One of the biggest things top marketers agree upon is that video is the future of digital marketing. Video already accounts for 50% of all mobile traffic, 78% of people watch videos online every week, 55% watch videos every day, Cisco research shows that video marketing will account for 69% of all online consumer traffic by 2017.
Businesses aren’t using video because it’s the newest trend or a quick social media gimmick. They use it and allocate their marketing dollars to it because it works. 74% of marketers say video content converts better than any other marketing medium. And their estimates are right. Video has a powerful, psychological influence on people. 73% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after watching a video, 96% say online videos are helpful when making purchasing decisions, and 71% say watching online video content leaves them with a positive impression of the brand, service or company.
Best of all, video marketing isn’t just for hip brands or big businesses. With a little ingenuity and inexpensive resources, you can integrate video into your marketing strategy and capture major results. Here are a few ways how.
Use Your Smartphone
Today’s smartphones have higher quality cameras than expensive digital cameras from a few years ago. Video equipment is incredibly expensive, and you don’t need it to get started. While you won’t want to use your smartphone to film a commercial or extensive campaign, use it to film yourself talking about a few financial topics. Think of it as a video version of a blog. Chat for three or so minutes max about Roth IRAs, the biggest estate planning mistakes, or similar. Then, share via email, social media, and your website.
Rent Equipment
If you’re serious about creating high-quality video and don’t want to use your smartphone, rent video equipment instead of buying it. It’s much less expensive, and you don’t have to worry about upgrading your equipment in a few years when it becomes antiquated (one of the downsides of our fast-paced, technological world). Don’t be afraid to talk with a video professional at a rental studio about the type of equipment that will best serve your filming needs.
Live Video Streaming
If you aren’t or choose not to be tech savvy and want to avoid uploading videos to a platform, consider live video streaming. Using the camera on your smartphone or computer and a livestream service, like Periscope or Facebook Live, you can film a video and share it with your social media followers. Just remember, a livestream is live. There are no do-overs or rewind buttons. For these reasons, you should consult your broker-dealer to ensure you’re compliant.
Use Graphics
If you want to create compelling and informational videos, use motion graphics and animation instead of a live crew. It’s much less expensive than hiring actors, and it’s less of an organizational nightmare than gathering a bunch of friends and colleagues to film on the same day. There are a few ways to create low-cost graphic videos. First, you can employ a service to create animation videos, such as VideoScribe and PowToon. A simpler and less expensive way is to take advantage of FMG Suite’s content library. If you use our website platform, you have free access to hundreds of financial videos that you can share via email, social media, and on your site.
Upload on Free Websites
Once you have your video, there are several video platforms you can use to upload and house your video. The most popular are YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia. One of the best features for advisors is the ability to turn off comments. Many broker-dealers require this, and it’s an easy setting to activate.
Have a Strong Message
Remember, the most successful video marketing isn’t just about the visuals. It’s also about the messaging. Without a compelling message, it won’t matter how cool your video looks. Dedicate time to plan out what you want to say, why it’s important to share, and what you hope your audience will take away from it. Be genuine and stay true to your branding.
We can’t argue enough for video because it’s transformed our business, and it’s what we see help advisors the most with their marketing results. Don’t be afraid to dip your toes into the video waters and try different tactics, whether it’s hosting a live stream or sharing animated videos on financial concepts. And when you see results, shoot us an email because we’d love to hear about your success.
