By Elin Barton
I’ve been running a video production company for more than ten years. During that time, I’ve come to understand that in most cases the video itself is not the end product or the goal. Rather, it’s a tool that helps our clients get tangible results.
For that tool to work effectively, however, you need to follow a simple formula.
Craft your content thoughtfully + Take steps to get it in front of the right people.
Messaging Matters
First, your message must be crystal-clear. This means you have a detailed understanding of the audience you are trying to reach.
- Are they watching videos online or on television, for example? Are they browsing social media on their phones or on desktop computers?
- What gets them excited and how can you capture that excitement with the message you are sharing? What makes them scared or anxious and how can your product or service help?
- What length content is your audience comfortable consuming? Do they prefer a snack-sized video or are they willing to dive deeper into something more in-depth and detailed?
Once you understand your messaging, the content itself needs to be delivered in a clear and concise way. You get bonus points (and less people tuning out) if you can find a creative and visually interesting way to get your message across.
There are far too many distractions these days and clicking off your content and onto something else is easy to do. If you don’t get people’s attention in the first 5 seconds of your video, chances are you’ve lost your opportunity.
Raise Your Visibility
Once you’ve got your message honed and your video produced you want to make sure it’s seen by the right people. A proactive approach is best if you want to maximize your results. Here are three tips to increase your video exposure without spending a single penny of your marketing budget:
1 – Put it in your newsletter.
People on your email list are there for a reason. They’ve already shown an interest in what you’ve got to say, so why not send them your new video? An added bonus is that you’ll be increasing your click rates too.
Pro Tip:
Most email service providers don’t allow you to embed video in the email itself. (It’s unfortunate, we know!) Luckily, there are still ways of convincing viewers to press play.
Our favorite method is to include a thumbnail of the video that shows a play button. This quickly tells your readers that you have video content and increases the odds of them clicking the image. By including a thumbnail that links to your video’s landing page, you’re increasing your website traffic too!
2 –Add a link to your email signature.
How many emails do you send each day? If you’re having a lot of email conversations, this trick doesn’t cost you a penny – so give it a shot!
The Do’s and Don’ts of Email Signatures:
- DO limit your signature to 3 or 4 lines
- DO showcase something you’re proud of (like your new video!)
- DO include a call to action
- DO include social media icons (not text links)
- DO include an image (a professional headshot can establish trust)
- DON’T jam it full of links and information
- DON’T include your email address (this is redundant and a waste of space)
- DON’T over-design (limit to two colors and one image)
- DON’T use an image in place of text (some users default to block images)
3 – Place your video above the fold.
This one is simple. When designing your website or landing page, the higher your video is placed on the page, the higher your play rate. If you have a page that already gets high traffic, this is a great way to get your video in front of more people.
To prove this concept and fully understand how video position affects play rates, Wistia (a video hosting software company) collected data on 95,000 pages with embedded videos. They found that videos above the fold see play rates of 46% and higher, whereas video underneath the fold perform 27% and below.
Elin Barton is the CEO of White Knight Productions, a video and marketing firm that creates powerful videos and marketing campaigns for clients throughout the United States. Elin also serves on the Enterprising Women board and is on the leadership team of NAWBO-NYC.
If you are interested in more great tips for promoting your videos, you can download White Knight’s free guide that is full of information and great examples.