96% of B2B companies are planning to use video in their content marketing over the next year.
There’s no doubt about it: “video” is one of the hottest marketing buzzwords in 2015. Marketers everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon to incorporate video into their websites and email strategies, and major social platforms are releasing updates to make video more accessible on mobile. So with all the hype, this next stat may come as a surprise to you:
Only 18% have found video marketing to be ‘very successful.’
Let’s face it: video isn’t the easiest type of marketing content to produce. For a truly polished result, video requires extensive planning, scripting, filming, and editing — on each and every video produced. So why the heck are marketers still making big plans for video if they aren’t seeing particularly impressive results? The answer is actually quite simple:
In 2015, experts believe that video will take up 57% of consumer internet traffic.
For context, that’s the equivalent of almost 4x as much as web browsing and email.
Video content is what consumers want. It’s engaging, it’s personable, and it’s an easy way to consume information. In fact, 59% of senior executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic on the same page, they prefer to watch the video.
So, if the demand is there, why are results falling short? Let’s take a look at a few simple tips that can help drive more engagements with your video, as well as some valuable resources that can help you take video to the next level.
TIP 1: Keep videos short and to-the-point.
Don’t try to cram too much into one video. It can be tempting to do, considering how much work goes into creating one video, but having a long and rambling video will likely result in a major drop-off of engagement. As a general rule of thumb, I’d recommend keeping videos under two minutes long, and centering the script around three well-defined points.
TIP 2: Consider how you’re sharing.
As you’re probably already aware, you should be sharing the videos you create across every possible channel — and that includes the less-obvious social platforms like SlideShare, Pinterest, and Instagram (although you’ll have to edit down to a 15-second clip on for this one).
But did you know that how you upload video to these platforms can impact engagement rates? For instance, uploading videos directly to Facebook (rather than linking from YouTube), tends to drive higher engagement, due to the Facebook algorithm. So experiment with different methods of sharing (cross-promoting vs. direct upload) and look for trends in engagement metrics.
TIP 3: Optimize video for SEO.
If you’re uploading a video to YouTube, there are several ways to increase the odds that it will get seen:
- Include keywords in your title, description, and tags. Keywords play a vital role in making your video searchable, so make sure you’ve included them in every possible descriptor.
- Include a call to action. Always add a call to action (whether it’s watching another video or visiting another website) to keep viewers engaging with your content.
- Choose an attractive thumbnail. Thumbnails can have a major impact on a visitor’s decision to click when scrolling through search results. If you’re unable to find a screen grab that’s attractive and compelling, upload a video thumbnail to get the look you want (video thumbnails should be 1280 x 720 pixels).
- Optimize your title. Make sure titles are 50 characters or less to avoid your titles being shortened by the platform. When possible, include keywords first and the branding second to optimize for search (for example, ‘Video Marketing: Pardot’s Top 10 Tips’).
- Get the most out of tags. YouTube allows you 120 characters for tagging — use them all! The more keywords, the better. There’s also speculation that YouTube weights the first tags more heavily, so be sure to list tags in order of importance.
- Use closed captioning. Adding captions to your videos allows you to include even more keywords, and further optimizes your video for search.
- Add your video to a playlist. All videos should be added to a relevant playlist to make them more searchable, and to increase the likelihood that visitors engage with additional content once the video has played.
Ready to take it a step further?
Below are a few of my favorite resources for video marketing advice — from measuring success to generating leads and more. Check them out, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on optimizing video in our comments section below!
Video Marketing 101: How to Measure Success
Yes, You Can — And Should — Generate Leads With Video
Why you Can’t Afford to Overlook Video Data in Your Marketing Automation Strategy
How to Do Video Marketing with Just a Few Hours Per Week
