written out. Ever been frustrated by the information packet that comes with your IKEA furniture? Well, they now also offer assembly videos like this one, which help ease some of that customer frustration and likely mean they’re getting less inquiries directly to the store. 

Other great examples of companies using effective demonstration videos include: 

• GoPro (check out this video introducing the HERO9).
• Purple (a mattress company which became popular due to their kickstarter videos like this one for their purple pet bed and product test videos like this one asking if your mattress drops the “human egg drop test”).
• Vat19 (a company promoting their “curiously awesome gifts” through videos like this one demonstrating their kinetic sand).
• Cabinscape (which shares videos showing what the inside of some of their wilderness cabins are like).
• Blendtec (a blender company that gained attention after launching their “will it blend” series. Check out this video where they successfully blend an iPad, a video which has since amassed over 19 million views). 
• Nike (Nike uses video in a multitude of ways, but we specifically love their recent introduction of simple, short videos which appear on loop on some of their product pages and give a better look at their product or certain features of the product which are hard to see in static images).
• Cocokind (a skincare company which does super short videos demonstrating their products like this one).

Educational videos: 

Along the same lines, creating videos that provide educational value to the consumer can be extremely helpful for gaining credibility and sharing your knowledge on a subject. 

These videos provide a little more flexibility than demonstration videos, as they can be on anything related to your field of expertise! 

For example, 

• If you own a fashion company, styling videos like this one by Oak and Fort might be a great way to provide valuable advice while also showing off your products. 
• If you offer nutrition services, recipe videos might be a great way to engage your audience. Check out Alexandra Andersson for some inspiration – she creates great short form videos for Reels, along with longer form videos on IGTV and YouTube! 
• If you’re in the finance world, budgeting videos like these by The Budgetnista might be a great fit. 
• If you work in skincare or sell skincare products, consider creating videos around that! Cocokind does a great job with short, informational videos that speak directly to their target audience. Check out this video they put out in timely fashion for 4 tips to combat maskne. 
• If you offer a service like personal training, yoga, or meditation, consider uploading some videos that customers can do for free! Hoame is a great example of a meditation studio that offers a great range of free videos on their Instagram channel!
• If you work in the tech field, consider speaking about general topics that often confuse consumers. For example, GoDaddy puts out great videos explaining technical terms like what domain names are. 

Entertaining videos: 

While a lot of the above videos include elements of entertainment, there is also the opportunity to specifically focus your videos on how you can engage with and entertain your audience. 

Red Bull does a great job of this, sharing regular videos – everything from parkour to intense obstacle courses to action sports clips – embodying the idea that drinking Red Bull is linked with this high energy lifestyle. 

Behind the scenes: 

Share projects you’re working on, spotlight different employees, or share “day in the life” videos!

These can be short and to the point like this “day in the life” video by The Silk Labs and this “meet the team: pets edition” by The Good Trade, or longer videos like this behind the scenes by Blue Ridge Honey Company. 

Testimonials: 

Video testimonials can be a powerful tool for your business. They create brand trust and social proof, because it’s not just you talking about your company but a happy customer who is backing up all the amazing things you have to offer. 

Video testimonials create authenticity, and can lead to more sales because again, videos offer an opportunity for greater engagement and emotion which can draw consumers in. 

For example, check out this video by Noom which features a number of happy customers. 

Final thoughts 

However you decide to use video – regardless of platform, format, or length, it can offer an additional opportunity for you to connect with and provide value to your customers. 

Video doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming to be effective. It’s simply about getting started and seeing what resonates as you go!
Are you looking for a virtual assistant proficient in social media? Contact Virtual Office Resources to find out if we’re a good fit to work together.

Written by VOR Team Member, Jasmine Irven. Jasmine is a Certified Meditation Teacher and a Registered Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach (RHNC™) …and expert social media and content marketer.