Going Viral With Video Marketing

Video is now the preferred method of many people searching for information online, and significant research has been conducted to help marketers — including veterinarians — make the most of their campaigns. Follow these basic guidelines to start your video marketing off on the right foot.

Making Videos

Content

Whether you’re creating your first video
or your 50th, keep in mind some simple tactics and techniques. First, make sure you provide value; don’t create a purely promo- tional video. Use video to highlight a unique aspect of your practice, for example, but be clear about the value of that service or product for pets or pet parents.

Robin Brogdon, founder of BluePrints Veterinary Marketing Group and Veterinarian’s Money Digest® Editorial Advisory Board member, considers video a great way for practices to showcase new technology, equipment or services. “We’re so afraid to show pet owners what happens behind the scenes, but I think that sort of education helps them see the value in your services,” she said. If you have a new ultrasound machine, film a short video for clients that explains what the machine does and how it will help your team care for their pets, she added.

Tyler Lessard, vice president of marketing for Vidyard, an online platform for creating and deploying video, recommends creating content that evokes emotion. “Pulled heartstrings and ha-ha moments drive action,” Lessard said. And don’t forget: Veterinary practices have at their disposal the magic ingredient that makes so many videos go viral — animals!

Length

When deciding how long a video will be, consider the information being conveyed, the platform for promotion and the ultimate goal, Brogdon suggested. For a standard Facebook video, her company generally recommends 60 seconds or less. “If you’re going to do a Facebook Live video or a tutorial, especially one that might reside on your website, then we recommend three minutes or less,” she said.

Polish

Above all else, Brogdon said, creating viral-worthy video content takes practice and polish. While she concedes that you don’t need special editing skills to create informative and entertaining videos, it’s important to familiarize yourself with editing software, test different lighting setups, and film rehearsal footage.

Eliminate shaky footage and enhance video shot on an iPhone by using a tripod. Take a few minutes to create a script
and ensure that the person on camera or providing a voiceover does not stumble over his or her words.

Maximize Your Reach

Share your video on multiple platforms, starting with YouTube. The site not only stores your video library, but adding a title, description and keywords makes it search- able by all YouTube users. From there, use the “share” feature to access the video’s HTML code, which can be embedded onto your website. Videos do very well on business landing pages and can be used in conjunction with text for a blog post.

Rather than promoting a YouTube link on Facebook, consider uploading the video file directly to the social media website, where the content is more likely to be seen by your page’s followers. Most Facebook videos are viewed without sound, so make sure you’ve added captions that get your message across. Facebook’s caption generator automatically transcribes videos, which simplifies the process.

To make the most of your video marketing, share your videos frequently and monitor their engagement. As you expand your YouTube library, you’ll notice which topics perform best and can tailor future content to meet your audience’s needs.

Author: Amanda Carrozza
Courtesy: www.vmdtoday.com
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