Going viral is the sign most people associate with a successful marketing campaign on social media. But is it the best measure and how can you make a successful marketing video to showcase your business or products without coming across as too pushy? 

Video marketing has really taken off and most marketing gurus consider it the future of marketing overall. People prefer watching videos over reading content - in 2018, about 85% of Internet users in the US watched videos online. If you can create great marketing videos, these will be shared easily on social media and will grow your audience overnight. Videos allow you to communicate more freely and effectively with your audience, offering clear insights into why they should buy from you and how what you offer can benefit them. So, let’s have a look at some of the best ways to create professional marketing videos that hook your audience and drive sales.

Captivate your audience from the beginning

The latest data suggests that the average attention span is now just 8.5 seconds. So, to make a great marketing video, you need to grab your viewers’ attention right away. Either start with a big promise or a big problem your audience needs to solve, so they’re interested in what you have to say next. 

The most professional marketing videos feature a hook - a quick preview of what’s coming up in your video, that shows viewers what they might miss out on if they browse away from the page. You can create your hook after you’ve filmed the video and you can quickly summarize what you’ll be saying, and edit it afterward.

The other hook is visual and comes even before your video starts: create a good thumbnail that catches the eye. You can upload a thumbnail both on YouTube and Facebook to make you stand out from the other videos or content available when people scroll through their newsfeed.

Focus your marketing video on the story, not the sale

Gone are the days of pushy sales messages and artificial panic creation, where an actor would half-shout at you from a marketing video. Nowadays, your sale needs to be more subtle and come from a developed relationship with your audience. You can do this through a successful marketing video that’s part of a well-thought-out campaign that builds your profile and offers your audience something useful.

The Digital Marketing Institute suggests that the “heap of sales clutter” on the Internet is nothing if not annoying to customers. Instead, use an emotive connection with your audience by appealing to their interests and desires.

Creating a good marketing video doesn’t have to be about why customers should buy your product. It can be about sharing your company’s story, behind the scenes shots or interviews with people, or useful how-to guides that people bookmark and want to come back to and share with their friends. 

Create a fun and relatable marketing video

We all love to laugh - it’s the best way to connect with your audience. Your audience doesn’t want to be lectured or bored with flat facts. Instead, think about how people can use your products or what’s great about your product, and make your video about that. Better yet, consider what problems you’re solving and how these come about in a person’s regular day. Can you make those issues funny and relatable, introduce them, then at the end casually mention your product that makes things better?

Another great way to make a successful marketing video is to include user-generated content. Testimonials are the perfect way to show those unfamiliar with your brand how it has benefited people like them, and adding real people into the mix increases your authenticity. 

Tips for making marketing videos for Instagram

Instagram marketing videos are an effective way to connect with your audience in a casual and friendly way. You can create a marketing video of up to 60 seconds directly from your phone and upload it straight to the platform. 

Here’s how to create a viral marketing video for Instagram:

• Have a clear goal

Know why you’re producing your video, from increasing your number of followers to selling a specific product. This influences the tone and the style of your video. 

• Tell a story 

Like every good marketing video, your Instagram video needs to be to the point and engage from the start. Use the tips above on creating a hook from the first few seconds too.   

• Use great lighting

Instagram is all about esthetics, so make sure you invest in good lighting to bring out the main scene. Alternatively, find natural lighting and make the most of it, especially if you’re shooting outside. Whatever you do, don’t film your video under overhead lights or you might end up with unwanted shadows.

• Hashtags!

The strategic use of hashtags on Instagram gets you noticed. Research what’s trending and what the best hashtags are associated with your theme and brand. And be consistent - using a few hashtags of your own on each video is a great way to connect your brand identity to your messages. 

• Be selective

You can only keep people’s attention for so long, so make sure you’re ruthless in editing your video. Use a good video editing app to cut out filler scenes and combine the best shots into the final product.

For inspiration on what types of videos to shoot for Instagram, have a look at the examples here.

Facebook video marketing tips

When it comes to making great marketing videos for Facebook, the same principles apply: create a story and make it interesting from the start. You should also look into making your video extremely shareable.

To make your video stand out on Facebook, make sure you:

• Optimize it for mobile

65% of views of Facebook videos come from mobile devices. People tend to scroll down in portrait mode on their phones, so make sure your video is shot in portrait mode, too.

• Have a good Call to Action (CTA)

Include a clear Call to Action in your introductory text to help your audience click through to a buying page or wherever else you want to funnel them into. 

• Use captions

Most people scroll through Facebook on their commute to work or during a short break in the office or at school. That’s why a large majority of viewings are done on mute. By adding captions to your video, you’re getting your message across to these viewers. 

Be useful to your audience

YouTube is the world’s second-biggest search engine and most people head to it to find useful guides and instructional videos. In at least part of your marketing videos, channel this user intent by showing viewers exactly how they can benefit from your content in practice. You may choose to create a series of practical guides on a topic and then add your own product’s CTA at the end, or even shoot some videos all about how to use your product. 

Optimize your message

For effective and professional marketing videos, you need to include clear CTAs (“call to action” messages) and optimize your video content with SEO-friendly keywords. Do a quick search for keywords related to your intended content and make sure you include them in your title, video description, and your CTA and conclusion. This will help you get maximum visibility and increase your reach.

Creating a successful marketing video has to take a lot of factors into account, so these tips are just the beginning steps to shooting engaging content for your campaigns. Use them to get your foot in the door, and keep developing and honing your skills to go viral!