Birmingham based online marketing expert, Waseem Saddique, discusses the growing trend of online video marketing.
Few experts would disagree that effective online marketing has been greatly boosted by the increased use of video on websites. A number of case studies and statistics have been produced to verify that online video marketing really works.
Recent research has, in fact, highlighted that videos are up to 50 times more likely to generate an organic first page search engine ranking than a standard text page.
The attraction of online video marketing is that making a video and uploading it onto an online platform is relatively inexpensive. This in itself is seen as hugely beneficial to many businesses all over the world.
Furthermore, videos have the added bonus of remaining online for an indefinite period of time; therefore, a business can spend just one amount of money on producing a quality online marketing video and yet that video will still be generating viewing figures years from now.
Another welcome benefit of online video marketing is that it works well when combined with social media sites. In fact, the majority of social media sites will encourage video posting and sharing in order to increase traffic numbers. This in turn leads to endless opportunities when it comes to viral internet marketing, provided that the right strategies are implemented when creating and posting videos online.
Waseem Saddique offers some useful tips to help you on your way in launching a successful online marketing campaign using video:
1. Come up with an effective title
Similar to a powerful headline covering a major news story, a video title needs to have an impact that draws in the traffic. There are two major reasons why the title is vital. One, an eye-catching title will immediately attract the viewer’s attention and two, if appropriate keywords are used in your title you increase the chances of your business appearing on search engines in a much higher position.
2. Think about the content of your video
Don’t waste time waffling, consider what appeals to your viewer. It’s pointless producing a video that talks about how great you are as business and then offers no incentive for them to use your business to buy products or use the services that you provide. Getting the balance right is important, be sure to promote your expertise as a company, but don’t forget that ultimately, the video needs to stimulate the interests of your target audience.
3. Include your website address in the video
You would be amazed at how many companies produce flashy looking videos offering the earth and then completely forget to add contact details or guide them to a website whereby a customer can make use of their services. By simply adding a text box to your video with a URL in it you increase the level of exposure for your business.
4. Remember to ‘brand’ your video
No successful online marketing campaign using video would be complete unless your company logo was featured in the video. The more prominent the better and what’s great about the branding is that you can have a logo featured throughout the video or have it appear at regular intervals, particularly during key moments, when you really want to emphasise your company name.
5. Always provide a HTML link
When posting on YouTube for instance, you will be given the opportunity to provide a short description highlighting what your video is about. What’s important to remember in this instance is that your HTML link should drive the traffic that you generate to the correct place.
6. Finally, think beyond YouTube
Waseem Saddique comments: “When people think of online marketing using video, they think YouTube; however, do not underestimate the importance of embedding your video on your business website. This will drive more traffic to your website, but more importantly it will increase the amount of time people will stay on your site, helping to generate a captive audience."
