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The pursuit of good video marketing has been going on for years, and its rising popularity isn’t all that big a mystery. 86% of businesses have placed videos in their marketing tool belt, and 92% of marketers expressed their trust in the medium’s success.
When done right, video production can be affordable, SEO-friendly, and most importantly, adds a human touch to your campaign. This element humanisation has always been a key factor in marketing, but more so in 2021 when the pandemic forced the world into isolation. With changing times comes changing marketing strategies, so here’s how you maximise your video marketing endeavours in 2022.
If reality is one world, social media is another—one that we arguably spent more of our time in. That said, putting out a strong social media strategy is essential in expanding your reach to the majority (if not all) of your target audience.
The best social media campaigns take on elements of entertainment trends. They offer you a twist on the conventional hard-sell method. Need some inspiration? Consider exploring interviews, influencer collabs, unboxings and behind-the-scenes tours. It might seem counterintuitive to some, but when it comes to the ‘gram, the more casual your content, the better. People value down-to-earth, relatable content over alienating corporate strategies!
A common theme we see popping up on the socials is a fondness for the past, a nostalgic reminiscence that prompts people to echo aspects of these bygone eras even today. Similar to this funky video by McDonald’s that plunges us into a fast-paced montage of its product, many TikTok ads are now leaning into the whole “90s throwback” trend. Bring on the indie filters and retro aesthetics!
Keep in mind that choosing the right social media platform is just as crucial. How long do you need to tell your story? Would a brief display or long-form creation do it justice? Instagram posts grants you a minute (its story mode has a max of 15 seconds), while TikTok gives you an allowance of up to three minutes.
Speaking of social media, it’s about time you ditched the habit of filming in landscape. More and more videos are being shot in portrait mode to cater to the default user interface of social media apps.
People are always on the go and on their phones, so coming across a vertical video that fits nicely into their screen makes for a much more pleasant viewing experience that they’ll be less likely to skip (landscape videos display comparatively smaller visuals that require users to squint or zoom in). For instance, New Balance’s vertical ad automatically resizes to fit your phone screen.
You might think it a small issue, but aside from the occasional avid fan, no one’s going to bother to pause their social media binge and rotate their phone just to watch your sponsored content. So leave horizontal framing for the movies—digital ads are going vertical!
Identifying your target group is half the battle won. What are the dominant personality traits, interests and preferences? What turns them off? Are there any themes or social issues that’ll turn their heads? You won’t be able to nail down every single one of your viewers, but you can roughly gauge what resonates with each demographic group (age, gender, ethnicity, lifestyle).
Once you’ve figured this out, it’s time to get cracking. Use this knowledge to guide the vibe of your video, whether it be playing up nostalgia, passion or solidarity. Let’s look at Pantene: known for catering to women’s beauty and hygiene needs, the brand’s Labels Against Women campaign acknowledges the changing tides of contemporary feminist culture and the societal stigmas that plague women today. These adds depth to the company’s beauty guru image, tagging on the more meaningful labels of “Activist” and “Feminist” to Pantene’s branding.
Another detail you’ll want to note is the attention span of your audience. Social media veterans have perfected the craft of eyeing a video preview and deciding whether or not to scroll on or stop—all in just a split second! In this case, you’ll either want to keep your content clipped and precise, or intriguing enough, in the beginning, to hook and reel people in.
Aside from all the well-spun narratives and social commentary, the ultimate goal of a marketing video is still to bring benefits back to your business so you can keep doing what you’re doing. An effective video starts by sparking interest, and then providing enough incentive for consumers to solidify that spark into a purchase.
How to subtly urge consumers down that buyer's funnel? How to toe the line between insistent promotion and cool, effortless attraction? Well, 23% of consumers and 30% of millennials have expressed their appreciation of having links to direct them to their purchase. More simply put: shoppable ads. It’ll come as no surprise that we are spoiled by the efficiency and convenience brought about by the internet. Embedding links in your video catches people when their interest is most peaked, increasing the chances of them clicking through to make the buy!
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