Video is soooooo scary!
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Video is soooooo scary!

Mike Hacker (Hax) Mike Hacker (Hax)

Mike Hacker (Hax)

CEO at Prisma Broadcast | Story Consultant | Content Strategist | Attention Economy Advocate |Educator

发布日期: 2017年1月24日
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Video is everywhere, it’s taken over from written content, it’s expected on websites, it has search ranking benefits, social media is now driven by it and yet only 17% of UK business are actually using it in their marketing strategies. Why is that?

When you consider that the priority of any business owner, marketing officer even marketing department, is to facilitate efficient sales, why then are 83% of businesses are choosing to NOT consider video as a tool in their marketing box?

If you research Video Stats on Google you will see that video out performs all other marketing content by three times. The statistical evidence is there and there are plenty of success stories too.

My research during 20016, through asking business owners all over the UK about video has revealed four stopping points.

  1. Fear of the Camera
  2. Too complicated
  3. Too expensive
  4. Don’t know where to start.


All reasonable reasons to put off entertaining video as a viable marketing option, yes? Yet theses are just excuses and with video exploding as the primary digital content, ignoring video is at the pure peril of those in business who do. 

Fear of the camera; Agreed, video is transparent and there is a fine line between representing your brand positively and failing miserably. However, it's important that all brands regardless of size puts a human face to itself in the relationship environment the internet and social media has led us to. I met a gentleman recently, who boldly stated he had a face for radio, yet he had spent the last five minutes pitching his business to me. Video that promotes your business is not for you, it’s for your customers. Don’t watch them if they make you feel that uncomfortable! Believe me, when I say your customers want to get to know you! Besides, a productive video doesn't have to feature the key person at the forefront. The power of mixing great visuals with a narrative voice over can be equally effective.

Video is too complicated; Effective marketing requires a strategy. Using video requires a strategy too, and like any marketing strategy, you have to start with three things in mind. Who’s your target audience, what’s their pain point and what do you want them to do? Video works well when is integrated with text, so teasing the most reluctant viewer is easy. It’s easily delivered across multiple platforms and it’s shelf life is only governed by the subject itself. Well designed video content that’s focused, engaging and has a strong call to action will be productive in email marketing, website conversions, paid focused advertising and of course social media. There are some brilliant auto scheduling apps out there to take the daily pressure off and if you are still too busy, then outsource it to a plethora of freelancers eager to work virtually for you.

Video is expensive; compared to what? There is no doubt that video requires different levels of production, from selfie videos to fully fledged professional productions, and they all have associated costs. However no more than design and print for brochures, display ads or catalogues. Even in the digital domain, artwork, copy and placement have comparable costs and that’s without the cost of digital implementation. It all mounts up, but when you balance that digital consumers are choosing video over every other type of content, you have a stronger case with video to get a good return on your investment.

Don’t know where to start; At the beginning……….? Just like any marketing strategy, define you required outcome. Know where your customers spend their time online and either get a marketing professional to help you define what you need or spend time learning how to integrate and utilise video yourself. Its not rocket science. Video can be used to tell your story, express your differential, illustrate case studies even getting clients to evangelise your product or service. The list is endless.

In the six years since I started Hax Media, I have found that I have gone from a filmmaker to a video strategist, helping businesses implement lasting and productive strategies using multiple films made from one well-planned filming session. I have come to understand all the elements that hold business back with video. I believe that if business owners and marketers understood more about how to harness video effectively, they would use it to generate more leads and win more sales.

To that end, I have put together the Video Impact Summit with seven very knowledgeable speakers covering an informative overview, language, powerful storytelling method, building strategies, distribution and social media as well as Live Streaming. It will be on the 3rd of Feb near Dartford, north Kent, with the sole aim to help bring some clarity to marketing with Video. If you fancy coming as you have got the bottom of this post you deserve a 50% discount so use this code when you book. HAX29


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