Video Marketing by the Numbers
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video might be worth a hundred thousand… especially when it comes to social media. For instance, video tweets get 10 times more engagement than tweets without video. Instagram videos garner more attention and engagement than all other Instagram posts. And in 2017, LinkedIn’s senior product manager reported that people are 20 times more likely to share videos on LinkedIn compared to any other type of post. Whether you are promoting your personal brand or your business, video is the way to go.
Return on Investment
At first, video marketing can seem like a complicated and expensive endeavor, and at one point, that was true. These days, however, video content is much easier to produce, and the platforms for distributing it are so varied that the length and production value required can be totally manageable, even by a small business. Tik Tok has revolutionized the game, providing opportunities to promote anything and everything with quick, relatable videos.
Yes, it can cost thousands of dollars to create professional marketing videos. If you want a high-quality animation or need to hire professional actors, the cost can skyrocket. Of course, it takes a considerable amount of planning and time to film and edit any video, but not every video has to be a $50,000 production extravaganza. Savvy marketing companies will work with your business and your budget to create polished videos that get the results you want.
The key to finding your video marketing sweet spot is understanding how much business a truly engaging video can bring in and determining a cost that makes sense for your goals. Consider these key ideas when dreaming of your ideal video marketing campaign:
- Actively create a variety of posts, with video as one type of many you use on social media.
- Pick the right platforms for your videos. Make sure your videos show up where your customers or potential customers hang out online.
- Make sure the length and quality of the video are appropriate for the platform.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. You cannot ensure that a video will go viral.
- Videos cost more than money. They require your time and can impact your business’s reputation, so make sure the video is authentically you and appropriately showcases your business.
Let’s get into each of these tips a little more and discuss why following them can make video marketing worth the investment.
Vary Your Social Media
A social media account that is purely text-based can work if you are a stand-up comedian or have a running gag going with your fans. Most followers, however, expect some variety in your posts. Having videos keeps your audience engaged and gives them more ways to interact with you. Plus, videos can help people see you and your business as personal, relatable, down-to-earth, or real. You can truly be you in a video—in ways you can’t achieve with text or static photos.
In addition, when considering the expense involved in creating a video, remember that most of your social media posts are relatively inexpensive. Text and photo posts are generally simpler. If your social media budget is significant enough, it probably makes sense to devote a large chunk of it to video, even though most of your posts will not be video posts. Video posts attract so much engagement that they can exponentially grow audience attention in your other posts, making everything you put into the world more valuable.
Pick the Best Platforms
Taking time to research social media platforms will help you understand not only who you will reach on each platform but also what the audience’s expectations are for the videos that appear there. Some platforms, like TikTok, tolerate and even encourage a more homemade aesthetic. Other platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, vary widely. Platforms like LinkedIn might necessitate a professional-looking final product.
Your budget may not allow for extravagant spending, but that might not matter. You can create short, simple videos that speak directly to your customers and work perfectly for the platforms where you post. For instance, Mad Hat Maven created a series of videos featuring Muffy Vanderbilt III, a local Houston drag queen. These videos showcase who we are and appeal to our fun-loving, LGBTQ+ friendly audience. Sure, the videos required writing, editing, acting talent, and video equipment, but they didn’t break the bank.
The point is that not every video has to be 45 minutes long—or even one minute long!
They also don’t have to all be at the same level as a Super Bowl commercial. Videos are there to engage, and knowing your platform can help you figure out how to do that without costing a fortune.
Going Viral
When YouTube was still fairly new, every company on the block was trying to make the next viral video. What did we learn from these efforts? You can’t guarantee a video will go viral, no matter how funny, engaging, or topical it is. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to spend all your money on a single video. Instead, concentrate on the variety of content you can make and the message you want to send.
Of course, any marketing agency worth its salt will do its darndest to make an irresistibly shareable video for you, but they should know enough to try multiple tactics. Videos should be an ongoing part of your social media plan—a part you can refine over time.
Not every video has to be a flagship video either. You can spend a lot of energy on a really important video while still creating other, less-expensive videos that support the same message. You want to build an ecology of messaging rather than relying on one big move to make all the difference.
Authentic Video Marketing
Most of all, if you are going to spend time, energy, and money on videos, those videos should reflect the who and what of your business in a way that makes you proud. The best videos are relatable, meaningful, and appropriately clear about what the business is and what it can do. This doesn’t mean random videos like the old Geico standards aren’t worthwhile; even those videos told people about the kind of company Geico wanted to be and the kind of person it wanted to reach. The Geico name and tagline were still featured prominently at the end of every video.
Make sure your marketing videos showcase something important about you and that they let your potential customers engage with you in memorable ways. Mad Hat Maven’s “look back at quarantine” video shows who we are and how we did business throughout 2020. It keeps our trademark sense of humor while being honest about how difficult it could be. You can see our fearless leader, Heather, trying to stay sane, which is something most of us can definitely relate to after the year we’ve had!
Video Marketing Is Worth It
Making authentic, professional, sharable video content might seem overly complicated, but marking experts can help you do it. At Mad Hat Maven, we know how to liven up your social media feed with videos that are affordable, targeted, and engaging. We know that video performs the best compared to all other kinds of social media posts, so now is the time to try it. Contact us today to get creative with video marketing.
