Using Video Content for Businesses

As I'm sure you're well aware of, there are many different types of web content out there.  You may have even heard the saying "Content is King" a few times, but what type of content is king?  The answer is simple.  Any content that is original, unique, relevant, and appealing to your audience.  One of the most effective, if used properly, is video content. Since it is visual by nature, Internet users are likely to have more patience for videos than a static page of information. Businesses can make great use of video content through several tactics which we'll discuss shortly down the page.

Online videos can warrant great SEO results by sharing it with others.  When a video is shared, users will start linking to it from their site and creating links back to your website, thus helping with SEO.  Since search engines can't pull out the audio to decipher what videos are about, you can also impact your SEO results by adding the transcript for the video on the page the video is listed on.   In fact, YouTube itself is largely used as a search engine and basis its search results strongly on the tags used to describe the video.  Due to this, using YouTube to host  your videos can help the sharing as well and also gives a strong case why videos also have the potential for an unlimited audience reach.

Brands have the opportunity to paint their products or services with the image they desire.  They don't have to rely on others to create an image for you.  And since its going to be shared to such a large audience, creating a quality brand image early on can go a long way.

There are opportunities for all types of businesses to utilize video online. So where does your company begin? Here's a list of some of the most successful video content practices that are sure to bring pleasant results for your business.

Marketing Videos

●      Commercials

●      Infomercials

●      Spokesperson

Product/Service Videos

●      Presentation of product or service

●      Demonstrations

●      Product Reviews

Informative Videos

●      Animated infographics (relevant to industry)

●      Industry Advice

●      DIYs (Do It Yourself)

●      "How To"(related to products/services or industry)

●      Customer Q&A

●      Product Area Information

Other Videos

●      Time-lapses

●      Company Humor

Of course these are only a few ideas. Videos are meant to be creative; so, there is an endless amount of possibilities. Just make sure that you're producing videos that are relevant to your industry, customer base, and brand. For instance, e-commerce sites would benefit from product demonstration or presentation videos. This type of content gives consumers a more real look at a business's product or service. It gives companies a chance to highlight certain aspects that might not be as well portrayed through text or photo.  One of the most successful video campaigns was done by BlendTec, a company who solely manufactures blenders.  Starting in 2006, they have made 119 videos to date with over 197 million views in total.  From 2006-2008, Blendtec had a 700% increase in blender sales.  In 2012, Blendtec built a new manufacturing plant storied to be 59% larger then their previous plant to help with the demand.

A real estate company might do best with a product area type video. Instead of just showcasing various properties with a video tour, real estate companies could showcase life surrounding those properties. This would give their audiences an inside look on what culture and lifestyle is associated with certain addresses. Graham Hunt of Valencia Property has done something similar that has proved popular. He gives his viewers a glimpse of what it would be like living in one of Valencia Property's homes.

B2B companies can use videos as a way of establishing themselves as industry leaders. Animated infographics and customer Q&As both allow businesses to show their customers that they not only care about keeping them informed but that they care about their customers' concerns as well. A time-lapse video could be a good way of showing your viewers the progression of a project of yours. This keeps them up-to-date with your brand and helps them understand how your company works.

Whether you use a web video hosting site like YouTube or feature your videos on a page of your website, make sure that it's being seen. Share your video content through email and social media. Don't bury them within your site. Feature them prominently.

If you put the time and effort into creating unique, relevant video content, then your customers or clients will take notice, especially if you're driving traffic to them properly. Video gives you the opportunity to show emotions and humanize your brand. People will connect to your company better through video rather than boring text. A video might be the final element to push a customer towards buying into your business.