With the massive availability of new customers across social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In and Tik Tok, there has never been a better time to use film and video to gain new sales. Video used well can reach new audiences, reinvigorate previous customers, build trust in your brand, make you stand out above competitors and videos can also help your website rank higher on Google. Ultimately by making it easier for potential buyers to find you, and realise why they need your product and service you can get them excited to buy from you.
But, even though there are massive advantages to using video – there can be pitfalls to look out for and problems which can mean your video doesn’t perform as well as it should.
Something you should think about when using video, is where will you host it. Having video direct on your website will cause it to react slowly and customers will get frustrated at slow loading speeds. This can be remedied by thinking about how you will host your video, using Youtube or Vimeo to host your video would mean the loading speeds should be unaffected. Make sure the video is placed appropriately on the website for easy viewing, and not hidden where people will never see it. Similarly consider across social media platforms, each platform not only has preferences for the sort of content it will prioritise in sharing but also posting a Youtube link on Facebook for example, could take viewers away from the social platform they are on. So once again, upload direct to each platform you use.
Which takes us onto the next point, the release of your content needs planning - how and when you will release your content is paramount. Publishing Christmas content in the summer will not reach your target audience because customers are most likely not preparing for Christmas at that time. Ensuring your content is easily visible for the correct target audience at the correct time will maximise your return. It can be time consuming uploading to several different platforms, writing copy to fit the platform and then releasing it. You may even have some groups you are signed up to, or a monthly newsletter you can add it to. Planning and preparation is the key to using video but it can be a time consuming endeavour.
Lastly it’s really important to consider what you commit to video; some videos can go viral for the wrong reason. They can cause unintended offense to some customers. When you’re planning to create your content it always help to send your script or ideas to a few friends first and just make sure that your messages will not cause any issues. Think about how you can show customers why they should invest in your products or services; remove any doubts that can creep into your customers mind.
At the end of the day any advertising or marketing spend is an investment in your businesses future. So making sure that it reaches as many customers at the right time is going to give you the best chance for success. Don’t be afraid to share the film again, think 4-6 weeks later. Try releasing it at a different time, on a different platform or even try writing different copy.
Film and video can work as a tool for you for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year but just as a tool, you will have to use it. Tracking metrics for the videos success is the only way to ensure that you can understand that for every £1 spent on your film or video you make more back. This process may not be instant but making sure that after a set amount of time, a month or a year you can see if your investment has paid off.
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