Video

Today, much marketing content is consumed via a mobile device. There is so much content that brands are competing against other brands as well as update from friends and family for attention. Video is an easy format for people to consume and key information can be articulated quickly – something your business needs.

You can create decent video with a smartphone. They pretty much all record in HD. Depending on where you’re creating video, you may benefit from a microphone and some lighting but this can be really cost-effective. Generally speaking, the more you spend, the better quality video you’ll be able to produce.

That depends on your audience. We would argue that it’s worth researching what they want. If they are looking for answers to questions, the explanation videos or How-To guides build trust with your business and can lead to returning views.

These days, not much. Both platforms want to get eyeballs on their platform. Facebook are making it easy to reach people, particularly if you are able to spend money on promoting video. But YouTube is still the go to place for video, especially video of over a couple of minutes.

All sorts, but it’s worth exercising some caution in interpreting what you’re actually seeing. Video views and impressions can mean different things depending on the platform. Just because someone was served a video, it doesn’t mean that they watched it. Percentages of video viewed or audience retention are good metrics to keep tabs on to show you how interested the audience is in the content.

Not especially. Live streaming has some benefits from the immediacy and the interaction that it allows between a business and its customers. However, these days there are premieres and Facebook Watch parties that allow you to interact with a pre-recorded video. People feel pressure to be on camera – whilst it’s great to show the face of the business, there are other methods that can be used to build a loyal following.

Of course! Think about TV channels like QVC and how they do it! It’s not popular to say that you can sell on video. It’s true that customers don’t want a hard sell, so offering videos that contain value and the audience is going to enjoy is the best way to build that trust. But, in the end, you do have to ask for the sale – there are techniques that can be used to sell on video.

Animation is a popular method. Narration from behind the camera can also be used – everyone trusts David Attenborough!