Hardwood Floors August/September 2019

BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES MARKETING

Video Marketing: Strategy Level Up Your Video Game

FIGURE 1: THE CHANGING IMPORTANCE OF VIDEO AS MARKETING CONTENT 83% of study participants report that video content is becoming more important.

5% Less important

12% Not changing

83% More important

Source: Demand Metrics, The State of Video Marketing 2018

This article is part one of a three-part series about marketing with video.

For the past five years, participants in Demand Metric’s The State of Video Marketing study have acknowledged the key role video plays in marketing. In 2018, 83 percent of survey respondents said video is becoming more important as a form of marketing content.

Start with strategy Good video marketing starts with strategy. You should answer the following questions before starting any video project. Background These questions provide context for why you need a video, who to target, and what information to include. • How did this project come about? How did the need become apparent? • What is the product or service being featured? • Who is the target audience? What are their jobs or positions? What do they know and how do they feel about the subject matter? • How would you describe one or two “typical” customers for this product or service? • Do you have brochures, proposals, presentations, web content, or other information that will streamline writing or production? The next set of questions focuses on goals and objectives – the substance of the marketing strategy.

Animoto’s 2018 State of Social Video: Consumer Trends Report revealed that video ads are the No. 1 way consumers find out about a new brand or product before purchasing. Their survey of 500 marketers also found: • A whopping 93 percen t say they landed a new customer because of a social media video. • About 88 percent are satisfied with the ROI of their social media video marketing efforts. • Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are the top three platforms for posting social marketing videos and video ads. Today, it’s easier than ever to produce and share marketing videos. For better orworse,mobilephones and socialmediahave loweredexpectations for production quality, so the cost to get started is very minimal. Maybe you’re already posting videos of freshly finished floors or fast- motion videos of crews sanding or staining floors. Of course, thosemake great portfolio pieces, but do they accomplish yourmarketing goals? Let’s assume customers frequently ask if sanding and refinishing a large stain will leave a depression or sunken area on their wood floor. A video that’s part how-to, part case study, and part testimonial can show how you repair the floor, showcase your expertise, and highlight a happy customer – all while alleviating their fears.

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