Online video marketing shares many similarities with social media marketing. Both aim to build an engaged audience, drive conversations, foster connections, and ultimately convert viewers into customers. Effective video marketing, like social media marketing, involves creating content that resonates with your audience and encourages interaction and sharing.
How Can I Get More Conversations, Connections, and Conversions from My Videos?
Imagine Barry’s Blossoms, a flower shop famous for its unique flower arrangements and bouquets. To reach more customers, Barry decides to create an online video series featuring flower arranging tips and tricks, showcasing the best blooms from his shop.
Barry uploads his videos to a popular online video platform and creates a channel for his brand. However, simply uploading videos isn’t enough. Barry needs to adopt a proactive approach to video marketing, focusing on driving engagement and conversions.
Step 1: Think of Your Video Channels as Social Media Platforms
Treat your video channels like social media platforms. Your goal is to build a community of followers (subscribers), encourage shares, likes, and comments. Why? Because customers who engage with brands on social media tend to be more loyal and spend up to 40% more than other customers.
Step 2: Create Actionable and Engaging Videos
To make your videos actionable, follow these tips:
- Engage in Conversations: Ask questions in your video descriptions to encourage viewer comments. For example, Barry might write, “This is a Spring bouquet with lilacs. What flowers would you like to see in my next video?” Place questions early in the description, as only the first few lines are visible without clicking “more.”
- Respond to Comments: Engage with your audience by responding to their comments. This shows that you value their opinions and fosters a sense of community.
- Use Playlists: Create playlists to group related videos. This encourages viewers to watch multiple videos, increasing engagement and providing more opportunities for interaction.
Step 3: Build Connections Through Subscriptions
Transform casual viewers into subscribers to build lasting connections:
- Subscription Prompts: Encourage viewers to subscribe by adding a logo or brand watermark to your videos, which acts as a subscription button.
- Calls to Action (CTAs): Include CTAs in your videos, asking viewers to subscribe, like, share, and comment. Reinforce these requests with visual CTAs using images and text.
Step 4: Drive Conversions
Convert viewers into customers with these strategies:
- Use Shortened URLs: Include shortened URLs in your video descriptions to direct viewers to your website or app store landing page. Place these links early in the description to ensure visibility.
- Track Performance with UTM Links: Create custom URLs using UTM parameters to track link performance through Google Analytics.
- Interactive Elements: Utilize interactive features like YouTube’s “cards,” which are video overlays with photos, CTA buttons, or text. Strategically time these cards to appear at moments likely to generate clicks. For example, if Barry introduces a new flower arrangement, a card could pop up with a “Buy Now” button.
Plan Your Video Marketing Strategy
Before sharing your videos, develop a solid plan:
- Define Your CTAs: Determine the actions you want viewers to take after watching your videos.
- Research Content Types: Identify the types of content that align with your brand and appeal to your audience.
- Set Up a Brand Channel: Establish a dedicated channel for your brand to host and organize your videos.
By following these updated strategies, Barry can create a successful video marketing campaign that drives conversations, builds connections, and converts viewers into loyal customers.
