Video content has become a huge marketing trend over the last few years. Although YouTube remains the biggest video search engine, social channels such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram have become predominantly video focused for consumers, and more importantly brands.

According to Hubspot, by the end of 2017, online video will account for 74% of all web traffic. So if it isn’t already, regular video content should be included in your marketing strategies.

You don’t need to be a Hollywood production company to create your visuals, just keep these factors below in mind and your video content will become a successful marketing tool.

Short and Sweet

Due to our social media newsfeeds becoming busier, our attention spans have become shorter and shorter. This is one of the most vital points to consider when creating your video content: keep it short and sweet.

Don’t over-complicate your video, keep it straight to the point and try to keep the duration around the one minute mark. Don’t be scared by this. According to Buffer, a one minute video is worth 1.8 million words, so make sure your visuals are strong, eye-catching and informative.

I also recommend really considering the first three seconds. Facebook now counts this as a “view”, so ensure that the opening makes an impact on your fast-scrolling audience.

Add Subtitles

Although it is important to include great quality sound, the harsh reality is that many people will not actually listen. Facebook and Instagram auto-play videos without the sound on, and many viewers don’t switch it on. But this doesn’t mean they aren’t watching. A staggering 85% of people watch Facebook videos without the sound on – because they don’t need to now.

Many videos now include subtitles. As videos are consumed in public places, or on mobile devices, viewers rely on the subtitles to keep them informed on the video’s message, without having to play it out loud. A video without subtitles will quickly be scrolled past and forgotten about, so ensure you couple your visuals with clear and easy-to-follow text, to keep your viewer engaged and informed.

Mobile-Optimise

By the end of 2016, more than 50% of videos were viewed on a mobile device – and this will only increase. So it’s crucial that your content is fully mobile optimised.

Think vertical. As views are consumed more and more on a vertical rectangle screen, your videos should be optimised for this. Marketing teams should be thinking ‘mobile first’ when it comes to marketing content strategy and need to make it a necessity for the video to be viewed across multiple devices.

As I mentioned previously, you don’t need a huge production team to create your brand’s videos. Don’t be shy to even film on a phone. Devices such as the iPhone are more than capable of producing high quality, fully mobile optimised footage.

Include a Call-To-Action

Your videos are no different to the other content you post, so also include a call-to-action. Your call-to-action needs to be powerful to entice your audience to remember your company, so don’t just guide them to your website “for more information”.

Place a question to ask your audience at the end, to either answer for themselves or to discuss in the comments. A question is much more customer focused and is more likely to spark an instant conversation with potential clients.

Great for Repurposing

Videos are brilliant for repurposing into further pieces of content. Don’t be afraid to cut them down into smaller, bite sized chunks to re-use on different social channels or for different posts. Good video content will enable you to post it in a variety of forms, time and time again. A few examples of this would be repurposing for teasers, for the promotion of upcoming events or enforcing a particular message.

Summary

To conclude, a video marketing strategy isn’t something you should be thinking about anymore, it is something you should be pro-actively doing. It is extremely important you cater for viewing on multiple formats to enable your videos to be watched easily and clearly. This will lead to an improved customer experience, increased engagement and awareness for your brand.

If you would like any more guidance on building your marketing strategy, don’t hesitate to contact Identity at digital@identitygroup.co.uk today.