Guest post by Pat Altvater, owner BizTV Shows®
We are witnessing and participating in an age of dramatic change in the way consumers interact with both large and small brands. Traditional marketing is dying because consumers now hold the power. They use ad blockers, DVR’s and satellite radio to avoid being bombarded with unwanted information. In fact, it’s been said that the leading marketing trend next year will be the maturing of the age of ad blocking.
So what’s the answer for 2016?
Content marketing
More and more companies are realizing that it’s time to shift our perspective; rather than interrupting our prospects, we need to meet them on their terms. Our role as marketers is now to provide helpful information that solves their problems or answers their questions in a manner that allows them to access it when they are ready, not when we say they should.
Video is the future of content marketing. Content video marketing means creating a consistent series of videos throughout the year and making them available 24/7. The facts are clear, consumers believe video more than the written word; so when they are seeking information, they choose watching a video over reading a blog or article.
Some of the benefits that early adopters to this marketing strategy have realized are:
- Consumers get to know and like the brand or individual small business owner, which speeds up the sales cycle, because people choose to do business with those they know, like and trust.
- When the content video series is educational, as it should be, consumers perceive the business as not only knowledgeable, but helpful and interested in solving their problems.
- Most companies aren’t using video yet so those that do stand out from their competition and increase their market share.
In order to receive these benefits, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Video length matters. The consumers of today have short attention spans so you must hook them in the first ten seconds and then deliver engaging, meaningful content. This can be accomplished with short videos of three minutes or less.
- Deliver quality content. Know your target audience and provide them with new, useful information. Think about the value add to the viewer; what does the video help them do.
- Have a strong call to action. Give the viewer a reason to engage further. However, remember, the savvy prospects of today do NOT like commercials so the minute a video starts sounding like an ad, they leave. Build their desire throughout the video and they’ll take the next step.
- Maintain brand integrity. Content videos are an extension of a brand, so make sure the quality of the production meets the standards of the company brand and that the spokesperson is authentic and approachable.
Small business owners are the big winners in the marketing revolution that’s taking place now. A well-conceived content video marketing strategy, combined with the many options for quality inexpensive video production, makes it possible for small business owners to get onboard and receive the same benefits that were only available to larger brands back in the heyday of interruption advertising.
The future of content video marketing is NOW. To keep prospects in their virtual seats and build a deeper relationship ahead of competitors, implement content video marketing in 2016.
Pat Altvater operates four online BizTV Shows® networks (Toledo, Columbus, NE Ohio and Indianapolis). Each network provides local experts with the opportunity to create their own content video series.
Pat is the author of Choose Success – Ignite the Power Within and The Choose Success Guide to Creating Online Video Scripts That Convert.
