Were you aware of the fact that video is taking the concept of content marketing by storm? If you really thought about it, is it possible that if it were, say, six years down the road, you would be watching this article in video format as opposed to reading it? Indeed, as online video continues its aggressive, inimitable rise, these are interesting questions to ponder.

 

Here’s a shocking statistic: By 2017, video should account for a whopping 69% of all consumer-driven Internet traffic according to research conducted by Cisco. You don’t really have to be an M.I.T. mathematical statistics graduate to understand that this suggests RAPID growth. We can tell you that with online video rapidly becoming a primary means for the average person to satisfy their entertainment and information queries, small businesses that decide not to include this medium in their Internet marketing strategies are making a major mistake.

The future of content marketing is video – if it’s not already the “here and now” tactic – and an overwhelming amount of research indicates more than half of businesses are already making use of the medium…a figure that’s poised to skyrocket as additional entities realize the seemingly endless possibilities of this format.

GSTN Fun Stat: Nielsen claims 64-percent of marketing leaders expect video to be the lead strategy in the coming future.

But before we delve into the ins and outs of video and how it fits into content marketing plans, let’s take a look at what content marketing is all about…

 

 

What is “Content Marketing”?

To begin with, it’s vital to understand that today’s consumers are just about at the “abandon point” with regard to traditional marketing – they record their favorite shows on a DVR to skip past TV advertising, pay little to no attention to print ads in magazines and have become so proficient at Internet surfing that they can absorb information without a thought for banners or buttons, thus making these elements suddenly irrelevant. Green Screen Talent Now understands the raw fact that marketing in the traditional sense is becoming increasingly less effective…and we know there’s a better way.

Enter content marketing.

As its name implies, content marketing describes a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior. This intuitive process is best integrated into your overall marketing strategy – as we do for our own clients – and it’s often described by business gurus as “the art of communicating with customers and prospects without selling” (i.e. “non-interruption marketing”).

In other words, rather than attempting to push your products or services, you deliver information that makes your buyer more intelligent so to speak; at the core of this content strategy is a belief that businesses should deliver ongoing, valuable and consistent information to buyers who will ultimately reward them with their loyalty (and sales).

 

Addendum: Marketing is Impossible Without Great Content

Irrespective of what kind of marketing tactics you use, content marketing should be part of your overall process – not a separate element. Quality content is part of all forms of marketing including:

• Social Media – Content marketing strategies come before your social media approaches.
• SEO – Search engines have been “rewarding” businesses that boast and publish quality, consistent content.
• Publicity – Successful PR strategies and campaigns deal with issues readers CARE about, not a company’s own business matters.
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click) – For this marketing approach to succeed, it requires solid content behind it.
• Inbound Tactics – Content is the brass key to driving inbound traffic and leads.
• Content Strategy – Content STRATEGY is part of most content marketing approaches.

 

GSTN Tip: To be effective at content marketing, it is essential you engage in a documented content marketing strategy.

 

GSTN Fun Stats: According to Roper Public Affairs…

• 80% of business decision-makers prefer to obtain company information in a series of articles as opposed to an advertisement.
• 70% of these movers and shakers claim company content marketing makes them feel “closer to the sponsoring company.”
• 60% of the same group queried say company content helps them make better product decisions.

 

 

Why Online Video is the Future of Content Marketing

Now, we’ll explore where video fits into a powerful content marketing strategy and why it’s not difficult to see how it’s changing the marketing landscape of this century. When it comes to reaching potential customers, the power of video is absolutely peerless – consider these jaw-dropping stats:

• YouTube receives more than one billion unique visitors each month – that’s more than any other channel save for Facebook.

• In Great Britain, one in three individuals view at least one online video a week – that equates to a weekly audience of more than 20 million people in the UK alone.

• A recent campaign from German automaker Volkswagen yielded a combined video viewing of 155 million times.

 

GSTN Fact: Video can give you access to all of this. Expertly-crafted video can give you a big slice of it. Engage viewers and they will share the video with others, spending longer on your website and more time interacting with your brand.

 

 

Another positive aspect of video is that it is naturally engaging, and, in this age of information overload, it’s vital for smaller, more local business entities to offer content that is easy to digest…if you are a smaller business owner and don’t present such easy-to-absorb content, we can tell you for sure that consumers will simply move on. That’s where the captivating magic of video comes in, as it provides this easily digestible content effortlessly to a demographic raised on a steady diet of visually-stimulating mediums.

GSTN Fun Stat: Axonn Research found that 7 out of 10 people view brands in a more positive light after watching interesting, engaging video content from the company behind it.

 

What Does This Mean for ME?

Now, you may be asking, “Is video really possible or attainable for a small business such as mine?” It absolutely is. Production costs have fallen significantly in recent years, no longer requiring companies to be technical whizzes in order to figure out how to utilize it. Further, apps such as Twitter’s Vine, with its six-second maximum clip length, have dramatically increased the opportunity for businesses on a small budget to participate in this phenomenon; nevertheless, if you want to see a significant return on your investment, you will need to consider the following:

• Always think about the audience you are trying to reach and ensure the video is relevant to this demographic; if you find it’s not the most appropriate means of getting your message across, there’s a good chance you’re just wasting valuable marketing time.

• Do NOT ignore the power of social media, and be sure to promote your message across multiple channels (Facebook, Twitter, et al). Do you really want to experience video’s full, unbridled potential? You must make it easy for users to FIND and share your content, videos, etc….and don’t forget about mobile devices, either.

• Be creative, not only with the videos themselves, but in the campaign strategy you construct around them. We have often told our clients “creativity wins over the cost of production every time,” so get that bit down pat and video won’t just be the future of content marketing…it’ll represent the future of content marketing for YOU.

Videos, due to their inherent popularity, provide the perfect complement to online marketing. And it doesn’t matter if your video is intended simply for fun, information sharing or instructional purposes…videos play a crucial part in any brand’s marketing strategy.

GSTN Fun Stats: Demand Metric reported that 70-percent of marketers are now using videos in their marketing strategies, while another 82-percent indicate video content marketing has proven to be ultra-successful.

Given the numbers in our stat above, is there any reason not to consider implementing video content marketing in your current strategy?

 

 

How Spokesperson Videos Come Into Play

Remember William Shatner, the actor who made the name “Captain Kirk” a household reference forever? He branched out and became the spokesperson for a certain travel website. Michael Jordan, the legendary NBA star, has become synonymous with a few known brands. And nothing can separate the gorgeous Brooke Shields from her you-know-what denim jean line. What do all these people have in common? They’ve proven to be awesome spokespeople for a brand, and a good spokesperson can catapult your company to popularity.

 

Here’s the thing: The reliability of the person representing your company and the overall likability will more or less translate to the product itself.

 

What are we talking about here? Well, as experts in professional spokesperson videos, Green Screen Talent Now understands that in the world of advertising, a product earns credibility through the spokesperson representing it; a cause has a voice when the right person talks about it. No matter how you cut it, there’s always a huge advantage when someone convincing endorses a product, so the process of choosing the right person to endorse the right product is of prime importance in any enterprise endeavor.

The question you may be asking now is, “Why should a website employ a video spokesperson in an Internet setting where one is already interacting with a screen and a keyboard?” The simple answer is that a video spokesperson can add a PERSONAL TOUCH to a website’s content. Think of it like this: Imagine being welcomed by a host when you are visiting a friend’s house…isn’t that more personal than someone just yelling out “Door’s open, come on in!”? Likewise, when talking about a website, a video spokesperson can take that “coldness” out of the experience for users, adding a reminder that your site was MADE by humans, is MANAGED by humans and CATERS to humans. It makes your product and its corresponding content relatable and within a consumer’s reach.

We’re here to tell you that capturing an audience in this way need not be an arduous or drawn-out process. It merely takes a dynamic mix of the right product, a solid advertising plan and a pretty face that will represent the company and its goods.

 

GSTN Fact: Taking your business to the next level means being DYNAMIC.

 

Green Screen Talent Now boasts the resources, professional spokespeople and hands-on experience to take the concept of web advertising to the next exciting level. It is absolutely clear to us – and we want to make it just as clear to you – that the ultimate pizazz and warmth of a genuine, charismatic spokesperson will NEVER be replaced by a mere bright user interface.