(Thinking about how the big players use video can be a little scary.)
How Big Companies Are Using Video Marketing - and What It Means for You
Video marketing is winning at getting the word out for brands.
More than three out of four Americans has a smartphone today. What do people do with those smartphones? Watch videos.
People watch 1 billion hours of videos daily on Youtube alone. Yes, 1 billion hours each and every day.
Videos can make concepts easier to grasp and remember, bring laughter to your life, and let you feel part of broad movements taking place in the cultural landscape today.
The average business makes more than 18 videos a month. At that rate, videos not an option for businesses but a requirement.
If you are new to developing your own video marketing plan, this is a good place to get started. This is a short introduction to the basics of video marketing and some high quality examples, and what video marketing can do for you.
What is Video Marketing - and How it Works
Video marketing is the use of videos across websites, social media, and email to gain attention for a brand. These videos are usually short and catchy. They must capture an audience’s attention within seconds.
The video must serve the viewer in some way—whether that is through educational information, humor, brand storytelling, or incentives that create engagement. The bottom line is the video must stand out as valuable to watch.
Videos are typically embedded on major social media platforms, such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Video marketing is one of the most effective ways to lead organic traffic to your site. Forbes recently called video the King of Content.
About three quarters of marketers use 1-10 videos for their business. This number doesn’t just represent individuals on Youtube or small startups who don’t use television commercials.
Major companies are riding the wave that is video marketing.
Big Companies Are Using Video to Build Their Brand
This striking North Face video shows clips from an expedition they sponsored with 6 elite climbers. The climbers went to one of the most remote parts of Antarctica to climb untouched rocks. If the video feels like a trailer to a movie, that's because it is. The North Face is touring with a series of films showcasing expeditions they've sponsored. This is a great example of how important videos are to this brand. Sending elite athletes to Antarctica brings in influencers, shows that their product can endure extreme weather conditions, and shows that their brand is legit. They truly are explorers.
IBM FinTech’s video "What is a Cognitive Bank?" shows how videos for large tech companies can be used to explain large concepts in a simple way. This video takes banking and IBM leaders and has them briefly answer what their technology does in a fun and artsy way. Even those who don’t know how much money is in their bank account will get drawn in and leave more curious about cognitive banking than when they started.
In only 30 seconds, people who watch this catchy video on depression leave understanding depression a little bit more and having access to more information and mental health services. This video is not a boring explanation of how depression is diagnosed or how Kaiser Permanente treats depression. Instead, it shows relatable images to people expressing joy despite their hidden illness. It reduces stigma by making depression look more ordinary and not without hope.
Videos can be a great way for people to learn about your company culture and brand. Salesforce published this video to introduce the world to their "Ohana Floor" in the new Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. From this video, it is clear that Salesforce values healthy working environments, community and family-like partnerships, and working with non-profit and education groups. This shows customers a brands personality and values, which is important for engaging potential partners in this digital age.
What Video Marketing Means for You
If a company sent people to the literal end of the Earth just to make videos, that means it is time to consider investing in video marketing.
You don’t have to send people all around the world, but you do have to make your videos interesting, beautiful, and useful in some way. That can be introducing your business, your products and their features, creating funny memes that highlight problems your solution solves or it can just be pencil drawing a doodle with your logo in the middle.
Wherever your creative flow takes you, remember to always tie it back to your brand. One of the most effective ways to make sure your brand gets across to viewers is with consistently branded intro videos. Check out our intro video templates on IntroCave to get started.