If you know even a little about video marketing, you know that video is one of the best ways to build online visibility and grow your business.
Video does a better job than plain text of helping people get a better feel for who you are as a career practitioner or other entrepreneur, and what you can do for them.
Videos can skyrocket your online presence almost instantly. Google loves videos as much as people do, so they push web pages with video higher in search results.
All in all, video marketing is a fantastic way to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and communicate your personal brand.
How To Get Started with Video Marketing
First, decide what kind of video you’ll use.
When you think video, you may think “I’ll have to be on camera, and I’m afraid of looking awkward and uncomfortable.”
Of course, almost anyone can create a talking head video with their computer or smart phone. And this works well for some entrepreneurs.
But many people don’t come off well on camera, so it’s not an option for them.
Take heart. There are other kinds of video that will help you market your business, but don’t require you to be on camera.
Video styles cover a wide range, such as these outlined on 99designs. Some of them can be made on your own smartphone, some using DIY solutions, and some must be created by professional video production firms:
- Whiteboard animation video – pictures are drawn on a whiteboard or something similar by artists
- Animation video – made from still images
- Typography video – animation video that includes moving text or kinetic typography
- Screencast video – a screencast that often has voice-over narration
- Photo montage – montages or slideshows combining photos with music and voiceover
A good option for entrepreneurs is a combination of two of the styles noted above: animation videos with kinetic typography. This is an attention-grabbing form of video motion in which typography, visual background and accent effects are put into motion. Figures and text move fluidly to generate chemistry and get your messaging across more vividly. Various studies have shown that kinetic typography keeps viewers’ attention longer than other video types, especially for detailed topics.
How To Select Topics for Your Video Marketing
You probably know that the first rule of marketing is identifying your target audience. They’re the people who will be purchasing your products and services.
Second step is identifying their pain points or the things they’re having trouble with, that you are qualified to help them with.
You’ll create the content for your videos based on those specific pain points or needs of your target audience, synced with your subject matter expertise in those areas. Draw a direct line from their needs to the solutions you will provide.
For instance, if you’re a career practitioner, your target audience is job seekers and career-minded professionals, so you’ll want to create videos around the job search and career issues facing them.
Those issues represent the relevant keywords that will be so important to include in your videos. (More about this later.)
If you’re already blogging and/or posting about these things on social media, you probably have a pretty good idea of what keywords to use.
You can further identify the right keywords (and therefore your video marketing topics) by using Google Console and Google Analytics. You’ll then embed those keywords in your video content.
You’ll additionally want to have videos that communicate your personal brand, or personality.
So along with videos demonstrating your subject matter expertise, create videos showing your personality and testimonial videos that reflect other people’s experiences working with you.
Here’s an example of a testimonials video from Meg Guiseppi, one of the creators of CareerBrandVideos™.
Things To Include with Your Video Marketing
When creating your videos, taking the time to do a little detailed work will pay off for you big time. Each video needs:
- A title that gives the viewer a reason to watch.
- A well-prepared script.
- An attention-grabbing preview thumbnail with the title included. The various platforms often choose a random thumbnail as the preview, frequently from the first few seconds of the video. By instead adding a thumbnail at the beginning of the video, there’s a better chance of the preview you want showing up. Some platforms also let you choose a preview thumbnail, so it’s good to have one ready.
- An opening (or intro) that grabs the viewer’s attention in the first 5-10 seconds.
- Compelling motion and graphics throughout to hold the viewer’s attention all the way through.
- A call-to-action at the end.
With CareerBrandVideos™ we do all those things for you, plus all the following things to fine-tune and optimize your videos, so both humans and search engines will find them more appealing:
- Re-format your head shot photos in various configurations
- Remove photo backgrounds if needed
- Retouch photos for sharpness, contrast and color when needed
- Adjust video animations to work with your custom content
- Set/adjust clip lengths
- Adjust clip timings
- Edit intros and outros for best impact
- Adjust music track to fit
- Create a colorful video thumbnail image for you to use on social media
- Provide SEO-optimized file names for each of your videos
- Export videos in high resolution format for social media and website use
- Upload your videos to Dropbox for easy download
What Is the Best Length for Marketing Videos?
The sweet spot for marketing videos seems to be around 1 minute, but length depends on where and why you’re using the video. For instance, if you’re using video for lead generation, short is better, like around 1 minute. But once you have leads and you want to educate them, then you’ll need a series of longer videos, say 2-10 minutes.
The Best Way To Make Your Video Marketing SEO-Friendly and Attract Your Target Audience
Here are several steps that always get good results with video marketing:
- Do keyword research first. Select a keyword phrase for which you want to rank.
- Write a script on that topic and include the keyword phrase and variations. However, don’t “stuff” the script with keywords. It should sound natural and deliver value.
- Name the final video file the same as your keyword phrase and avoid generic file names. For example, if the keyword phrase is “resume writing healthcare industry,” the video file should be named “resume-writing-healthcare-industry.mp4.” Avoid generic names like “final-video.mp4.”
- Write a description of less than 5,000 characters that includes the keyword phrase in the first line or two. This will be used on YouTube.
- Upload the video to YouTube.
- Add the correct title in the Title section for that video.
- Add the description you just wrote in the YouTube description section.
- If possible, include a closed caption (CC) file (in .srt format.). YouTube will automatically generate a transcription if you don’t include an .srt file, but they’re not always accurate. A CC file ensures accuracy and you can also use it on other platforms. A CC file also gets more views and longer watch times because people tend to scroll with the sound off.
- Promote the video regularly on all social channels.
Which Social Channels To Use with Video Marketing
As noted above, start with YouTube which can become “home base” for your videos, which are then used two ways on every social media platform where you’re active:
1. Native Videos
You upload your video directly to each channel (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) and they are viewable on that channel.
2. Embedded Videos
You post links or embed codes on your social media channel to videos that reside on an outside platform such as YouTube.
Career professionals especially need to put their videos on LinkedIn, where so many job seekers hang out. There are 5 main spots on LinkedIn to share or post video:
- Post native video in LinkedIn updates in your stream
- Embed video in your LinkedIn profile Featured, Experience and Education sections
- Embed video within LinkedIn long-form posts/articles
- Embed video on your LinkedIn (company) page
- Post native video in LinkedIn Group discussions
You can also post videos on your website or blog, and in emails and newsletters to subscribers.
Video Posting Frequency and Scheduling Best Practices
Posting video consistently is one way to build a following. For example, if people know you post a new video on Wednesdays, and they liked previous videos, they’ll be on the lookout for your new videos. These can be live sessions or animation videos. Posting longer form video once a week is a general recommendation.
The other way to use videos is to add short video content to your social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. The nice thing about this is that not every post needs to be a video.
For instance, if you post 4-5 times a day on Twitter, only 1 of those posts needs to be short video content, such as an excerpt of a longer video.
Or if you post 5 times a week on LinkedIn, only one of the posts needs to be video. Incorporating video into your social media rotation offers variety for your audience.
The ROI on Your Video Marketing Efforts
Use video at every stage of the client’s journey — from acquisition, to consideration, to transaction, to client support. It’s best to consider ROI by looking at the lifetime value of a client. ROI is complicated but it starts with setting goals and having a system to track how those goals are being met.
Track video metrics such as views, watch time, sharing, engagement on each video. Then track conversions in one of two ways:
- Track conversions on those landing or sales pages on which the video appears. “Conversions” could be lead capture, new clients acquired, or products sold. Split test (A/B test) these pages. Do one with a video, one without to see which is working better.
- For videos hosted elsewhere (not on your site) use Bitly URL’s or Google Analytics UTM code to track who clicked through from the video to your site.
The best ROI comes from evergreen video. With evergreen video, you invest once to create the video, but it pays off for many years. The two best types of evergreen videos are:
1) those that answer top FAQ’s, or
2) how-to videos that show clients how to solve a problem of theirs that one of your products or services will help them with.
How To Track Viewer Engagement and Create Follow-Up
Video platforms, social channels and websites each have their own analytics. Use them to create a system to track important metrics relevant to your goals.
The problem with all analytics is there is no way to contact viewers. This is why good calls-to-action are so important. Once the viewer takes an action, it can be tracked. Of course, there should be a follow-up campaign in place once a lead is collected.
Another way to follow up with viewers who have not taken any action is to use re-targeting. This is available to advertisers on most social channels. In short, ads can be repeated to people who have viewed or engaged with your video.
Ready to start using video? Purchase your set of 3 Done-For-You CareerBrandVideos™ now.
And read about our Partner Program. You’ll earn lucrative commissions when you sell award-winning CareerBrandVideos™ to your clients.
Author: Meg Guiseppi, personal branding and job search strategist, and founder of ExecutiveCareerBrand.com. Meg is also a co-creator of CareerBrandVideos™.