Video Marketing 101

Online video is effectively used as a marketing and promotion tool by both large and small businesses in all industries. The resources required to create and air these videos – YouTube and the like – are readily available. So that makes it easier for small businesses and online marketers to reach their potential customers quickly and affordably. No matter your market, video gives you more flexibility to expand your brand. Video helps you gain visibility and establish credibility within your niche. With video marketing 101 developing a good video marketing strategy should be one of your goals if you want to target a wider audience.

Video Marketing 101 Main Features

To give you a clearer picture of video marketing and why it’s such a powerful promotion strategy, let’s break down it’s main features:

• Low barrier to entry – beginning online videos require very little investment to create. Basically you can start with a web-cam or smart phone and a YouTube account.
• Online video allows you to convey strong, compelling messages, establish credibility and build your trustworthiness. People are much more likely to trust you and relate to you when they can see you and hear your voice.
• Like social media, online video allows you to make a stronger personal connection with your clients and prospects, making sure you build a personal connection even before you meet them face to face.
• It’s also good for your search engine rankings – according to a study conducted by Forrester Research, a stronger presence on YouTube can get you higher rankings because video has up to 50 times better chance than plain text to get to the top of search rankings.

All this makes online video the best solution for when you want to increase awareness for both you and your product, as well as advance the sales process.

Business Uses for Video

So now that you know all this, you might be wondering how video can be used in your business. Let’s quickly go over main business uses for video:

1. Website. The home page of your website needs a explainer (welcome) video. This is where you explain the who, what and why statements. Make sure the visitor gets all the relevant information regarding the main purpose of your business and how it can help them.
2. Sales page. In addition to crafting effective plain text on your sales page, video will greatly help you get more conversions.
3. Blog. Just as you use your blog to provide product reviews, expert tips and so on, you can turn the blog into a Vlog or video blog. Create video that offers useful information such as explaining products and services, sharing tips, and so on.
4. Product demonstration. Just about all businesses use video when introducing a new product to the market. Video is a good way to introduce customers to the product to demonstrate its usefulness and features.
5. Video e-mail. You can turn your messages into a video postcard by including video (or a link to a video) in the e-mails, and in the process engage the recipient.
6. Client testimonials. Very powerful and effective for your business. Ask your clients and colleagues to create video testimonials for you and do the same for them.
7. Tutorials. Essential for when consumers need step by step instructions on how to use specific products and services.
8. Video coaching. Many large companies use video to enhance service delivery. And the trick is to make each session more interactive, personal and dynamic. Video helps to keep the viewer interested in what you’re saying. Tools such as Ustream, Skype and Livestream can be very useful when creating the videos.

Now that you have a better understanding of video marketing 101, you're ready to discover the benefits of video marketing.