How to use video effectively and get value from your video comms

The fact is that digital video is no longer a new format, it’s become mainstream. No longer are businesses taking a risk by investing in video content, becoming early adopters and hoping that it works. We now know it does work, when done correctly, and that marketers and internal comms teams are getting excellent value from their video content.

One of the reasons that some businesses today have not jumped on the video content bandwagon is that they’re simply not convinced that it can work for them. It can be difficult to see exactly how it can work for your business.

A common question I get asked is, ‘what will we do with the video once it’s created?’ and this is crucial – if you don’t know how you’re going to use the video and it ends up languishing on an unvisited YouTube channel, you’re not going to value from it.

However, if you have a clear idea of where that video is going to sit in your marketing or communications strategies, you will be able to support it properly and get real value out of your video productions.

Depending on whether you have created content for internal comms, a marketing video, explainer content, brand awareness or product videos, there will be different channels available to you. Broadly these are the following…………..

Company Website: Video can convey a core message such as your brand identity or company culture highly effectively, and in a very short space of time. This makes it ideally suited for engaging with prospects on your website who might otherwise not read long chunks of copy about your company or team. The front page of your website is an idea opportunity, but you might consider video on other pages such as your ‘About Us’ or services pages.

Value: Instantly engages visitors on your site and conveys key information quickly – before they navigate away.

Landing Pages: A landing page can be any page on your website (excluding your home page) but more often refers to a page that has been designed specifically to convert visitors into leads or customers. Including video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80%.

Value: Higher conversion rates.

Password Protected Website: Your website may also have password protected areas specifically for clients or employees and these areas often need content. If you provide a knowledge bank for customers video can be used for ‘how tos’ and to deliver important information such as stakeholder reports etc. Employees may benefit from having training, internal comms and other video content here too.

Value: A highly effective way to communicate key pieces of information such as instructions, facts and figures, and results in viewers retaining this information for longer.

YouTube: This platform can be used for both public and private videos.

Value: Video content shared on YouTube ranks higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) than company pages or blog posts. Once uploaded it becomes easier to share or embed on other platforms such as social media or on your website. 

Social Media: Video content can also be used on social media either by sharing the URL for the YouTube upload or by uploading it directly. This allows you talk directly to an audience on their preferred platform and compel them to take action. Consider using video in social media ads as well as sharing it organically in your feed.

Value: Puts your content in front of a specific audience in the place they hang out. 

Emails: Another effective use of your video content is to feature it in email campaigns. Recipients know that a video is likely to be more interesting, engaging and quicker to consume than other forms of content.

Value: Increased click through rates.

 If you aren’t doing it yet the chances are your competitors are, and if they’re not then there are still opportunities to get ahead of the game. The key, of course, is to get your video content right. This means aligning it with your marketing and overall business strategies and partnering with providers who can consistently deliver value.

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