8 Important Reasons Businesses Should Have a YouTube Channel

YouTube Channel Management - Plum Productions - Corporate Video Production

Here at Plum Productions we think every business should have a YouTube channel because it provides a lot of benefit. Here are some of the benefits our clients are telling us they find…

Reasons Why Any Business Should Have a YouTube Channel

  • Increased Reach: YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, behind Google, and don’t forget that the most searched word in Google is “YouTube”, meaning you are most likely to end up on YouTube!  YouTube is a widely-used platform across the globe and available in over 90 countries and 80 languages and it’s estimated to have over 2 billion monthly active users, meaning YouTube can help businesses reach a wider audience and help increase brand awareness, even locally. 
  • Increased credibility: A strong presence on YouTube can help businesses establish credibility and authority in their industry. Think of it this way: You’re a professional in your field. You post videos on your YouTube channel that are topical and common questions your business receives about the area you are an expert, you’ll be positioned, in the minds of the viewers, as an expert. Furthermore, if you post false information on the channel, other individuals can report it, comment on it, etc. and make you less of an expert. By posting the right and correct information (something you as an expert would do), you are naturally positioned as an expert. 
  • Better SEO: Since Google owns YouTube and you are posting your business videos on YouTube, it can help you boost your visibility on Google search as well. When you make the titles and description of your videos match what your possible customers are looking for, you will begin to be positioned in a better ranking with Google. No one really knows the algorithms that do this and no one can predict this, but one thing is clear…Google prioritizes quality information. When potential customers see this, they are more likely to buy your services or recommend your business to others because they value what you are posting and feel comfort in connecting with you and your business. 
  • Engagement: YouTube allows businesses to create channels so they can connect with their audience. This allows them to leave comments and engage in conversation, which makes your business more personal and relatable. 
  • Cost-effective: Having a YouTube channel is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. Creating and posting videos on YouTube is free. Whether you wish to create quality looking content or raw content is up to you. We recommend thinking about how your Clients (potential clients) would see you if you post a more finished video or a raw video. Some clients would prefer the raw, and that’s ok! 
  • Multi-channel compatibility: Videos can be shared across multiple platforms, and embedded on websites, maximizing their reach and engagement potential.
  • Longevity: It doesn’t matter how old your videos are on YouTube. By continually adding more videos to your channel, you will provide the most current information available. If you have old data/information on a video, you would simply remove it from the public view to prevent inaccurate information, but this is usually not the case when you post evergreen content. 
  • Monetization: There are different ways you can make money on YouTube.
    • Google AdSense: This is the most common way to monetize a YouTube channel. By enabling ads on your videos, you can earn money from the views and clicks they generate. To use AdSense, you must first link your YouTube account to an AdSense account, and then enable monetization on your videos. There are also thresholds your channel must meet to monetize in this way. Learn more about AdSense here.
    • YouTube Sponsorships: You can also earn money by securing sponsorships from companies or brands. This can involve promoting a product or service in your videos, creating sponsored content, or including brand mentions in your video titles and descriptions. If you’re posting as a business, you might even consider doing sponsorships with partnering companies or companies you work with. They may be interested in paying to be in your video. 
    • Affiliate marketing: You can also earn money by including affiliate links in your video descriptions. These links allow viewers to purchase a product or service through a unique link, and you will earn a commission on any sales made through that link. While this is usually reserved for content creators, businesses can do this as well. 
    • YouTube Premium: YouTube offers a paid subscription service called YouTube Premium. As a YouTube partner, you can earn a share of the revenue from YouTube Premium members who watch your videos.
    • Selling products: You can also use your YouTube channel as a platform to sell your own products or merchandise related to your content. By embedding YouTube videos into you website, you’ll get very specific and related content on your web page related to the product/service you’re selling. This is a highly effective tool for product sales conversion. 

Overall, having a YouTube channel can provide a number of benefits for businesses, including increased reach, improved customer understanding, increased credibility, greater engagement, better SEO, monetization, increased conversions, and a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. Imagine being a construction company showing off this video to sell their services.

At Plum Productions, we specialize at optimizing and creating content for your YouTube Channel. With greater than 160,000 subscribers, 450 videos, and over 5,500,000 views on the channels we manage, we’d be happy to help you with your YouTube channel. If we can help you, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll tell you that too.  

7 Benefits of Video In Business Marketing

business marketing video production

Video has become an increasingly important tool for businesses looking to market themselves and reach new customers. In fact, according to a recent survey, over 50% of marketers claim that video is the type of content with the highest ROI. Below are just a few of the many benefits that video can bring to your business marketing efforts.

Business Marketing, Hotel Marketing

Using Video in Business Marketing Can Provide

  1. Increased Engagement: Video is a highly engaging medium, and it’s much more likely to capture and hold a viewer’s attention than text or static images. By using video, you can more effectively grab the attention of your target audience and keep them engaged with your brand.
  2. Higher Conversion Rates: Video is a powerful tool for converting visitors into customers. In fact, including video on a landing page can increase conversions by up to 80%. This is because video allows you to more effectively explain your product or service, demonstrate its value, and build trust with your audience.
  3. Improved SEO: Google and other search engines love video, and using video on your website and social media channels can help boost your search rankings. This is because video provides another way for search engines to understand the content of your website, and it can also drive traffic to your site from video sharing platforms like YouTube.
  4. Greater Social Sharing: Video is more likely to be shared on social media than other types of content, which means it can help you reach a wider audience and build your brand’s online presence. In fact, according to one study, video is shared 1200% more times than both links and text combined.
  5. Enhanced Customer Understanding: Video is an excellent way to explain complex ideas or products in a way that is easy for your audience to understand. By using video, you can more effectively communicate the value of your product or service and help your customers better understand how it can solve their problems.
  6. Improved Customer Retention: Video is a great way to provide ongoing value to your customers, whether it’s through educational content, product demonstrations, or customer testimonials. By using video to keep your customers engaged, you can improve customer retention and build long-term relationships.
  7. Increased Brand Awareness: Video is a highly effective way to build brand awareness and establish your business as a thought leader in your industry. By creating high-quality, informative videos, you can showcase your expertise and establish yourself as a trusted source of information.

While this list is not every way video helps your business, we know that video will convey a message in such a way that it is cleaner and easier to understand, than many of the other forms of marketing communication.

Overall, video is a powerful tool for businesses looking to market themselves and reach new customers. Whether you’re using video for social media, your website, or email marketing, it’s a medium that can help you effectively engage your audience, boost conversions, improve SEO, and build brand awareness. So if you’re not already using video as part of your marketing strategy, it’s definitely worth considering.

Have questions or want to talk through your idea? We’re here to help! Give us a call today.

 

 

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4 Beneficial Videos To Promote a Professional Service

Professional Service Video

What video format is the most suitable for a professional service? This type of question gets asked with production services for what a company is looking to accomplish with using video as a means to support their business.

So what types of videos should you look to create as a production company in order to accomplish the goals set out by businesses in need of content?

Every business is unique in what it offers to its customers and how they interact with the consumers they hope to attract to their products. Depending on the service or product they provide, the styles of videos created can vary greatly from one another. Choosing the right format to create with the clients you intend to work with can impact the video product you eventually end up with producing.

Let’s look at the different types of video formats you can create for professional services!

Product Videos

This video format is based around a company that needs to visually show off a product and the function it provides to its user. These videos typically show the product in use or staged around a backdrop to fully depict its form that the consumer will see used in action.

Videos like this are able to effectively show how a company can properly showcase an object and convey its intended purpose to an audience. Also these videos are a great way to increase exposure to other clients as work made in this type of content is easily transferable to other projects.

Professional Service Tutorial Video

Many uses for video formats revolve around being able to show a process or action completed for its audience. A tutorial video is exactly what it means by showing a product or process throughout its steps to get to the finished result.

These videos can be both informational to employees and existing customers as this can help businesses alleviate an essential process they provide with direct input of the desired experience they wish to create. Either if the video is centered around a physical product or an online based task, the value of showing how something works is beneficial for both the company and the consumer.

YouTube / Online Advertisement For A Professional Service

An online advertisement is the most direct way to promote a business product to its intended audience. These videos are meant to have a call to action for its viewer to see a service offered to choose a certain company over the competition.

This type of advertisement can showcase the effectiveness of the product’s company and the production company’s strengths in grabbing the audience’s attention when choosing from alternative options. From a business standpoint companies always have a need to expand interest in what they offer to customers and advertisements are the most direct way to communicate the value they provide.

Live Stream Videos

A long-form way to highlight what a company offers is to create a video that shows a live event or seminar type presentation to an audience. Whether it is a recording of the event or the actual live production of the stream, the facilitation of how this is handled is usually up to a production company through the services they offer.

This means that whether you edit the final product or handle the logistics of the event, businesses will look to companies that are able to ensure their event goes smoothly and professionally captured. Also these types of videos can be an efficient way for companies to increase the amount of work they have with clients as these streams are not usually as demanding from an editing standpoint as most of the work has been already captured.

 

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What Is An Instructional Video?

Instructional Video image, video production

What is an instructional video?

An instructional video is any video that shows the viewer how to do something or gain knowledge. It can be anything from showing a process in the physical world or using a software application to teach soft skills such as leadership, customer service, values, etc.

Instructional videos are the most engaging and cost effective way to implement systems within your organization!

Every business or organization has systems in place that allow their workforce to move the organization forward, and it doesn’t really matter which industry you serve. We all can agree that effective implementation of these systems are what make business or organizations successful. There are several ways systems and tasks can be taught within an organization. The most common way this happens is by learning from one member to another, by text or by Plums Production’s favorite: An instructional video.

Let’s dive into why instructional videos outperform verbal and text as a way of teaching systems within your organization:

Video versus Verbal

Each time a new member joins the team and you have one of your old members, most likely a higher paid employee, teach the new member the systems within your organization it requires the higher end pay employee to take time out of his/her productive day to go over all the systems and information with this new member, and what happens if the new member doesn’t get the message the first time. They have to go over everything one more time…which means more time and money spent not working in your business. Here is the worst case scenario: What happens if this experienced employee leaves? Do you have another team member that knows as much about your systems as they did? If not, will you be able to recover as quickly now without that experienced team member? To overcome this, Instructional videos can be played as many times as you like, they can show visually your work spaces, usage of tools, and most importantly they will live forever.

Video versus Text

There is really no competition when comparing text and video. In this digital landscape, video is shown to generate 1,200%  more shares than images and text combined, and in terms of engagement, the chances of capturing your viewer’s attention is much higher when video is used, as opposed to plain text. This is because video can be more entertaining and engaging, plus it can visually represent the message you are trying to convey.

For example: If you own a restaurant and want to explain to a new server the systems inside your restaurant, an instructional video can show visually how the buttons on the POS system look, can show where everything is, what are the values of your organization and how things should operate. Video just uses the combination of visual aesthetics and audio to represent more clearly the whole picture.

Here are a few tips from your Plum Productions team on how to create a compelling instructional video:

  • Define the goal of your instructional video: Who is it for and what benefits will it bring for your organization or to the individuals watching it?
  • Write everything down: When creating an instructional video, time is critical and it’s important to narrow down the information to exactly what the user needs. Recent studies have shown that the majority of viewers want informational and instructional videos to be less than 20 minutes, with a preference toward the 3-6 minute ranges. (Source). This means that you should make your video as long as it should be to get the job done properly, but as short as possible.
  • Stabilize: Keep your camera on a tripod for stability,
  • Audio: Use an audio recorder to capture audio cleanly.
  • Focus: Check your focus. We don’t want blurry shots!
  • B-Roll: Support what you are saying with animations or B roll. B-roll is simply secondary shots that support what is being said. These can help simplify complicated concepts and show visually what is being said, because there is no better way to explain what you are saying than to show it!

Are you ready to create a compelling instructional video? Here at Plum Productions we do instructional videos often and we are ready to help you! Let us know if you have any questions or want to find out more information.

Possible Instructional Video


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What Should Be In A Business Video?

business video blog post thumbnail

Business Video Defined

A business video is a powerful marketing tool that can help a company to showcase its products or services, educate its audience, and build brand awareness. When creating a business video, we believe you must consider what elements should be included in order to make the video effective and engaging. Here are some of the items we believe are critical to your business video.

What Should Be In A Corporate Video?

  1. Clear & Concise Messaging – First and foremost, a business video should have a clear and concise message. This means that the video should have a specific purpose and objective, and this should be conveyed to the audience in a clear and straightforward manner. The message should be tailored to the target audience and should address their needs and concerns.
  2. Strong, Compelling Story – In addition to a clear message, a business video should also have a strong and compelling story. This means that the video should tell a compelling and engaging story that captures the attention of the audience and keeps them engaged throughout. The story should be relevant to the business and its products or services, and should be able to connect with the audience on an emotional level.
  3. Visually Appealing – Another important element of a business video is visual appeal. This means that the video should be visually appealing and should use high-quality graphics and images to help convey the message. The visual elements should be used to complement the story and the message, and should help to engage the audience and keep them interested in the video.
  4. Good Audio – A key element of business video is the use of audio. This means that the video should have clear and professional audio, with good sound quality and no background noise. The audio should be used to reinforce the message and the story, and should help to engage the audience and keep them interested in the video. In fact, we believe you shouldn’t even notice the audio. It should be good and not distracting. 
  5. Follows Branding Guidelines – A very important element of a business video is the use of branding. This means that the video should incorporate the company’s branding elements, such as its logo, colors, and fonts. This helps to build brand awareness and establish the company’s identity in the minds of the audience.
  6. Call To Action – Most importantly, a business video should have a strong call-to-action (CTA). This means that the video should include a clear and specific call-to-action that encourages the audience to take some sort of action, whether it is to purchase a product or service, sign up for a newsletter, or visit the company’s website. The CTA should be clear and concise, and should be placed at the end of the video in order to maximize its effectiveness. You should also consider tracking your call to action to determine if and what works best for your viewers. You might even think about using an A/B test to determine how to best craft your messaging. 

In summary, a business video should have a clear and concise message, a strong and compelling story, visual appeal, good audio quality, branding elements, and a strong call-to-action. These elements, when combined effectively, can help to create a powerful and engaging business video that helps to showcase the company’s products or services, educate its audience, and build brand awareness.

 

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How to Harness Video for Business

Video For Business - Plum Productions Corporate Video

It is amazing how so many people are using video for business. Whether your business is small or very large, using video to improve digital marketing efforts is the trend, and is likely not going to go away. Whether companies are creating promotional tools or educational segments it’s important to keep in mind that it must be engaging and worth watching.

In this post, we’ll cover some tips for making great marketing videos to how to harness the power of video marketing to get results in your business. We’ll cover which videos are must haves and which videos are nice to have, but not as critical so that you can focus your time on getting results quickly.

Tips To Creating Awesome Marketing Videos For Business

There are several elements that must be present in a quality business video. Besides shooting with a quality camera, using quality audio, and inserting supporting shots, there are some important aspects every video needs to have. First, it must have a message or a story.

Story/Message

The real message may not be what you think. What are you trying to convey? What is the point of creating this message? These questions seem obvious, but we’ve had clients ask us to create a video for the purpose of having a video, but when it came time to using it, it wouldn’t drive results. We knew it wouldn’t create results because the video just spoke AT the viewer, not TO the viewer. We helped them craft a message that spoke to the problem people face and how their product was the solution by telling the right story. Here’s an example of a video that does exactly that.

Video Mission vs. Product Mission

What we mean is you want people to relate, not watch. Viewers only relate when they put themselves into the story. We created a nonprofit video a while back that was shown at a breakfast. The crowd was engaged because it supported the mission of the organization and everyone could put themselves into the situation that was being described. When the video was done, people were wiping their tears because they could imagine themselves facing the same problem…that it could happen to them. They realized they needed to give to the cause because they could just as easily be in need and that others in the future may too. We were told this was a highly successful event. Here’s the video:

Where To Use Video For Your Business

Once you have the video, where you put it and how you use it can make a difference. If you simply place it on your website, how will you drive traffic to your site? If you’re placing it on YouTube, how are you doing the proper research to make sure the video will be found? Are you using all the tools at your disposal? If you’re using the video in your email program, are you measuring click-through and other data points to ensure you know what’s working, what’s not working, and what is producing the results you desire?

Are you using video to create a blog post? Answer questions for potential customers/clients? Or are you just posting video to post video? If you don’t have a measurement component toward a goal, we would not recommend investing money or time into video. It’s important to keep measuring results versus goals as often as possible when posting video.

If we can help you create video for your business at any time, we’d be happy to help! Post any question you may have and we’ll see if we can answer them for you.

 

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Video Shoot for YouTube

How Is Video Changing In 2021?

Whether you’re a large, multi-national company or a small business, video is increasingly more important in marketing the business. How to use video is becoming an increasingly important area to explore and in 2020, we saw a huge increase in the use of video and that appears to be continuing in 2021.

Trends show that video is increasingly more important to share a corporate message than ever before. The question remains how has 2020 changed the way video is used? How will video be used in the coming years? In this post, we share some of the interesting trends we’re seeing in the corporate video production and corporate livestream video world and address the question:

How to use video and video marketing for your business in 2021?

The primary way video has been used in the years leading up to 2020 was to create a branded message with the purpose of converting a viewer into a fan and eventually into a customer. The road to conversion has shifted slightly. How it is being used and the methods that video has been incorporated shifted greatly during 2020. Many organizations shifted to creating videos that showed the viewer a behind the scenes, more intimate look at their operation. The goal was to show who was behind the scenes and how their people make up the business. The feel was directed to a “Our people are our business” mentality.

How To Use Video and What is Video Marketing and How Does It Work?

Video marketing is simply the process of creating a corporate video for the purpose of highlighting what a business does, how they help their customers, or telling their story in a compelling way. The ultimate goal of any video marketing strategy is to convert viewers to customers or clients. This conversion should be measured and converted to a Return On Investment (ROI).

If the video is compelling, more viewers convert; if a video is less compelling, less will convert. This means it is extremely important to enter the video production process with a purpose and goal. The purpose might be to share the story or show the human side of a corporation (think Publix Commercials) and the ROI might be 1 customer created for every 1,000 views (where we might assume part of the ROI is to retain or reinforce a message to existing customers).

Video Marketing usually works in the form of a commercial placed in front of the viewer (via television, online media consumption, or mobile media consumption). For example, a short video ad might be placed in front of another video that the viewer wishes to watch but must first watch the advertisement to view the video they want to see. This can be effective for forced marketing.

Another form of Video Marketing is the creation of a consistent stream of informational videos sent out to YouTube. For example, our Creative Director, Jenn Jager, created a YouTube channel several years ago to demonstrate her knowledge about video production. Since its creation, several clients have found Plum Productions because of her videos about various video production related topics. This is a form of Video Marketing that is more passive and less forced.

People search a question about a topic, find her video on Google or YouTube, watch her video, and then later reach out because they have questions and want to know if she can help. This is a much better method of gaining clients over time than forced advertisements; although, there is certainly a place for paid advertisements. For example, in her videos, she may have a paid advertiser run their ad prior to her video or she may promote a product for a company based on a paid agreement (usually noted in the video).

How Effective is Video Marketing For Business?

Let’s start with the assumption that one is placing the video in the right place at the right time to be in front of the right audience. That is the critical first step and why it is particularly important to have a purpose and goal prior to creating any video.

Now think about when you shop online for a product or service. Do you read any reviews? Most likely you do. Do you do any other research like Google the product name? You probably do. Do you watch videos related to the product or service? Most likely you do. That seems to align with the research.

According to Smart Insights, more and more marketers (those who place ads) are finding that video are a critical component of their marketing strategy. They find that the ROI on video has been steadily increasing over the years and it continues to do so this year.

One shift that Smart Insights and the marketers they’ve surveyed found that there has been a shift in where videos are placed and get a return on their investment. They are not only seeing a greater watch time (increasing by approximately 19%), but also seeing a shift from television advertising to online video marketing. The spend has grown faster in the online video segment than the television segment, which is significant and worthwhile to know.

What Types of Video Should Be Used When Marketing?

At Plum Productions, we’ve seen a shift in the past year to more online events and a growth in creating video for websites to improve search engine optimization. Here are the types of videos being used to market business right now:

  • About Us Videos
  • Testimonial Videos
  • Video Reviews
  • Corporate Messaging Videos (internal and external)
  • Demonstration/Product Videos
  • Real Estate / Construction Videos
  • Sales Tool Videos
  • Live / Livestream Videos
  • Virtual Event Videos

Here is a little more information about each one:

About Us Video

In this type of video, the company is simply trying to share with the viewer who they are, what they do and why a viewer should do business with them. Think about the traditional, “We’re ABC Company and we do X” style. This is something Plum Productions does a lot of and can help you create a script or branded message to better capture potential customers.

 

Testimonial Videos

If your company has a client base that can be asked to give a positive statement on camera, this is a great tool to help any company convert a viewer to a sale. Most people want to know they’re not the only ones who are buying from you…they want to know that others have tried you and you are legit. This should be used on any sales page that asks for the sale (asks for a payment). It will help conversion over time and help close the deal.

Video Reviews

This type of video is typically used with products. Most times this is a video that is created by someone who purchased a product and wishes to unbox and review the product for their viewers. This can be a source of income for product companies if they request a YouTube Influencer to review their product on their channel. Be prepared to offer an affiliate link or payment for their efforts and time. If their channel is the right channel for your audience, it should be worth the investment.

Corporate Messaging Videos (Internal & External)

Recently we did a video for a national company to review how they did in the first quarter of 2021. This video was shared internally with their team around the county to give everyone a sense of how they did and give the team a goal/direction to strive toward. This is a great way to communicate outward to the team to motivate them to continue to improve. This type of video can also be used to communicate outwardly to vendors and even customers. This video might include information to help viewers understand how well the company is doing and how they are grateful for their customers. By doing this, it reinforces brand loyalty with both vendors and/or customers.

How To Use Video: Demonstration / Product Videos

This type of video is for companies that sell products and want to show possible uses or the versatility of the product. For example, in this video from Epoca.

 

Or this video from the Tator Gator, both show how the product can or is used. This type of video helps the viewer understand what the product does but also puts the viewer into the situation to better clarify to the viewer if they should buy or not. If it’s not for them, they should be able to see that in the video to prevent product returns.

 

How To Use Video: Real Estate / Construction Videos

This area has grown dramatically in the past few years. Realtors are starting to create short videos to show a home they have listed to improve the possibility of a sale. The other area video is being used is in the construction market. Here, Origin Construction shows what type of work they do, how they work, and who is their client.

How To Use Vide: Sales Tool Videos

Videos that are used as sales tools are videos that walk the viewer through steps to get to a purchase. It might be a short social media that leads the viewer to a slightly longer video on a landing page followed by an even longer video that makes the purchase easier for the potential customer. These videos can also be frequently asked questions (FAQs) before calling in to speak to someone in the business before making a purchase. The other way a sales tool video is used is during a sales meeting, the salesperson uses a video to explain or show their services. It becomes a tool in the process of making a sale. If the focus is to lead the viewer down the path to a purchase, it most likely is a sales tool video.

How To Use Video: Live / Livestream Videos

One of the more complicated but highly effective videos is the livestream video. This has been on trend in the last half of 2020 and into 2021. This type of video allows large groups of people to gather without the risk of spreading disease…but more importantly, it widens the geographic area an organization can communicate. We had one nonprofit talk about how they did their livestream and learned that people were watching in all four time zones of the U.S., and they were able to increase their donations because of it. Larger audience for them meant more dollars coming in.

How To Use Video: Virtual Event Videos

Like Livestreams, this type of video is one where we produce a full event (emcee, participants, etc.) provide the video to the client and they stream it as if it is a live event. This can be helpful if you don’t want to leave anything to chance and just want the event to happen. During the “event” everything runs smoothly, and all viewers feel like they’re watching a live event…even though it is pre-recorded and highly produced. Imagine a television show captured as an event.

Why Is Video Marketing Important?

Video and how you use it to market the business does several things. First, it creates an awareness for viewers. They begin to recognize the brand, the style, etc. and begin to feel more comfortable with the company. If a viewer feels more comfortable, they’re more likely to buy because they form a sense of trust. If a viewer can go online and learn how your product works or troubleshoot by watching a video, they’ll appreciate that more than waiting on the phone for answers.

Video and Connectedness

When done correctly, viewers will feel emotionally connected to the organization if they see people. Sometimes it’s tempting to simply create an animation/cartoon video to explain what your business does, but we find this to be less effective. When you research a company to trust with your money, do you want to see who they are or have characters explain your business? Most people tend to prefer people because they want to know who they’re dealing with. Obviously, the lower the financial risk, the less important that is, but it becomes increasingly important when the financial investment rises.

With all that said, it’s important to know who your audience is, what they are looking for and where they do their research. By knowing this, you will have a much higher probability of capturing them where they are while they are going about their daily business.

If you need any help creating a video that captures attention and converts to sales, please feel free to reach out to us and we’d be happy to answer any questions.

 

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Video Trends of 2021

Video trends seem to be changing rapidly. Remember when videos were only supposed to be 6 seconds long…we were told to keep them very short? Now they say video should be longer, mabye30 to 60 seconds. Or, they can be 3 minutes long. Why does it keep changing?

The answer isn’t as simple as you’d think and that question might not be the right question…in fact, length is almost irrelevant at this point. The goal of this post is to share how to use video to positively impact your business…whether it be sales, leads, branding, or any other metric. We’ll also hit on some trends we see happening now and into 2021.

Let’s start with why your target audience would even want to watch your video. Why should they? You’re just selling to them anyway, right? First, your potential customers are looking for information well before they reach out to you. Before they call you or submit a request via your contact form, they’ve done their research. They look for ways to understand who you are and what you do. They usually do this by viewing your video content.

If you are going to create video, you must consider your potential customers’ needs rather than tell them what you want to say. When you see that law firm video that says, “We’re the best lawyers,” or “We’ve been voted best lawyer in…” does that make you want to call them? No. What makes their clients call them is knowing they can trust them. Knowing that the law firm can do/handle what they say they can. The average person won’t make a call to any business if they feel like they can’t trust them.

Why Do People Watch Videos (of any business)?

There are several factors that go into someone watching a video. Most won’t seek out to watch a video from a brand just because they feel like it. They do it because they have to. Anytime a potential client is doing research the goal is to understand who they might be dealing with when they make the call or submit their information. It reminds me of a time I had to research hurricane shutters for our house.

After several searches, I found a company that wasn’t far away that sounded good. They had several nice reviews, plenty of information online, and it looked like they were the perfect fit. Then, I watched a video. The video was so sales laden and almost pressure filled, it turned me off. I decided to call someone else.

Here are the reasons potential customers and clients do their research. This should make you strive to communicate differently when you create video.

  1. Can You Do It? They want to know, “Can you do what you claim you can do?” Typically, when a business wants to communicate this message, they will create explainer videos that explain what product or service they offer. Having a landing page that speaks to a specific product or service is nice, but if you’re not conveying confidence in your abilities or conveying your personality properly, they’ll never make the call.
  2. Education. They want to know who you are, what is your personality, will we work well together, and do I like you. Sometimes a nice personal video can help with this or an educational video that shows your knowledge, but in a soft manner will do portray the right message. The important part is knowing what your audience is looking for, why they need it, and make them feel comfortable knowing you’re the right person for the job.
  3. Trust. This is probably the top priority, but the last thing they’ll ever tell you. If you get work from your website and videos without working too hard at it, you are probably conveying a good amount of trust. You can have 100 minutes of video on your site, but if you’re not making the viewer feel comfortable, they won’t trust you…and ultimately, they’ll never call. Search engines bring them there and your message must move them to make the call. Video ads can do some of the work getting potential customers to your site, but without the right types of content present, trust can’t be built.
  4. Following the brand. Sometimes people just want to follow a brand and watch their videos. For example, we had someone say they follow and watch all the Dollar Shave Club videos because they think they’re funny. They are but most people aren’t like that. Most people will follow a brand on social media for this reason. They like them, they want to know them, they want to be associate with them somehow. Most small businesses won’t have this type of following no matter how much content marketing they do.
  5. Accidental. And, sometimes people will stumble on a video and watch it because it looks interesting. Most times they’re not the potential customer and not much happens after viewing the video.

As a business, this information should be top of mind when creating a marketing plan or doing any digital marketing. There is already too much content out there that is useless and doesn’t do what it should. Why add to it?

Why Video Helps Business

When it comes to video for business, there are typically four main reasons to create video:

  1. Leads/Sales. A business with no sales is no business at all. The amount of sales is also critical to its success. Businesses use video to share their message and describe who they are. Most businesses use explainer videos, product demo videos, video blogs, tutorials, testimonial or customer reviews, and many others. They key here is being able to convert those leads into sales. It’s a sales/marketing balance that takes work. This includes building an SEO strategy and incorporating it into each video’s message.
  2. Branding. When a business wants to solidify who they are in the marketplace, a branding video is usually where they focus. These are best left for businesses with a substantial customer base and who wish to portray a message consistent with their core competencies.
  3. Relationship Building. In an effort to build their social media following, many businesses will craft shortened messages to be placed on various platforms. Followers can then better understand who the brand is and feel confident in choosing them as a business.
  4. Building Trust. Lastly, businesses will create video to build trust. We find most businesses do this as an afterthought; however, this should be the primary focus of any video being created. Good video marketers know this and push this to the top of any priority when creating content.

Video Trends of 2021

Based on why people watch video, why businesses create video, what direction is video heading? What should you be doing now as we come out of COVID?

  1. Live Video (or Live-To-Tape) Video. Recently we’ve seen a significant increase in live video. Whether we record it and they push it as live or it is live, there is significant growth in this category. Here’s what to know: If you do live video, have a purpose. Don’t just create live video to create content. Have a purpose. You must create this content like any other video content…with an objective and a reason; otherwise, there will be very few viewers (or viewers during your next live broadcast). Note: People tend to watch live content a little longer than preproduced videos, but the messaging must be on point.
  2. Training Videos. Believe it or not, it might be time to think about training videos. Training videos should be used right now to train your future team. As we come out of COVID and you begin adding staff, how important is consistent messaging for your new employees? Growth will likely happen quickly and adding staff even faster. Those who have trained staff will outperform those who do; therefore, create a few training videos to garner consistent messaging for each new employee and focus more of your energy on your customers.
  3. Recruiting Videos. Take one step back from above and recruiting videos should be at the top of your list as well. Create short videos that message key elements to potential employees so you recruit faster (and better quality). Each video can be short and on point so the potential recruit know what you need in qualifications prior to them contacting you.
  4. More Refined/Produced Videos. We’re all tired of Zoom, the look and feel of Zoom, and we want high-quality video. If you want to stand out early, get highly-produced marketing videos that speak to trust mentioned earlier. Get them produced now. Have them ready and push them out when you’re staffed and ready to go.
  5. Length. We feel that length is no longer important. If you’re selling, short is good. Get the point across and let the viewer move on to deciding if they want to buy. If you’re educating, longer is better. This not only includes educating about who you are and what you do but also sharing a customer experience. Longer is better here. The message should clear early so those that decide quickly can make their decision AND those who take a little more time and need more information can do so too.

Here’s a live video we did recently.

Let us know if you see any other trends in video that we haven’t mentioned. Do you think we’re on target or are we missing something. Leave us a comment below if you have another thought.

If you need help creating your next video for 2021, give us a call. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have.

 

Related Articles:

How To Use Video and Video Marketing For Your Business

Components of a Successful Corporate/Business Video Production Project

 

Image by iXimus from Pixabay

Virtual Marketing – Videography during COVID-19

woman-computer-office

Virtual Marketing – Powerful Tools during COVID-19

The issue isn’t so much if you should create video it’s a matter of how. Virtual Marketing has taken off during COVID, so how do you create video during this pandemic? It can be easier than you think, but it will take some extra planning.

During the pandemic, we were all subject to time at home. Time to think about, “What now?” While some took that time and created something new or slightly different, others waited to see what will happen next. One component that was impacted heavily was video marketing. How do you create new stuff? How do you advertise when everyone is home and they don’t want what you’re selling? Do you ramp up social media? Do you create poor quality video content? How do you create video while social distancing? All great questions, but there are answers and there is a silver lining.

It’s tough to do a full-blown video shoot with a large crew, lots of cameras, lots of people on set, etc. How do you create a video when have your staff is still working from home? You don’t. But what you can do is create a planned out shoot that will provide you with the video that shares your message safely. COVID and the lock down has created a huge opportunity for some. Here’s what we’ve been doing to help those who want to use this opportunity to maximize their messaging.

  • Show How You’re Dealing With COVID – This is one way you can use video. Show your potential clients/customers how you are currently using the proper protocols and safety procedures to keep them safe. That’s what they want to know: Can I trust them to keep me safe? Show them how you’re doing things right and how you’ll keep them safe.
  • Capture Virtual Content – We’ve edited several ‘virtual’ events where the client has a Zoom call and has it edited into a concise video featuring interviews and conversations. These videos/calls can be branded and made to look professional, even though it’s just a Zoom call.
  • Small, Short Content – Some clients are asking us to crate videos using stock video, 2D graphics, even Doodly videos. All of these options allow the business to share a story and get it out via social media or via broadcast. Branded and visual makes the message complete.
  • Create a Video Review – Get your current customers to create a video review for you. They can do it with their cell phone or they can come to our studio where they can come in the back door, stand in place (everything is all set up already) and say their few lines, and leave the back door without touching anything. Masks are required, but we’ll be socially distanced as well.
  • Being Human – If you’ve ever wanted to create your own video using your iPhone to send messages to your clients, now is the time. Video, even poor quality image video, is effective. You’ve seen the late night shows do it on television, so can you…and you can do it without the fear of looking foolish or skimping on quality.
  • Last Point – Know that people don’t want to be sold hard right now. That’s a tactic that can work during normal times. Try this instead: “We’re sure you’ve been impacted by COVID, but we have no idea how badly. We also want to say that we’re here for you when you need us. If you don’t need us now, we completely understand. If you need us in a new way, please tell us so we can help.”

Change creates fear. Instead of being fearful, it’s time to embrace it. Know that we’re doing to be dealing with this for a while moving forward. Knowing that, what changes can you make in your business to make you stand out, be compassionate, and highlight your safety mechanisms all at the same time?

Here’s an example a Zoom Call that was converted into a show:

Here’s an example of a Doodly style video we created.

The opportunities are endless. Need help coming up with ideas? Let us know. Have a different idea that you’d like to do, we’d love to talk and see if it’s something that we can do for you.

Best Restaurant Video Ideas

Best Restaurant Video Ideas - drinks

You’re here because you likely asked yourself how to create a restaurant video or should I create a restaurant video.

In the restaurant business, there are essentially four ways to increase your sales:

Restaurant Video Idea for New Trial

Marketing activities related to new trial are used to acquire new customers. One way to get new customers is through referrals or recommendations. Getting a recommendation from a friend is one of the top ways to increase new trials. So how does video fit into this? Consider this:

One way is to send an email campaign to your current customers asking them if they like the restaurant enough to share their experience with their friends. The location should craft a message (let us know if you need help) that informs the viewer what it is they should do to share their experience. Is it do a review on Google or Yelp or TripAdvisor? Is it forward this message to a friend? There are several more, but you get the point.

Ask your customers to create their own video or photo and post it to your social media page (you’ll be monitoring, of course). Ask them to tag their friend when they do. If the friend shows up at the restaurant, ask them to show you the video and their name…give them a special price, dish, or drink. You’ll get the whole town talking about you.

Restaurant Video Idea for Building Frequency

Now it’s time to get them back in the door. Your image and reputation are critical. Before you can expect someone to return, it is important that the dining room, the kitchen, and the bar all performed to the expectation of your customer. Before they leave, you probably already asked them what they would have improved about their experience. This is important later, in your marketing materials, because you’ll want to focus your message on the things people were positive about while you work to improve items that detracted from their experience.

If you’re a large scale operation, it can be tough to get good feedback. It is critical to get email addresses from your customers to answer a survey. Keep it simple. Add a layer to this tactic by creating a video with a message of, “We want to know what you thought of us… and please be honest” can significantly increase the likelihood of getting the survey filled out. Make sure you ask about their food and beverage experience individually and collectively. Try to keep the survey to less than 2 minutes to fill out.

Incredible customer service always brings them back. Consider a quick service restaurant where each meal is made to order. What if you noticed a person coming back after their first time. The staff should recognize this, thank them for returning and ask them if they’d like to try the same meal they did yesterday with the same toppings…and list them. You’d have to jot notes down the day or two before when they came in but if you rattled off their favorite toppings before they ordered, they’d be impressed! That’s full service for your customer!

Restaurant Video Idea for Increasing the Check Size

Create a secret menu only the staff knows about. This menu should contain a drink, side, or topping that matches the flavor profile (and costs a little extra). Every dollar counts in the restaurant business, and by suggesting a drink or side dish because they taste so good together, the average check size increases.

Enter video. Your advertising should match that concept. we’ve never seen a restaurant commercial with a single item focus…there’s always a matching side dish or drink. Need help creating the right flavor profile and video? We can help you there too!

Restaurant Video Idea for Increasing the Party Size

Technically, you’re in the entertainment industry. So you should be the place to bring friends. Encourage it often…with every couple or group of four: “Please bring your friends next time.” Perhaps it’s a coupon that is for parties of 6 or more or it’s an advertisement that suggests that parties of six or more “Have more fun and get a free appetizer to get you started!” The ideas are limitless when it comes to how to increase the party size and every one of them can be supported by a video.

When it is time to ramp up the sales after we’ve come out of quarantine, let us know which area you’d like to focus on and we’ll help you get it done with video.

Related Articles:

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