No products in the cart.
Often, social video is a confusing concept for some brands as it is quite a broad category. While it is difficult to define the term ‘social video’, perhaps the best definition is a digital video meant to be shared via social networking websites. Below is a guide to adopting a social video strategy. It will help in understanding social media videos and where they fit in marketing plans.
There are several different ways in which a social video can fit into an entrepreneur’s marketing strategy. Brand awareness is the most obvious marketing objective for social media videos. Some brands are well-known for creating brilliant videos that can be shared and popularize their brand name. Even if an entrepreneur is not in such an advantageous position, his or her business can still adopt a social video strategy for brand awareness. It’s all about reaching potential customers and clients. For a real estate agent, videos shot from inside new houses are unlikely to go viral on the internet. However, they can be shared among prospective homebuyers in the area.
Lead generation is another notable use of social media videos. A lot of online lead generation is usually quite technical and dry. This forms a barrier to entry as people see a long whitepaper and decide that filling out the form is not worth their time. Videos are more appealing and less labor intensive. A video teasing a relevant event or webinar has a better chance of getting shared, and is likely to spread the lead generating content to more prospects. A marketer should ensure that he or she focuses on creating a compelling video. As soon as the video has been shared, one can direct the interested audience to more complicated channels for lead generation.
Another common use of social videos is employer branding. It allows marketers to show a hidden or more fun side of their business, irrespective of how unappealing it may appear from the outside. A social video is an excellent way of lifting the veil on a business and attracting new clients or customers. Customer care is another way of making use of videos, although not very common. Use of social videos for answering customer inquiries makes it possible to provide answers in a very personal and visual way. This makes it easier for customers to learn a solution. Videos provide more shareable content when compared to lengthy discussion threads. More customers having similar issues have a better chance of finding a solution.
The place a social video strategy has in marketing plan differs significantly based on the marketer’s resources and audience. Different social video platforms work for different types of businesses. In the case of small businesses, video platforms such as Vine and Snapchat still allow someone to connect with users with minimal skills and budget. For those working with large companies, they can create more refined videos and then upload them on Facebook or YouTube.
The ROI on a social video strategy will depend on the manner in which an entrepreneur chooses to utilize it. Each business has differing goals and targets. The secret is all about setting actual goals and using analytics to track the success of the videos.
Author: Andriy Nurzhynskyy
Courtesy: www.topnetseo.com
Image credit