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Ever since I became an affiliate marketer six years ago, nothing has worked better for me than video.
I started using video as a marketing channel for my affiliate marketing efforts this year. Believe me, with video marketing I have achieved more in terms of traffic and revenue than I did in three years without it.
If you’re running a business without doing video marketing, pay attention to this post. I’ll share some very simple tips on how to create engaging business videos.
Despite what you might think about video marketing, it’s simple to create. I was intimidated by the prospect of creating videos at first, because I thought it would mean investing in a bunch of expensive equipment.
I was dead wrong. With nothing more than a two-year old laptop and Microsoft PowerPoint, I was able to create several simple videos to promote affiliate material.
Why create videos for your business?
YouTube gets more than four billion views per day. If you manage to attract just a tiny fraction of that total, you’ve got a whole lot of eyeballs checking out your business. YouTube’s sheer size has inspired brands to find fast ways to capitalize on this huge base of consumers.
Isn’t that reason enough for you to consider video marketing? But how do you get started?
What’s the goal of your video?
Success is achieved when you reach a goal. That’s why you need to consider the following questions before you start making your first marketing video.
What is the goal of this video? What message do I hope my audience would get out of it? Am I looking to educate, provide a solution, or sell my services?
By determining your video’s purpose, you will be able to devise an effective call to action to include in it.
What sort of video is best for your audience?
Not all videos are created equal. There are lots of audience types you need to consider. That’s why, like anything else, video marketing doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to think about how to appeal to the right set of people.
There are several different approaches: you can create a video that appeals to the emotions, a video that’s funny, or a video that tells a story.
Keep them wanting more
Some of the most recent viral videos run in a series. The Old Spice videos are among the best examples of promotional videos that have kept the audience wanting more.
You can create a series of videos for your audience. First, create a one-minute teaser. The next set of videos should provide your audience with a good overview of the benefits of what you are promoting. Each one should be no more than two minutes in length.
Videos don’t always have to be promotional. You can make videos that offer a series of tutorials. Try producing several two-minute tutorials or how-to videos that show how your product or service can address certain problems (without revealing too much).
At the end of each video, be sure to include information about where people can find more information concerning your business. Spell out email addresses, web sites, and phone numbers.
If you plan on providing additional resources in the video’s description section, point this out at the end of your video by saying, “For more information, see description below,” with an arrow pointing downward.
YouTube allows visitors to subscribe to channels. Be sure to include a note that invites viewers to subscribe to your channel. Subscribing enables them to follow your feed and receive an update each time you post a new video on your YouTube channel.
Now, let’s talk about the SEO aspect of creating a business video.
First, the title
YouTube is a video search engine. In fact, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine in terms of volume.
As such, all things related to SEO apply to videos posted on YouTube. The title should be keyword-optimized. Like most search engines, YouTube gives weight to titles. That’s why it’s important to include keywords at the early part of the title.
But make certain you observe current SEO best practices by choosing keywords in the title that are relevant to the content. Otherwise, you’ll run the risk of raising red flags against you.
The description section
The description section provides search engine spiders with a good overview of what your video is all about. Remember, search engine spiders cannot recognize videos, unless they are supported by text.
Be sure to optimize the video description section properly with keywords. Make the description informative.
You can also take an opportunity to include links, email addresses, and phone numbers in the description section. This is the area where you can point your visitors to resources that offer further information.
It’s also a great place for calls to action. Use the description section to direct visitors to a sales page, an opt-in page, a blog post, or a check-out section.
As an affiliate marketer, I make sure that my visitors are directed to the merchant’s site, where they can find information such as price, product specifications, and delivery options.
Conclusion
Now is the time to take advantage of video marketing. If you are running a small business, video marketing is the way to compete squarely against big businesses. Through video marketing, a lot of small businesses have outperformed the big ones in terms of search visibility and organic search traffic.
If you’re already incorporating video into your marketing campaigns, tell us about your experiences by leaving a comment below.
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About the author
I am a Content Writer, SEO and Social Media Marketing Specialist and a full-time coffee lover.
