Effective marketing once meant glossy, full-page magazine ads, expensive television and radio spots, and mass mailing campaigns. These were difficult marketing approaches in which to gauge success because of the challenge of knowing who saw the magazine, watched the TV show, or actually read your mailings.
Social media adds a new dimension to marketing that engages people to be the messengers of your information to the public, and future clients and customers. Using videos in this marketing media is a great way to stay connected with existing customers and entice new people to become followers.
Worth More Than a Thousand Words
It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. A video is worth much more than that because it captures the attention of the viewer for a brief period of time while they’re focused on your message. Create short (60-90 seconds) videos that have a clear, concise message.
A Marketing Message To Go
People are using their smartphones more to access email, text messages and their favorite social platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). And the trend is growing. Video is a much better medium at conveying information through a mobile device than text. Create your videos with the mobile device user in mind as well as the laptop/desktop consumer.
Video is King in Social Media
People who watch your videos on company Facebook or Google+ pages are the best resources for sharing them with others. The goal is to get as many people to view your video as possible. Not far from traditional sales strategy, you want to entice as many people as possible to see your information, create leads and convert them into customers.
Encourage others to put your video link on their social media pages. Link to your videos from all of your websites and other social media pages. Provide an easy way for people to share your video with others.
Post your videos on YouTube and other video aggregators such as Metcafe. Put your video up on iTunes as a podcast. Create as many places as possible on the Internet where people can find your videos.
Share Your Information
Give the consumer some useful information in your videos. Make them a valuable resource that will draw people back to your social media pages again and again. Good videos to create and post on your social media pages might include:
- Status of current projects
- Release information for new product or service versions
- Future plans for products and services
- How-to tips for using your product
- Creative ways customers have used your products
- Video testimonials from customers sharing their experience with your products
These can all be short videos that provide a lot of useful information in a brief period of time.
Rackspace, a premiere managed hosting company, uses videos on their Google Plus page to connect with their current and future customers by providing helpful information.
Building Your identity
Using videos in your social media pages builds your company’s brand recognition much more quickly. A single key image in a video can grip their interest in a way that text can’t.
Success Through Social Media Marketing
Making use of social media for marketing is a smart move for any company. It offers a way to connect with many more people than any other outlets. Keep your customers interested and curious and they will come back over and over to follow you and bring you success.
