Video Marketing: The New Content Marketing Powerhouse.

Video Marketing Puts a New Spin on an Old Content Marketing Method.

Video may not be a new technology, but marketers are breathing new life into this method of advertising. Video is going social in a big way and it is on the verge of dominating content marketing.

First, content marketing was all about text with blogs and microblogs.

Then it went visual with infographics and Pinterest.

Now, content marketing has gone dynamic with video.

The sooner you jump on the video marketing bandwagon, the sooner you will see your brand rank higher in search engine results and receive more customers. Most importantly, video helps you bring more value to people.

Read on to see how you can harness this new content marketing powerhouse.

Be Thoughtful in Your Video Marketing.

Video for content marketing is not a commercial.

It is important that you recognize this shift in marketing. You aren’t making an advertising video. You are making an informative video.  Keep in mind the personal and engaging nature of content marketing. Do not use your video marketing as a bullhorn to shout out brand messaging.

To restate, because that’s how important this is – in face, make this your mantra: video marketing is not about making an internet commercial. Like all content marketing, video is about having a conversation and providing value to people.

Engage and Educate with Webinars.

When in doubt: Educate. Webinars are a great way to do that. Webinars are instructional videos show, rather than tell, people how to use a product.  They draw people in with step by step demonstrations.  They speak to the core of content marketing – providing value to people.

Webinars are great for helping set you up as an authority in your industry, which drives traffic to your business.

Here are a few webinar tricks of the trade:

• Keep webinars instructional but conversational.
• Record a few practice runs to make sure your voice is engaging.  Live webinars result in better customer engagement and social sharing.
• Always record your live webinars and make them accessible from your website for people to view at a later date.

Get Conversational with Vlogs.

A video blog, shortened to “vlog,” has roughly the same the content as a written blog. The biggest trick with a vlog is that you need to ratchet up the conversational tone. It should never seem like you are reading from a script. There’s no faster way to get your customers to tune out.

Your vlog does need clear direction. Work from an outline, rather than a script. You want to be conversational, but you don’t want to end up rambling too much. It will look like you don’t know what you’re doing. Again, your goal is to provide value.

Vlog topics can include industry tips, comments on industry events or answer FAQs.

Vlogs are so successful because they appear more personal than written content. They give the illusion of direct conversation. This is key for developing brand loyalty, which is built on a likeable brand identity.

Before you set out to record a vlog, decide what type of brand personality you want to convey. Remember that no matter your industry, your vlog needs to be conversational and personable. Whomever you chose to speak for your brand needs to approach a vlog as if they were speaking to a friend, not selling to a customer.

Remember our mantra for video marketing? Video marketing is not an internet commercial.

Video Can Put Your Customers in the Spotlight.

Savvy content marketers know that the best way to use video marketing is not to put themselves in the video at all. They let the customer take the starring role.

This is where video becomes super social.

Encouraged your customers to create their own videos. They can demonstrate innovative uses for your product or for B2B businesses, an option would be to have clients provide unique answers to FAQs.

Have your customers upload these videos to the brand Facebook page or YouTube. Your company’s visibility will increase when individuals share these posts on their personal blogs and social sites. Usually, this type of video is paired with a contest, where the best video wins a prize or discount.  However you decide to use video to promote your business, make sure to keep it fresh and unique to your brand.

Don’t forget the video marketing mantra: You are having a conversation that provides value, not filming a commercial.