How do you reach your audience? Through print mail, email marketing tactics or strictly on your website? Are you seeing the results you want? Whether you’re reaching goals already or need a little help, branded video content can boost engagement, brand awareness and sales.
“But video isn’t right for my business!” you might say. That’s where we’ll have to disagree. There are a lot of misconceptions about branded video out there. Take a look at the top five video myths as we debunk them.
Myth #1: You Can’t Afford Video
Believe it or not, video is sometimes more affordable than written content (and performs better, to boot). You can snap a video from most smartphones and tablets only to upload it to social networks from the same device seconds later. Even if you shoot a video using a professional production company, the costs are far less than that TV ad spot you’re probably already funding.
Myth #2: There Is No Way to Track Success
Simply untrue. Virtually any platform you use to distribute video has built-in analytics that can give you insight into engagement metrics that can then be tracked to conversions. According to the pros, engagement is the most popular way to monitor content performance. Even if you don’t want to dive into analytics, recording likes, shares and views provides insight into how well your video is doing online.
Myth #3: You Need Professional Actors
Customers can smell phony from a mile away and using professional actors exclusively may even harm your brand’s credibility or trustworthiness. Your audience wants real. They want you, your employees, your existing customers and even your vendors (if applicable) to weigh in on your brand’s value.
Plus, they want humor. Take Dollar Shave Club’s hilarious video as a great example of melding real life with real people. The result: 26 million views and a brand that has become a household name.
Myth #4: Video Isn’t Right for Your Industry
Hogwash! There is no wrong industry for video. Whether you sell a service, a digital product or a physical product, video is the most engaging way to showcase why people should pay attention to your brand. If you’re stumped for ideas, show customers a behind-the-scenes view of your product’s production or record your team’s participation in a local volunteer event. Video is about reaching people on an emotional level, even if you sell antique buttons or oversized clown shoes.
Myth #5: There Is No Time to Create Video
We get it; you’re busy. And that’s a good thing! Your team should be focused on attracting leads, closing sales and retaining your customer base. We’ll just add that investing some time in video production and distribution can help you realize returns that months of staff time, brainstorming, marketing materials and outreach cannot match.
Video Grabs Attention
And, your business will benefit. Hubspot found that video outperformed everything from social media content to interactive articles. So, shoot a video, distribute it and see how it goes. Don’t let myths hold you back. Your ROI will thank you.
