Before the Internet, television was the primary video content platform. Advertising revenue was funnelled into television networks in ever-increasing amounts and consumers responded accordingly by purchasing from the brands with which they identified as a result of the advertising exposure.
When the Internet, social media, domain names, and online blogging was born, the advertising landscape was revolutionised. New groups of consumers became increasingly averse to advertising talk and brands found themselves in a competitive battle for consumer trust, relationships and loyalty. Direct sales pitches were replaced by storytelling and thought leading content, brands started to recognise the value in investing in an online presence, a great business website, and meaningful content marketing that audiences could become emotionally invested in.
The Value of Video Marketing
Video hasn’t always been the star of internet marketing, however, it has gradually become a more integral component of the digital strategies being pursued by many businesses. Website owners began to invest in professional video content that communicated the value of their services/products and it wasn’t long before brands began to unlock the possibilities that working with prominent YouTube influencers presented.
500 million hours of video content is watched on YouTube every single day but perhaps even more impressively, half a billion users watch online video content on Facebook on a daily basis. Although established video platforms such as Vimeo, Twitch and YouTube undeniably led the way for some time, they are all losing ground to a relatively new competitor: Facebook.
In Terms of Video Marketing, Facebook is Leading the Way
Research shows that 47 per cent of consumers are turning to Facebook to consume much of the video content they choose to engage with. This compares with 41 per cent of people who cite YouTube as their primary video platform.
More than 70 per cent of those who engage with marketing video content on Facebook believe that the ads they see are relevant to them, which is an impressive statistic that brands and marketers should be taking note of. Arguably even more impressively, more than 60 per cent of consumers who view a brand’s video on Facebook will then proceed to click through and visit that brand’s website. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to learn that Facebook is actively encouraging brands to create and publish video content on their Facebook pages.
Creating Engaging ‘Facebook-Friendly’ Video Content
In a bid to prioritise person-to-person interactions, Facebook ranks video content accordingly. This means that videos with the most likes, shares and comments will find themselves rewarded with prominent ranking positions. As such, creating content that your audience will find genuinely interesting is essential.
Remember, Facebook also values brands which respond to user comments, so it is important to develop a strategy that affords appropriate attention to the small details that will help you to leverage additional visibility on one of the most important social platforms.
The Consequences for Brands
Brands wanting to forge connections with a larger audience base must create and share engaging video content on Facebook. The good news is that you don’t need to have a large marketing budget to compete with multi-national brands with seemingly endless resources. In many ways, Facebook has levelled the playing field, however, there are still some considerations before diving straight into creating your first videos.
Engaging your Target Audience
Capturing the attention of the right people is essential, and this will likely take a considerable amount of research. Not only will you need to deep dive into your own demographics, but you will also find it helpful to watch a range of popular marketing videos, particularly if they are produced by your competition.
Your video content should always reflect the core ethos of your brand and communicate an authentic image that your audience can relate to. As Facebook is a leading social networking platform, focusing on forging connections will generate the most impressive results. Featuring your team and / or your clients can help you to establish a sense of authenticity and trust that your audience will find valuable.
Utilising the Correct Tools
Although you certainly don’t need to have a large production budget, it is important that the quality of your videos is up to scratch. The latest smartphones can produce excellent quality videos that are ideal for everything from product demonstrations to live streams but if you want to create content with higher production value, it will be worth putting in a bit of effort to ensure that you have access to the right equipment for the job.
Measuring Success
It is not enough to create videos and publish them on your Facebook page; you must also monitor their success to see how your audience are responding. Keeping a close eye on your metrics will tell you which videos are delivering a solid return on investment (ROI) but it is important to clearly define what success looks like to you in terms of your own personal video output.
It’s no secret that marketplaces are becoming increasingly competitive and you might not find it particularly easy to capture and hold the attention of your audience. The right video strategy can help you to assert your authority within your niche, which will provide you with a variety of opportunities to forge valuable relationships with the people you most want to connect with.
At the end of the day, in order to maintain a successful business, customer satisfaction is the most important aspect of your business, so if you always keep your customers in mind, you’re already half way there.