4 EASY Steps To Incorporate Video Into Your Marketing Plan

The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” debuted in 1979. Although video didn’t actually kill the radio star as the song suggests, video did create a new way for people to experience music.

Over 40 years have passed since the earliest music videos transformed how we perceived music from a purely auditory to a multi-sensory experience.

And once again in 2022, video is changing the landscape of our daily lives. Video is significantly impacting how we attract customers to our business and keep them coming back for more.

In 2021, 54% of marketers considered VIDEO to be “the most valuable content type for achieving social media goals.”

Read that again.

More than half of all marketers surveyed believe video is the most important type of content to reach their audience and achieve their goals.

According to a report from Sprout Social:

93% of companies have acquired new customer(s) via social media video.

Half of social media users prefer video over other types of content.

85% of social media users want more videos from brands.

People share video content with friends twice as often as any other type of content.

58% of viewers will watch the entirety of a business’ video if it’s less than 60 seconds long.

The point is, video is an incredibly powerful tool for attracting and maintaining loyal customers. People, including YOUR ideal customers, watch videos, like and share them, and watch them again…

And studies show people are more likely to make a purchase after seeing a video on social media. Counter-intuitively, video only accounts for 14% of Facebook content, 11% of Instagram content, and just 5% of the total content on Twitter, according to the Sprout survey mentioned above.

if video is one of the most important AND under-utilized media for marketing, why aren’t more businesses jumping on the video bandwagon?

Here are a few reasons we’ve heard at Social Siren:

✅ I don’t have enough time to make videos

✅ Hiring another person to do it is too expensive

✅ I don’t think it’s necessary

✅ I don’t know how to make or edit videos

✅ I’m not sure I’ll get enough ROI

✅ I don’t have anything to share that’s video-worthy

✅ I don’t even know where to start

Can you relate? If one or more of these statements resonated, you’re not alone!

But I’m here to tell you that incorporating video into your marketing strategy is vital and that it doesn’t have to be awful.

Easy First Steps:

• Walk around your space and find out where the best light is. Natural light is great, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Bright light with minimal shadows will help your videos be clear and focused, which will attract more viewers.
• Record something today. The subject can be just about anything – pouring yourself a cup of coffee, a quick panorama of your work setup, or even your office pet. (Yes, you can talk about Bruno!)
• Repeat step 2 tomorrow and do it again the next day. You’re creating a “b-roll” and it is great for Facebook and Instagram reels.
• Put your clips together into a reel. Check out this resource  for how to make a reel from your desktop or view this one for creating a reel from your phone.

It will take some practice, and your first reel might not change the world. But stay with it – remember, video is the most valuable and under-utilized type of content out there right now.

Remember, work smarter, not harder – and don’t hesitate to ask for help. When you post your first reel, tag @socialsirenmarketing to let us know!

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

*****

Jess Riedy is the founder and CEO of Social Siren Marketing. She is a marketing strategist, educator, and coach who empowers small business owners to achieve their marketing and business goals. Jess loves coffee and bulleted lists almost as much as she loves her husband, two children, and a very energetic pup. Contact her at Jess@socialsirenmarketing.com.