If you’ve been spending more time than ever in front of a screen, you’re not alone. The COVID pandemic has us reaching for our devices for current health and safety information, updates from our favorite businesses, and details about how to do things we’ve never attempted before, from baking bread to cutting hair to replacing an air filter. In order to consume all of this information in an easy-to-digest and time-efficient manner, many of us have been choosing video over text whenever possible.
That’s why video marketing is such an important strategy to leverage at this unique moment in time. If your business hasn’t been utilizing video as part of your digital marketing strategy, it’s never too late to start.
Not only does video have the capacity to be more engaging than text, but it can also be more instructive and personal. All of these factors make your business a helpful resource for your target audience. It will also give you a leg up in gaining their business both now and when the shutdowns are a distant memory.
Tips for Using Video Marketing During the Pandemic
Since video is such an open and creative tool, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the possibilities it offers. To help you focus on the opportunities that are most relevant to your business, we’ve detailed a few tips below.
Tip #1: Start with Safety
Let’s face it, safety is on all of our minds right now and likely will be for the foreseeable future. Your customers are probably wondering what you’re doing to promote safety at your business, and with video, you can show them. From how you’re helping your employees take social distancing measures to how you’re making deliveries safer and more efficient, there are plenty of safety procedures to highlight.
Being transparent about how you’re going about business in this new reality will put your customers’ minds at ease and keep them from being distracted by these types of questions as they consume your future video content.
Tip #2: Get Personal
Video allows you to provide a personal touch that doesn’t always come through in text. Because we are all seeing fewer friendly faces than normal, video has become a comfort in moments of loneliness. Take advantage of this ease of connection by sharing your experiences with your audience and giving them a behind-the-scenes look at how your business is being run in this challenging climate.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube are where people expect to view videos that feel more personal, so don’t be afraid to lean into social media as you ramp up your video marketing campaign.
Tip #3: Share Your Expertise
Do-it-yourself projects once used to be a fun hobby. In the era of social distancing, they’ve often become essential. Searches for how-to content are surging as consumers’ access to expert services has declined, so now is the time to figure out how you can share your expertise through video.
Whether you operate a cleaning company and want to show viewers how to remove soap scum from their shower, or you run a bakery and can provide beginner cake decorating tips, chances are your help will be greatly appreciated.
Tip #4: Maximize Your Exposure
Investing in your advertising budget can help promote your videos and increase the likelihood they’ll be viewed by a larger audience. With paid ads, your videos will have greater exposure than relying on organic traffic.
However, if expanding your advertising budget is not an option right now, you can still strive to increase views by engaging with your audience as much as possible and consistently producing content that’s valuable to them.
In order to get the most bang for your buck out of your marketing budget, you’ll want to know which platforms are working best for your brand. Try out a handful – Tik-Tok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are the most popular – and measure the engagement you’re generating to determine where you should focus your energy in the future.
