For those of us who began working in video communications before “buzz” was a buzzword, it’s been exciting to watch Web video emerge as a leading marketing medium. Of course, what gives this media shift legs is the concurrent emergence of video with new distribution channels driving accessibility, expanded audience reach and improved metrics. And with the prevalence of mobile electronics, most consumers are never far from the Internet and a video screen.
Here are a few tips.
• Be sure your video style fits your overall marketing strategy. Try to avoid the temptation of a one-off production that doesn’t fit your brand strategy. If approached correctly, your video can drive your entire marketing campaign for many months to come. After all, video is the perfect way to launch new products. It can reinforce what your customers like and dispel myths that erode your brand. Many brand leaders believe that video is the most effective way to reach their market today.
• Your video is an extension of your brand. You will want to set the same high-quality standards with video communications that you have established with every aspect of your business. Avoid falling into the trap of “video that looks like my nephew shot it. It’s cool.” It’s not really cool. Your video doesn’t need to look small budget even if it is.
• Create it once; experience it everywhere. That’s one of our favorite lines here at Tango Pix. With the right creative direction and a little bit of strategic forethought, you’ll maximize your production investment by creating video messaging that can be re-purposed for a number of initiatives and delivered through a variety of distribution channels, from e-mail to presentations at a trade show.
• Be engaging. If you want to spur word of mouth for your brand through video, first pledge to make your video engaging so that it’s viewed often and shared widely. Video becomes viral because people watch it, watch it again, talk about it and pass it along. It needs to be relevant for your market, and deliver a message that people want to share.
• Promote interactivity with your customers. Effective marketing promotes a two-way conversation with your customers that builds loyalty. Video makes it easy for your customers to interact with you. Embed links in the video player that ask for feedback or invite sign-ups for your newsletter. Do you have a special offer? Make it available in the video so that viewers can respond instantly. Are you trying to drive traffic to your Web site or to another destination? Make it easy for viewers to click on a link. Or, old-fashioned as it sounds, give them a reason to pick up the phone and call you. •
Curt Worden is the CEO and executive producer of Tango Pix, a Providence-based video marketing and communications firm.
