Video Content Marketing – Why You Need it 2016

Video content marketing is taking digital media by storm. Brands are moving beyond just doing the minimum when it comes to content. In 2015 we started to see brands take video to the next level and really use it to their advantage. With platforms like YouTube and live streaming like Periscope, video is at the forefront. When it comes to engaging your audience with content. But more importantly, it’s not enough to just sell your product. Your new audience is the millennial. They want to be able to have an emotional connection with their favourite brands. So if you’re just using video as a commercial for your product, you’re very behind.

Tips to get started with video marketing in 2016:

Going Beyond The Basic Promotional Video

We’ve all seen the sales-y car commercial videos. The ones where the owner of the second-hand auto sales is speaking a mile a minute and making awkward hand gestures screaming “GET THE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN“. Those are some real eye-rollers. Video content is way past that. Brands are now investing in new ways to promote themselves but using indirect methods.

Mastercraft Boats is a great example of amazing video content marketing. Their MORE IS MORE video is a great piece of content. They indirectly sell their product by catching the attention of their thrill-seeking audience. With an 8-minute video of stunts on Lake Ronix. They’re not pushing a product in your face, their selling a lifestyle. That’s an amazing way to emotionally connect with a targeted audience.

Long-Form Video

Long-form video (like the Mastercraft video I showed above) is the newest concept in video marketing. Brands are using stories to create longer videos that capture the identity of the brand without being in your face. These video formats are best used on YouTube, blogs, and websites and great to show at events and trade shows. They range anywhere from 4-15 minutes. With videos like this, you have to work hard and keeping your audience engaged and capturing their attention. When they finish watching the video they should feel emotionally connected to your brand, feel the need to share your content and have an understanding of what the brand stands for and what they are trying to convey to you.

Tell a Story About Your Brand

It’s so easy to talk about something you’re passionate about. Rather than telling your audience why they should buy your product or service…show them why you love what you do. Connect with your audience. Showing a video of the small business owner who wakes up at 5:30 am every morning to get their day started to do what they love, how they personally greet their employees each morning and make an effort to keep their business running helps the audience connect with them. Tell the story of why you started your business, why it’s important to your audience. I think this is the best method of advertising.

Evergreen or Routine Content?

Evergreen content

Is content that stays fresh for 6-12 months. Routine content is content that you would produce weekly or monthly. When you decide to invest in video content, question what you are going to do with this video. Are these going to be segments you produce often like Buzzfeed’s Matt Bellassai and his Whine About It segments. If you’re looking for a promotional video that tells the story of your business, that’s great for evergreen content that you can probably use for the next year. But this is something you want to think about before you invest in your content.

Investing in video content for 2016 is a smart choice. If you’ve already started to plan it into your content strategy, you have a pretty good head start. But it’s important to work with a team to make it happen. Just like social media marketing, planning your video content needs a strategy in place and dreaming up a solid concept. If you do want to be competitive this year, you need to consider adding video content to your strategy to stay ahead of the competition.