Video Marketing
Risky Business: Creating (Bad) Videos In-House
As the founder of an online video agency, I see many businesses try to attempt creating video in-house. We get it: professional video can get expensive, and their iPhones/iPads shoot HD footage… so they think it would be an easier and cheaper solution to just whip something up themselves.
Just because the tech is cheaper and more available than ever before, what most don’t fully understand is how much knowledge and expertise actually goes into creating a professional looking & sounding video. From lighting to shot composition, framing, smooth camera movements and clear audio – there’s a lot behind creating professional quality shots, and those shots stand as the very foundation of the video. If those shots are bad, it’s very hard for your business to be perceived as a professional. Bad quality video is actually proven to negatively affect brand perception.
In fact, one of our newest clients recently told me: ’I honestly didn’t think I needed you until our marketing girl shot/edited a video herself, and I needed gravol by the end of it.” I watched those videos, cringed, and thought ‘you’re not the first and you definitely won’t be the last’.
These days, many companies are expecting their marketing or digital managers to be able to just pick up a consumer camera with little to no experience & start producing videos in-house as easily as they post links to social media.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: creative & professional video production is a learned and practiced skill, takes talent, and is honed after years of experience.
From developing a creative strategy, a video then has to be shot, it also has to be edited, which are three entirely separate creative skill sets. None of these areas can be learned overnight, so it’s unfair to ask untrained employees to pick up that ball and run with it – if you want to realize the great potential online video holds.
In fact, it’s so rare for us to receive a videographer application from someone who went to film/digital media school actually have their talent’s honed until at least a few years in the field. For this reason, our creative team, videographers and video editors all have a minimum of 5-10 years experience telling visual stories. It’s an expertise… and proof is always in the end product.
It honestly makes me a little nervous when I see some of our clients try to supplement the professional videos we do for them with their own… in fear someone will (gasp!) think we had a hand in them! Alas, I understand their motivations because online video truly is the now and the future of marketing & advertising for businesses of all sizes. If they wish to supplement with some in-house videos, we offer them guidance and tips to make sure what they do themselves doesn’t destroy the reputation for quality they have developed by working with a pro video agency.
I always beg amateurs to avoid shooting video themselves, because there are trained professionals ready to help… which, when done properly, consistently delivers great ROI and doesn’t put your brand at risk.
Lisa Ostrikoff, Founder – BizBOXTV
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video, Video Marketing, Video Production
Social Video – Big For Brands In 2016 💥
Social Video = Massive Marketing & Advertising Opportunity
First of all, let’s clarify what “Social Video” is.
Social Video = Social Media + Online Video Marketing & Advertising.
Essentially, creating video content that is designed for social media platforms such as:
Your Social videos need to be designed specifically for social networks. This is because social video appears in different ways on different social networks, and each network has a unique audience with different behaviours.
Many people confuse social video with viral videos, but there’s a massive difference. Social media videos may not get millions of views and can still be deemed a big success. For example: if your company sells something very niche, the story of how your business can help could be a big success with only 2000 views, if those views are by your exact target audience and/or generate leads.
Social video also is extremely unique in its ability to convey a powerful message to viewers, in a way that static forms of marketing & advertising can’t. Social media networks also favour online video in their algorithms, knowing this rich form of content is more appreciated by it’s users.
Businesses that don’t invest in social video very soon really do risk being left behind. In a recent survey by the Content Marketing Institute, over 73% of marketers reported using online video as a marketing tactic. 69% of businesses are already creating videos specifically for social media. In that same survey, almost 70% of businesses say their budgets for social online videos are increasing. It’s clear that companies are beginning to recognize the power of these videos. If you’re not investing in social video yet, your competitors probably are.
Some of the ways social video can drive results is via:
– increasing brand awareness
– generating leads
– increasing online sales (conversions)
– customer service/support, etc…
The ROI of social videos will depend on which way you choose to use it. Every business will have differing targets & goals when it comes to the use of social video. If your social media videos are being used for lead generation, leads generated through the video should be tracked. If social video is being used to sell a product via your website, sales & conversions should be tracked. If you’re looking for results beyond brand awareness, the key is to set specific goals and track the success of your social videos using widely available analytics. It’s only through tracking that you will learn what connects with your audience and what doesn’t, allowing you to refine your video strategy as you continue creating social videos in the future.
- Published in Facebook, Social Media Video, Twitter, Video, Video Advertising, Video Marketing, Video Production, YouTube
Instagram Advertising – Now You Can Too
Instagram Advertising
With a quickly growing and engaged community of more than 400M, Instagram is one of the world’s largest mobile ads platforms & Instagram advertising is a lucrative option for businesses.
Businesses are now able to share their stories with a highly engaged audience and drive direct action with personalized video ads.
Instagram video ads offer the “same visually immersive quality as photo ads on Instagram — with the power of sight, sound and motion. And now, you can share videos up to 30 seconds long and in landscape format.”
Instagram video ads are now available globally for all businesses — big and small.
Instagram Advertising formats & targeting options allow us to give advertisers the results they care about – from raising awareness to driving action.
Some of the ways BizBOXTV video clients are using Instagram video ads in their marketing & advertising efforts include:
- Branding & Awareness
- Sales & Promotions
- Website Conversions
- … & more.
Depending on your unique advertising objectives, we work with you to determine the best content to share with your audience & develop a custom strategy for advertising on Instagram.
Advertisers of all sizes are seeing results for their businesses—from driving mass awareness, to increasing website sales.
Start Instagram Advertising today – BizBOXTV is making creating & running video ads on Instagram quick, easy and effective.
We serve clients in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Toronto & beyond. If you’re in Canada… we’ve got your back.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Instagram-ads, Video Advertising, Video Marketing
Video Marketing: Tell Your Dealership’s Story
The latest statistics about the growth and reach of online video offer convincing proof of its potential for marketing purposes. According to a recent infographic from HighQ.com, “2015: The year of video marketing,” 78% of people say they watch online videos weekly, and 55% watch them daily. Of these video viewers, 65% watch more than three-quarters of a video once they’ve started.
Think online video is big now? Just wait. Experts predict that by 2018, nearly 80% of overall consumer Internet traffic will involve online video. Video already rules the mobile world: Half of mobile traffic is now made up of online video, and that percentage is sure to rise substantially as mobile becomes the predominant means of accessing the Internet.
Of course, video advertising for your dealership and the latest news clip, viral sensation, or funny cat video are very different things. Advertising videos may have at one time been novel enough that the average user would sit through just because they were still marveling at being able to access a more interactive, user choice–oriented viewing medium than television. But those days are gone, so effective video marketing in 2015 has to cater to current viewing habits, more discerning tastes, and as always, the public’s collective short attention span.
Marketing basics still apply:
Ultimately, although online video is something the world seemingly can’t get enough of, succeeding at video marketing isn’t as simple as producing just any video, plopping it on your dealership’s website or on YouTube, and then waiting for business to roll in. As with any type of advertising, the cream will always rise to the top in video marketing: The most creative, informative, compelling, and memorable videos are the ones that will get the results.
In other words, the traditional rules for marketing success still apply. For example, as Brett Stevenson points out in his From the Publisher column, you still have to remember the fundamental rule that you three seconds to grab the viewers’ attention, or you will likely lose them entirely.
Some might think that this basic advertising rule can be bypassed in the online video context with pre-roll commercials—videos a viewer has to watch to get to their intended, non-advertisement video—but pre-rolls often can be clicked away from in five seconds. So it’s best to always mind the fundamentals, regardless of the medium.
The versatility of video:
Part of the beauty of video marketing in the automotive world is that it can take many forms and serve a variety of uses besides traditional advertising. It is by no means just the Internet version of the tried-and-true dealership TV or radio ad. Much video marketing is essentially just that, but it has the advantage of being more portable than TV or even radio, especially now because of the enormous rise in mobile device use.
But videos can do so much more. They can be used to tell both existing and future customers who come to your website about your dealership’s services, facilities, staff, special events, and more. And video can transform your vehicle detail pages from dry static photos and lists of features to interactive, compelling mini-movies that will make potential buyers want to hop into the car and go for a test drive.
via Dealer Marketing
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
Study: Online Video delivers highest conversions (vs other content)
While marketers increasingly appreciate the importance of video in their content mix and agree it produces the best conversions, a new report finds most marketers are still not effectively measuring the effectiveness of their online video efforts.
According a new report by Demand Metric, video remains extremely prevalent as a content type. Of the B2B and B2C marketing professionals surveyed, 91 per cent said video marketing content had become more important to them this year, while just eight per cent said there had been no change in importance.
“Often, the popularity of a content type can render it less effective, but this 2015 study shows that video has staying power and its importance continues to grow: it has not lost its ability to differentiate, “ said the report. “Virtually the entire marketing community acknowledges that video is still growing in importance as a type of marketing and sales content.”
Reflecting that growing importance, marketers are producing lots of videos. More than half of respondents produced between five and 50 videos annually for marketing purposes with 31 per cent producing between 11 and 50. The numbers produced were relatively unchanged from 2014, suggesting marketers have found their video sweet spot. More than half of large companies (defined by revenue) produced between 11 and 50 videos annually, while 45 per cent of medium-sized companies produced between five and 10. Smaller companies, at 35 per cent, were most likely to produce less than five.
Most marketers use their video content on their web site or on social media, with landing pages and recorded webinars well back. Explainer videos and product features were the most often produced types of videos, but customer testimonials were also popular.
Compared to other content types, 51% of respondents said video offered better conversion rates, while 23 per said it was much better and 20 per cent about the same.
“Video has proven an exceptional content type to support all stages of the buyer’s journey,” noted the report. “When a conversion occurs, it marks a pivotal point in the buyer’s journey, either from prospect to qualified prospect, or from qualified prospect to customer.”
The return on investment from online video content is growing, according to 50 per cent of respondents.
“It’s quite possible to determine the ROI for video content,” said the report. “If organizations don’t know what the ROI is, it is because they choose not to measure it, not because the data is unavailable.
Knowing ROI – and other performance metrics of video – is a function of tracking the proper metrics.”
via itBusiness
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
73% Marketers Say Video Positively Impacts ROI
Over the past few years, online video has become an increasingly vital part of the content marketing mix for a huge number of brands. A new study, based on survey results from 350 B2B marketing, agency and management professionals confirms that 73% of respondents believe that video positively impacts marketing results and ROI.
The Web Video Marketing Council, in conjunction with Reelseo, and Flimp Media, has released the ‘2015 B2B Video Content Marketing Survey Results’ which reflects how many B2B brands and companies are using video as a medium for lead generation, and communication. The survey also takes a look at satisfaction levels with the ROI of video marketing, and the barriers to entry that are still considered to be a factor for many B2B video marketing teams.
Respondents to the survey were either actively using video as part of their content marketing strategy, or had an opinion about using video to generate leads, and visibility.
One very interesting statistic from the study was the fact that 63% of brands and companies had been using video as part of their content marketing campaigns for the past 5 years, with 32% of respondents stating that they began using video only in the past 2 years.
What stands out to us, but is by no means a surprise, is that 96% of B2B companies are using video content in some way. The fact that 32% began using video in the last two years goes to show how powerful video is becoming, especially recently.
Furthermore, the top reasons companies are using video come as no shock either… brand awareness and engagement.
via 73% Marketers Say Video Positively Impacts ROI
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
85% Find Success: Online Video Marketing
Online Video Marketing
Ascend2 conducts a monthly research series, and its most recent Online Video Marketing Strategy survey was conducted online and had 280 respondents, who are US and international marketing, sales and business professionals representing a range of demographic roles, channels and company sizes.
According to the report, the most important objective of an effective online video marketing strategy is to increase brand awareness. Other key objectives include: Increase online engagement, improve customer education, and increase leads generated.
85% of companies that found value in use online video marketing as a strategy. The remaining 15% are struggling to achieve success with video marketing.
What are the most challenging obstacles to video marketing success? According to Ascend2, lack of an effective strategy is the most challenging obstacle to video marketing success according to 48% of those surveyed. Other challenging obstacles include: Lack of compelling content, inadequate video budget, and lack of production resources.
About half of the marketers surveyed consider customer testimonials, explainer or tutorial videos, and demonstration videos the most effective types of online video content used. However, they were also asked, “What are the most difficult types of video content to create?” Customer testimonials and project reviews/case studies topped that chart.
Online video marketing effectiveness is increasing for 87% of respondents, with 43% saying the increase is significant.
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
Use Marketing Videos at each stage of the buying cycle
It’s been proven many times over, regardless of what industry you are in, marketing videos are valuable at each stage of the buying cycle.
Stage 1: You Get Me
The purpose of this stage is establishing empathy with the buyer, showing you know what they’re going through. Useful videos include educational series, thought leadership pieces, curated lists, and promotional clips.
Stage 2: Decision Criteria
At this stage you want the customer to have a meaningful interaction with your brand. Create a newsletter, influencer series, on-demand webinar, or product tour to get shoppers involved in a more meaningful way. Customer testimonials are also persuasive.
Stage 3: Assess Buying Options
Once your buyer is interested, use video to show key differentiators between your brand and the competition. Explainer videos, FAQs, meet-the-team tours, and case studies all help show critical differences in your brand’s value.
Stage 4: Rationalize or Justify Purchase
Just because the shopper has made a purchase doesn’t mean the journey is over. Now is the time to provide a little extra to create brand loyalty. Create training and how-to videos, and show passionate brand advocates. Promote user-generated content and make video product user guides.
via OnlineVideo.net
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing
Online Video Marketing: Quick Tips To Get Started
When it comes to marketing, online video is it right now. It’s the post type Facebook marketers are willing to spend the most on, and it’s getting incredible engagement when posted natively on the platform.
Now is an exciting time to be marketing with video because it generates great traffic, but hasn’t been so overdone so as to be passé.
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about whether or not you should get into video, let me encourage you… you should.
Earlier this year, Hubspot reported, “Last year the amount of online video from people and brands in Facebook’s News feed increased 3.6X year-over-year.”
Online video marketing is just getting started. Brands who want to remain relevant in the digital space must be willing to adopt online video marketing.
It doesn’t have to be expensive. And it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Here are some simple ways to get started:
1. Get the most bang for your buck by doing multiple online video edits for Facebook, Instagram, Vine, YouTube, or whatever other platforms you leverage.
2. Keep it short. While there’s no perfect length you should be hitting, shorter online videos will have higher completion rates and are more likely to be viewed. It’s less of a commitment.
3. Keep in mind that Facebook videos begin autoplaying on silent. Create a marketing video that has closed captions and attention-grabbing images to get users to unmute and continue watching.
4. Publish regularly. Plan ahead. Create an editorial calendar. Have someone take ownership. The more often you publish quality marketing content, the more likely you will come to be seen as someone worth paying attention to.
5 Maximize Your Efforts With online video marketing analytics.
Finally, once you’ve started publishing some online video content, it’s critical that you follow up with analytics. Learn what’s working and what’s not. Then use information learned for creating your next projects.
Facebook, for example, will tell you…
- How many views your marketing video received
- Where people dropped off
- The average duration of online video viewed, and more….If I were to guess the main lesson most people learn through analytics, it’s this: don’t do intro sequences – cut to the chase!
via B2C
- Published in Video Marketing
Why You Can’t Ignore Video Marketing
It’s the worst kept secret on the internet, but video marketing is one of the best ways for businesses to connect with customers. In virtually every situation, video marketing proves to be more powerful and engaging than written content. Despite this, so many businesses fail to give it a second look. Instead, they proceed with a head-down mentality that emphasizes ‘doing things the way they’ve always been done.’ Don’t be that business.
Valuable Reasons to Focus on Video
Your marketing strategy doesn’t have to focus solely on video to be successful – that’s impractical and unsustainable. However, you should focus on diversifying your existing content strategy by naturally incorporating video whenever and wherever you can. Here are a handful of the top reasons to consider doing so:
1. Increased ROI
If you ask businesses that currently focus on video marketing what benefit they enjoy the most, almost every company will respond with an answer that revolves around increased ROI.
2. Better Engagement
But what’s so engaging about video content? Well, it’s a combination of multiple factors. Primarily, video capitalizes on the human brain’s craving for visual stimulation. When combined with audio, that stimulation leaves a much more powerful impact on the viewer. This impression often leads the viewer to pursue a specific action in the seconds, minutes, or hours after watching.
3. Flexibility
From a marketer’s perspective, video marketing is preferred because of the flexibility it affords the creative team. There are virtually endless options when it comes to creating different types of videos and disseminating them through a variety of channels.
Some of the most popular forms of video content include customer testimonials, product reviews, new product previews/trailers, video blogs, news features, social media content (Snapchat, Instagram, Vine, etc.), interviews, behind-the-scenes tours, whiteboard videos, and more.
4. Ability to Reach All Demographics
It’s no surprise that video connects best with the younger demographic that’s been raised on YouTube, DVDs, and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. However, it’s not just millennials that relate to video marketing. Unlike other forms of online content, which must be tailored to fit dozens of unique customer profiles, video marketing has a tendency to work well across the board.
Young, old, first class, middle class…you name it. Everyone connects with video. While you certainly can’t forget about customer profiles when creating video content, you also don’t have to stress over it.
Internet users of all ages will naturally flock to video when given the choice between written content and video alternatives.
Invest in Video Marketing Today
While it may feel like it, you haven’t missed out on the video marketing opportunity…yet. There’s still time to build your internet presence and reach the millions of users that watch online videos on a daily basis. Consider these points and begin formulating your strategy today!
via B2C
- Published in Automotive Marketing, Video Marketing