Video Marketing In
A Time Of Crisis
Part 2

As we adapt and become accustomed to the realities and the “new normal” created by COVID-19, consumers have changed the way they buy products. Brands have likewise changed the way they market and sell those products. Managing customers and keeping them informed and connected has been the number-one priority for many companies during this crisis. Using video to market in this new reality is now a central component for most businesses.

The rise of video right now is unparalleled. According to ClickZ, there’s been an 80% rise in content consumption since the coronavirus pandemic.1 A recent Marketing Charts study showed video watch time is expected to reach 100 minutes a day.2 With the new normal of staying indoors compounded with a total change in lifestyle, consumers are spending more time online than ever before.

That in itself may sound like good news to the video marketer and content creator. Video is now a new normal — connecting brands with their customers and bridging the gap social distancing has created. Using both visual and auditory senses, it’s easier with video to get your message out more efficiently and studies are showing it’s the preferred method used by the consumer.

In fact, a study by Wyzowl showed 68% of consumers would sooner watch videos to learn about new products or services than read the instructions.3 (However, this same study also showed an increased level in competition and overall noise in video marketing.)

Therefore, marketers are adjusting their tactics in video marketing production and how the message is conveyed to keep their customers engaged. As a result, some fresh approaches have emerged.

Using these new trends can work for your brand, but keep in mind, there’s still one quality that will always keep your customer engaged and it’s (simply) good content. So how do you achieve it?

1. Update Your Content

We’ve heard it since video marketing started: Content is king — and it hasn’t changed. Great content gets views! And what makes compelling content? Storytelling and authenticity.

What led to the Rise of the Influencer was the use of their personality and ability to tell a story. Even though influencer marketing has waned, storytelling and originality persist.

When reviewing and updating content, try and create a compelling video that tells the story of your brand’s value and what it means to your customer. Bring it down to a personal level so your brand connects with the customer on an emotional level through the video. Sheltering-in has become the new norm and people want to feel connected with the outside world.

2. Length Is No Longer Important

For years, the ongoing debate among marketers was how long a video should be to keep the audience engaged. The belief shorter videos perform better was due to the decreasing attention span of consumers. It may have been the case when people were outdoors, leading busy lives without really paying much notice to what’s around them. But in conjunction with stay-at-home mandates, lifestyles and habits have changed. People have more time now and they’re spending it watching video. Despite the popular belief “shorter is better,” longer videos actually outperform the shorter ones on YouTube. The top performing videos range between 20–30 minutes, some even going 45–50 minutes.

”Spending a little extra time on the editing process will make the video more engaging and more likely to be shared.“

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t judiciously edit, but don’t remove the human element that makes the video relatable just to make it fit within a certain time frame. If the content is good and the story is comprehensive and engrossing, take as long as necessary to tell the complete story. But at the same time, it also needs to be entertaining. If the subject matter is a bit dry, consider adding some animation, stock footage or still images. Spending a little extra time on the editing process will make the video more engaging and more likely to be shared.

4. Captioning The Moment

When film talkies first burst onto the scene in the 1920s, the era of silent films was gone in an instant. However, it’s now all the rage in video on social media. Believe it or not, 85% of videos are viewed without sound, and 80% of consumers are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available.4 Verizon Media recently revealed 92% of people watch videos with the sound turned off when using their mobile devices.5 According to the same study, 55% of consumers watching educational and tutorial videos want captions.

Use graphics and text during your video or utilize the captioning capability offered by YouTube or Facebook. Or, make a video that doesn’t necessarily need sound to be understood. Watch your latest video without the sound and see if it’s relatable and understandable. If not, add captioning.

5. Rethink The Thumbnail

When a customer is looking at which videos to watch, there are two things they see before deciding whether to click on it: The title of the video and the thumbnail. Visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text so make your thumbnail interesting, attention-grabbing and distinctive.

Now, having said that, don’t make it completely misleading and off-the wall crazy. Look at Yahoo! News and a few other professional sites that utilize thumbnails and catchy headlines to get people to click on videos or articles. Be wary though of using clickbait headlines and images. Clickbait can send a bad impression, which in the long run will do more harm than good to your brand and could even make consumers hesitant about looking at some of your other videos.

Stay True

Remember, trends change with the times and with what’s happening at the moment right now. It’s important to know the trends, be aware of them and use them (if applicable) for your business to keep your customer engaged. However, it’s more important to stay true to who you are and what your brand represents, because no matter how professional or slick your video marketing strategies are, your customers will eventually see through them to the real you. Be sure it’s who you want them to see.

“Video Marketing In Crisis: Part 1” was published in the December 2020 issue of Shooting Industry. Shari LeGate outlined strategies for rising above the noise, and how to use video to connect with consumers first. Visit shootingindustry.com.

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