Resolve to Use More Online Video

If video isn’t a part of your marketing strategy, it sure should be. According to eMarketer, in 2015 adults spent more than five hours a day watching video, and that number is expected to rise. Online video lets you tell your brand story, engage your audience and create a memorable – and sharable – piece of content.

If you haven’t activated video – or aren’t dabbling in the space enough, try a few of these ideas in your 2016 marketing strategy.

VIDEO ON YOUR WEBSITE

Make your website the first online placement for any new video. Video helps to share important information and causes the viewer to linger.  This matters to your search engine optimization. Not only do videos engage potential customers, but, because search engine algorithms take into account how much time is spent on your site, you benefit when your audience sticks around.

ONLINE VIDEO ADVERTISING

Business professionals and consumers alike turn to the Internet for research before making a purchase decision. Online advertising is an increasingly powerful way to reach those buyers at opportune moments.

Video advertising provides an opportunity to capture a wide reach from an engaged audience, much like TV – except it’s more precisely targeted. You can create very specific ads that match a particular audience based on demographic, location, interests and purchase intent – reaching individuals with your message when it’s most relevant to them.

Video advertising entices users to spend more time watching the video. That’s more important than the click-throughs to your website. To step up your video advertising game and increase brand retention, try an interactive video pre-roll ad. They offer interactive elements that keep users within the ad, rather than clicking away. Interactive buttons could include such calls to action as: Download more information. View other videos and photos. Share on social media. Be added to our enewsletter.

Take the Emirates example below. They’re using interactive video pre-roll to tell a story of travelers who cross paths while in visiting Adelaide. A pop-up in the left corner of the ad asks the viewer to roll-over for more information and what appears is the screen you see above. The airplane flies into the window and as a viewer, you can continue to learn more information about their travel accommodations, or view the full story. Click here to see the full example: http://bit.ly/1S2orIj

CINEMAGRAPHS 

Social media channels – where you want users to be engaged and ultimately share your content – provide a third way to incorporate video. Visuals of all types are much more likely to be shared and go viral. One of the coolest ways to do that: cinemagraphs.

What’s a cinemagraph? It’s part moving image, part still image. The effect mesmerizes. The subtle touches of movement pull you in without feeling committed to watching a full video by adds more of an artistic feel that a photo can’t provide. Out of all the video trends right now, cinemagraphs are my favorite.

SAY IT WITH VIDEO

Incorporating video into your marketing strategy gives you a chance to show, not tell – the best possible marketing. It enhances your brand story, builds brand loyalty and increases retention. As an added bonus, one video shoot can be used for all three of these video strategies – stretching your marketing dollars even further.

Click here to learn more about our favorite video trend, cinemagraphs: http://bit.ly/1ZzyvcG

This column ran in the January 21 issue of BlueSky Business Aviation News.