Video Marketing: 3 Reasons your efforts could be failing
Since Google purchased YouTube for a cool $1.65 billion in the fall of 2006, the user-generated video content service has been the dominant platform for marketers looking to make a splash with video content. Each month, according to YouTube, users watch 6 billion hours of content, generating significant exposure and marketing revenue for millions of content producers and businesses who use the platform as an ad placement service.
While the importance of YouTube as a player in the content marketing sphere remains significant, a recent report from Marketing Land shows that there is another player on the field—one that marketers can no longer afford to ignore. Facebook. By the end of 2014, the report estimates, more videos will be directly uploaded to the social media behemoth than to YouTube.
What Does Facebook’s Rise Mean for Video-based Content Marketing?
If Facebook—with its built-in user base of 1.4 billion people
worldwide—is becoming a more important video marketing platform, businesses need to make efforts to take advantage of the potential exposure. In truth, the keys to getting noticed on Facebook and translating that notice into sales aren’t any different than those for building a base of potential customers on YouTube. And, before we move forward, let’s be clear about one thing: just because Facebook may be a bigger player than YouTube in this realm, that doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore Google’s monster video service. Rather, you need to pay equal attention and avoid making the mistakes marketers typically make with their videos, if you want to take advantage of both sites.
Your Video Marketing Campaign Will Fail If:
You’re Shooting from the Hip
“Winging it” is one of the worst things you can do when trying to make a successful go of video-based marketing. The best YouTubers produce content that looks completely natural and spontaneous, but don’t be fooled. Great videos are a result of careful planning and a thoughtful content marketing calendar. If you don’t have a strategy and your videos don’t entertain, educate and/or answer a pressing question, you need to start over and produce something that people will actually want to watch.
You’re Searching for the “Make It Go Viral” Formula
In a perfect world, crafting videos that go “viral” and generate instant brand recognition for your company would be a matter of hitting every part of a formula. In reality, virality is a matter of catching lightning in a bottle. There is nothing you can do to guarantee a viral hit, but you can increase your chances by focusing on value and quality. This means creating content with a purpose, and it also means placing emphasis on things like production value AND entertainment value. Most importantly, your content needs to speak to your audience—solve a problem, answer a question, clear up a misconception. And be warned: Facebook is cracking down on click-bait —a headline that encourages people to click to see more, without telling them much information about what they will see. So don’t do that!
You Think that Prompting Likes and Comments Is Bad Form
The notion that it’s inappropriate to ask for Likes, comments, and subscriptions is pure madness! Suggesting viewers give you that all-important feedback is normal. (Note, this doesn’t mean that you get to whine about not getting any likes!) It’s rare to see a video these days that doesn’t end with, “Please like and subscribe, and be sure to leave any comments you have in the comment section below.” Calls to action are part of the culture, and if you’re leaving yours out due to some misplaced notion about social rules, you’re only hurting yourself.
Conclusion
With Facebook now hosting as much video content as YouTube, and set to surpass Google’s video service by year-end, the audience for great video content is bigger than ever. Avoid the common pitfalls, produce excellent content, and put your company on the right track for a successful video marketing campaign.
