21 May Mobile Video Marketing – The Next Big Thing
“Back in our day,” they would snap harshly as we all stood with a smartphone permanently plastered to our palms. “Back in our day, the youngsters would all be outside experiencing the world!” they would chime. Little do the oldies know, however, that inside is the new outside; that we experience the world virtually, more and more each day – without limitations. With more of us online than ever before, interconnectivity has become increasingly important in a digital age such as ours; and with the overflow of information, we need to find creative ways to engage with our clients, customers, friends and family without infringing on the limited time and resources at their disposal – That’s where mobile video marketing comes into play.
Why use Mobile Video Marketing?
In a world where technology allows us to do so much at one particular time, we hardly have time to do much else; and as all content marketing makes it’s way to the mobile arena, only one champion remains steadfast – Video marketing. Video allows us to say more – to create engaging content that inspires and incites action. Moreover, with more content being accessed through smartphones than computers and a decrease in the price of mobile data, here in South Africa, mobile video marketing becomes not only more feasible, but a preferred method of marketing products and services in the most effective manner.
Where to use Mobile Video Marketing
1.Your Website
As the first point of interaction with your potential clients in today’s day and age, making an impression on your website is imperative to increasing lead generation. Furthermore, advertising your products and services as effectively as possible, guarantees more sales and shorter turnaround times. Not to mention, that using video on your website drastically increases your search engine optimization score, which means that people interested in your type of business can find you more efficiently on Google and other major search engines.
2.Your social network
Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram all include powerful video integration tools to get your marketing videos out there. Not only does using video set your brand apart from all the boring self-promoting text posts, but it also increases your posts rank with a new technology called News Feed Optimization. The just of this overly mathematical tool, is that video posts are more important that standard text posts. This allows your video to appear more often and higher up on the news feeds of your friends and followers’ timelines, putting your brand in the spotlight 24 hours a day.
3.Email marketing
Nothing says, “This is a company I’d like to work with.” more than a professionally drafted email newsletter. Including video in your email newsletter reduces the amount of content you deliver, which allows you to convey an extremely focused video that is captivating and direct (because, let’s face it, no-one enjoys reading annoyingly long emails). a good example of this could be found in our newsletter.
4.Customer interaction
Automating your business process allows you to focus on making more money. Making use of video explainers and tutorials to educate your customers on complex topics helps you avoid potentially fatal blank looks when you explain what your company does well. While it is quite entertaining to see a facial expression glaze over, it will not bode well for your business if your client doesn’t understand what you do.
5.Securing business
In a world of busy-bodied business people, getting a potential client to read a 10-page company profile (which is still a moderately ambitious number of pages, mind you) is like asking for water in the desert. A two-minute video however, is quite accessible on a mobile phone, in-between meetings. A simple, “Hi Sbu, here’s a short video explaining our services,” would seriously impress your client and have you closing deals in no time!
Effectively using Mobile Video Marketing
So now that you know exactly what goes on within the realm of mobile video marketing, here are a few tips to ensure that your mobile videos are effective, meaningful and deliver your messages with the most impact.
1.Scalable content
An unlimited number of smart devices are at our disposal today, each flaunting it’s own shape and size. Tailoring your video explainer for different screen sizes (especially the small ones) empowers you to reach across a vast ocean of devices – reaching more people. Ensure that your text (there shouldn’t be much) is legible and that the font and font size you select are not overly boisterous. Open sans is always a good choice!
2.Simplicity
My boss always tells me, “Keep it simple, stupid!” and with good reason. Keeping your video explainer simple ensures that your message isn’t lost or diluted by way too many happenings on-screen. it does quite the opposite actually. A simple explainer re-enforces your message and creates a memorable experience – an experience that captivates and entices action. to quote my boss again, “boring is the new exciting.” Never forget that!
3.Audibility
Mobile phones are used on the move and in different environments. Making sure that your audio quality is of a sufficient standard, translates well between these environments making your video more accessible. It is imperative that you select a voice over artist that suites your style of video. Voice-overs should be conducted in a calm and expressive manner and audio should be loud and clear. In order of precedence, your vocal should be the loudest reference point in your video (standard speaking register), followed by sound effects at a lower register and then finally your music should fit your style of video and be in the lowest possible register.
4.Market, Market, Market!
The best content marketing is free. Making use of your social network is the easiest means of transporting your message to the masses. Posting your video to Google+, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and other large social media networks in a consistent periodic fashion allows your content to appreciate in value. Making sure that you market your video content as regularly as possible helps improve your brand awareness and overall
In Closing
Mobile video marketing is an insanely powerful tool in an ever-evolving digital world. Not only is it an inexpensive option when compared to other forms of media marketing, but it also stimulates far more interaction between you and your stakeholders than any other marketing tool known to the digital world. Additionally, leveraging the power of the Internet and a plethora of mobile users can make you some serious cash. Act swiftly young padawan, the times are a changin’