Four out of five people watch video online every week. Video now accounts for half of all mobile traffic. If you are not including video in your franchise’s digital marketing plan, you are missing out on reaching a significant portion of your prospects.
A few tips from our online marketing department to keep in mind for making effective videos:
1. Hit the right length.
When it comes to video marketing, the shorter the video, the better the chance that people are going to watch it all the way through. Instead of a 15 minute video about the 10 reasons someone should visit your locations, make every reason into a separate clip.
2. Catch their attention fast.
You have only seconds to engage your viewer’s interest before he or she goes on to watch something else. Start with a startling fact or an intriguing question to pull people in and keep them watching.
3. Audio and images should complement one another.
According to Hubspot, people remember only about 10% of the information that they hear. When you pair audio with relevant images, they will retain 65% of the information three days later. If you are making a video about the advantages of your products, reinforce any figures with images on the screen to drive the message home more successfully.
4. Splurge on equipment for high quality audio.
Even cell phones produce surprisingly good audio quality these days. However, they tend to lag when it comes to recording audio for videos. A quality microphone to produce crisp, easy to understand audio with little background noise is a must. If you are not able to make the investment yourself, hire professional video producers who can make it come out just right.
5. Make your videos tell a story.
Consider doing quick spots about happy customers’ experiences. Do a tour of locations with a treasure hunt or another theme to tie it all together. People are more likely to be drawn in by a clear narrative than they are by a series of facts or a laundry list of promotional bits.
6. Customize video content for each of your platforms.
If you are shooting content to put on Instagram, you’ll want to shoot vertical smart phone videos between three and 60 seconds long. If you are creating content for Facebook Live, you’ll want to have your video event go on for minutes or more to give people time to join in. By matching your content to the platform, you can increase your chances of winning the attention of that network’s members.
7. Promote video to make sure it is seen.
After all of the effort you put into your promotional video, you’ll want to make sure that it is seen by the people who are most likely to watch your content and shop your brand. A well-targeted pay per click campaign for your franchise can get eyes on your content. You should also cross promote each video on your franchise’s blog and social media advertising networks.
8. Include local call-outs
People may be aware of your brand but no know that you have a location in their area. Create content that can help alert people to their opportunities to visit you.
9. Don’t advertise, entertain.
No one likes to watch the commercials. Create fun video events that keep customers entertained instead. This keeps them watching instead of clicking on to the next video. Check out some of the award-winning branded content from big brands like Dove and GEICO to see how you can engage people and increase brand awareness without ever directly selling to them.
Franchise brands that are not making video a part of their marketing mix risk missing out on a lot of eyes on their products and services. By reaching out to consumers with this highly popular form of content, you can get an edge on the competition and win loyal fans for your brand.