I get a lot of my news online. During all the recent hurricane and earthquake coverage, I read my chosen article with interest until I came to a video, which I immediately clicked on. In many cases, I became so interested and informed I never returned to the text.

Videos are that powerful. We want to see how fast the water is rising and hear the 185 m.p.h. winds whipping by. Even the colorful swirling bands of Doppler radar grabbed my attention, despite being hopelessly ignorant of exactly what they mean.

Videos involve us the way television does and, like it or not, the printed word often takes a back seat. Video marketing companies vying for part of your company’s budget aim for two things: traffic and conversions. It’s easier to click the “play” arrow and watch than read and ruminate. Users are more likely to comment on and share a video on social media compared to a blog post or news article. Most websites do best with a mix of high-quality writing and creative video content.

Three main reasons online video marketing works:

1. Simplicity: A video can demonstrate in minutes what might take a much longer time to read and understand.
2. Authenticity: Videos are viewed as trustworthy. Seeing the owner’s picture is not the same as hearing him or her talk directly to you.
3. Convincibility: For those with lingering doubts and questions, video lets potential buyers see important things like size, scale, additional parts and aspects of performance.

Mastering The “How-To” Video

One of the best types of content you can include is the How-To Video. Imagine you’re a parenting expert writing about how to change a baby’s diaper. How much text do you think it will take to explain how to position the infant on a concave changing table, slip the irregularly-shaped diaper in place and fasten both sides correctly? Not to mention tips and tricks for keeping things calm and calamity-free. At least 1,000 words?

Even a rudimentary video could show how the diaper is positioned in the back first, sprinkled with optional powder or ointment, pulled between the legs and fastened with self-adhesive peel-off tabs. This may sound onerously simple but for the first-timer it’s rocket science. Moving content gets people moving, whether to follow instructions or follow the link to your website.

Live action just makes the most sense for some sales pitches that need to be shown rather than described. Let’s use the example of comparing two corkscrews. In a video, it’s easy to show the insertion, twists, slide out and cork removal of both products side by side. (Plus there’s a lot of cool sound effects.) Consumers appreciate a first-hand demonstration rather than a third party recollection when it comes to previewing and purchasing. They may also read reviews and product descriptions, but seeing is still believing.

If you’re a service provider and don’t have your own products, add a video to sell affiliate products. Your suppliers may not have made their own product video, so you can make one for them and capitalize on people searching not only for your service but for the products you use and recommend.

For example, if you are a floor refinisher you can make a video that not only demonstrates the exactitude of your skilled operators but also touts the polish you recommend for maintaining wood floors. You’ll double your chance of showing up in a Google search for floor refinishers and floor polish.

Consider making a whole series that highlights how to solve a broader, more general problem related to your business or industry. For example, the floor finisher above might make a video series on how to remove carpet from an old house. In successive episodes, he could instruct on how to identify different types of wood, pull difficult carpet tacks or remove sticky glue.

Follow “How-To” with Keywords

Selecting keywords and phrases for your video is just as important as any other search engine optimization tactic. Videos with how to, how to do, how to make, how to repair, etc. and terms like “tutorial” or “demo” rank high in search results. You want to cover all variations of the phrase “how to” by substituting words such as “operating” + keyword, “using” + keyword, “building” + keyword and “assembling + keyword.

To find topics for your How-To Video, type the search “how to refinish floors.” A list of commonly searched topics will appear including:

• how to refinish floors diy
• how to refinish floors yourself
• how to refinish floors without sanding
• how to refinish floors while living in house

Generate more topics by narrowing aspects of your product or service. For our floor finisher, here are some keywords they could try:

• how to select your stain color
• how to get the pickled wood look
• 5 floor trends tutorial
• floor refinishing 101

Post it on YouTube

YouTube has over a billion video viewers making over three billion searches per month and guess what? You can upload your video for free! If you have enough videos you can even have your own youtube channel.

The youtube name is so venerated, it consistently ranks high in Google and other search engines. Take the time to fill out their form correctly as this is how youtube ranks videos for search. Use the keyword you’re trying to rank for in the title, tags and description fields.

When choosing your video topic take frequently asked questions and turn them into how-to tutorials. Be brief and to the point. Display your logo, signage and other branding and end with a call to action. Once you have an enviable video posted on youtube, you can begin to grow your fanbase with promotions across social media. You’ll discover other youtube channels that target your same audience and begin to learn from their best practices. You may even reach out to key influencers to review your video and share with their fans.

For information on how we can help with all these viable video options, call us today. We have an affordable video package that can help you reach your video content marketing goals.