Xanthe Z. Young
Get the most out of your completed promotional video
Video can be an incredible asset; it's popular, user-friendly and improves SEO. Internet users are said to have an attention span of around 8 seconds, eye-catching video can lengthen that span. However, it is not enough to pop the video on a page of your website and expect the rest to happen by magic.
Here’s a few tips to help you get the most out of your promotional video.
On your website:
On your own website it's important not to hide video away, video is a stimulating medium, it will catch your audiences eye and hold their attention but only if they see it in the first place. “About” pages are not as commonly visited as a “Services” page or a Homepage.
If the video is an overview of your business, put it on your homepage. You could even use it as moving banner across all pages or as a click-through welcome page, this will play automatically getting your message across straight away.
On Facebook:
- Pin your video to the top of your feed and use it as an introduction to the page, an easy to swallow first port of call for new visitors
- Make it compatible and eye-catching. Many videos on Facebook now adopt a square aspect ratio so that they appear bigger on feeds and subtitles so that viewers don’t have to turn the sound on.
- Tag participants in the video, they may share it and give you extra coverage for free.
- If you think your video is likely to be shared make sure to ‘boost’ it. This is an inexpensive way to get much more coverage.
On Twitter:
- Make sure to include relevant hashtags and tweet to participants and people you think would be keen to share it
On YouTube:
- Choose a custom thumbnail that stands out. Give the video clear appealing title and consider including it in the thumbnail so it can be spotted quickly by its desired audience.
On LinkedIn:
- Share as part of an activity or better yet as a blog post/article
- Don’t forget you can add media to any part of your profile and a video could really stand out
Via Email:
Consider including your video in your email signature, it’s a great way for clients and colleagues to access extra information in a quick and appealing form. You could add it as a link at the bottom of your contact details or as a click-through hyperlink to your company logo.
If you have an e-newsletter, make sure to include the new video in your next addition.
Offline
Directly refer customers: Most promotional videos either give an overview of the company and its ethos or demonstrate a product or service. In either case the video can act as a source of information that makes a strong impression – where relevant, tell customers to watch the video to see for themselves what you are talking about on the phone or include a link in your emails. Video is an ideal way to show rather than just tell.
Use in presentations: a video can be an ideal way to make a consistent first impression, it could be used in presentations to customers or even as a part of staff training.
Upload to an iPad: tablets are ideal for demonstrations on the fly at meetings and networking and perfect for trade shows where you can run the video on a loop.
Ask for help
Every business is different, for some businesses Facebook is a crucial resource while others travel and give presentations. It’s up to you how you want to use your video, I can help you make the most of your chosen medium.
Please don’t hesitate to ask me for:
- A text free version of the video for web banners
- A square subtitled version for Facebook
- A custom still for YouTube
- A video in a format compatible for iPads