Video is a great way to connect with potential customers. The popularity of online videos has been skyrocketing for years.
And there’s good reason: according to Forbes, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading. Some additional video marketing statistics include:
- Videos Get More Organic Shares
Social video gets 1200% more shares than image and text content combined, according to Wordstream.
- Videos Have Better ROI and Conversion Rates
Studies show that videos produce 66% more qualified leads per year and a 54% increase in brand awareness. - Videos Provide SEO Advantages
Forbes found that the average user spends 88% more time on websites with video content, and time-on-page activity can have a positive impact on SEO. Google’s search algorithm, moreover, is increasingly emphasizing pages that contain video content.
Ready to try video in your marketing efforts? Read on for our top 5 tips for an effective video marketing strategy.
1. Test All Types of Video Content
Ask someone what “video content” means and you’ll get ten different responses, such as:
- Playful TikTok videos
- Homepage explainer videos
- Product demos
- YouTube reviews
- Case studies
And once you create your video, what do you do with it? Do you share it on all social channels or just specific ones?
Our recommendation is to experiment with all types of video content – although obviously your industry will have an impact here (SaaS companies may err toward explainer videos over short-form content). You may find, for instance, that product demos have great engagement rates on Twitter, but your TikTok strategy is falling flat. Once you know what works, you can then double down on that strategy.
Here are the formats and channels most recommended by expert video marketers:
- Long-form videos:
- YouTube
- Short-form videos:
- TikTok
- Instagram Reels
- YouTube Shorts
- Livestreaming:
- YouTube Live
- Instagram Live
- Facebook Live
2. Authentic Content > Perfect Video Content
Low-fi videos with a DIY feel are trending with businesses. For example, Dunkin uses Instagram Reels to share short product videos. With just a smartphone, they share eye-catching videos with fans on social media:
View this post on Instagram
Research from HubSpot shows that most Internet users actually prefer imperfect, authentic content over high-quality videos that seem artificial.
Think about it this way—are you likely to trust a big-budget product review directly from a company’s website? Or would you rather trust a Youtuber who’s sharing their real thoughts?
3. Customize Length to the Platform
The length of your videos is important – and should vary based on what platform(s) you’re sharing them on.
For instance, TikTok videos should be between 9 and 15 seconds, while YouTube videos offer more opportunity for long-form content.
Here are video length suggestions by platform:
- Instagram: 30 seconds
- Twitter: 45 seconds
- Facebook: 1 minute
- TikTok: 15 seconds
- YouTube: 2 minutes (or more)
4. Add Subtitles and Translate Them
According to Verizon, 80% of people are more likely to watch an entire video when there are subtitles. Plus, about 69% of people prefer to watch videos with the sound off.
English subtitles are an excellent start, but subtitles in additional languages can expand your reach even further. Doing this also highlights your commitment to delighting all customers and users – no matter where in the world they are.
(As a small side note, always remember to include multilingual metadata – like tags, hyperlinks, descriptions, and titles – when uploading to popular video-sharing platforms. This will improve your reach.)
Don’t know where to start with subtitle translation? We recommend this subtitle translation tool to easily localize the text.
5. Scale with User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by people (such as users or customers or reviewers), rather than by the brand itself. Studies show that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content than content created by the brand.
One approach is to ask your customers to share videos of them using your product. These testimonials from real consumers seem real and trustworthy, while also requiring minimal work from your marketing team.
Plus, UGC gives you the ability to build a community around your products. This opens up conversations between brands and their consumers — while also building authentic (and fun) interactions.
A good example: a recent viral TikTok trend of people taking showers in Arc’teryx’s waterproof jackets, which was started by Arc’teryx itself. The trend now has hundreds of millions of views. And since the content is user-generated, it’s more cost-efficient than traditional social media marketing.
Final Thoughts
Video content can be a powerful marketing tool. Authentic videos that resonate with your target audience can help with both direct response and brand awareness growth.
For maximum reach and success, we recommend incorporating translated subtitles into all videos – and that’s where Localize can help. SaaS companies from around the world use our tools to easily translate web apps, websites, and video subtitles to any language they want.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today!
