How to integrate video content into your marketing strategy
Have you ever experienced various episodes of self-interrogation when you are watching a video? Has this ever happened to you that you are watching a video on any digital platform and your mind goes, “Oh my god! This is a great video. It is so insightful. I wish I knew these things before. Oh wait! I have to work. But I can’t stop watching this. Maybe just 5 more minutes”. And 6 hours later, you are still stuck in an endless cycle of watching videos. No no! We are not sowing the seeds of self-loathing. Believe us, we are in this together. Such is the power of video content in today’s time.
The impact of influencer marketing on consumers has escalated since people started interacting more with video content. It won’t be wrong to say that brands should make it mandatory to include video content into their marketing strategy. Most brands already do that to improve their influencer marketing campaigns. But the integration of video content in content marketing is also necessary.
The debate of content marketing vs influencer marketing can be ended by understanding how co-dependent they are. Hence, it is important to use video content in both strategies. To include influencer marketing in your marketing strategy and to include video content in your strategy will strike the right balance and make it a smart move.
The amount of social media platforms that we have today is incredible. But what is more incredible is that each of these platforms has its own feature and almost all of them can be aligned well with video content. With diversity in business niches, there has also been an increase in different types of influencer marketing niches. So no matter what niche your business is from or which social media platform you want to use for your brand campaign, you can find influencers for the same and integrate video content into your marketing strategy. Here’s how!
- Live Streams
Live streams these days are on a roll. With the pandemic at our door, we have all been staying inside for over a year now. But that did not stop us from getting ourselves entertained. With an increase in different types of influencers in this pandemic, we were still entertained. We still enjoyed live concerts, comedy, live streams of our favorite creators. Although live streams were already a thing, they really gained momentum in the last year. Top comedy influencers like Tanmay Bhat, Samay Raina were seen taking the live stream game up a notch.
No doubt that live streams have always been such an integral part of the video content that we consume. Most brands have been doing live streams already in the past. But if you haven’t yet tried your hands at it, then now is the time. It can make for a killer brand campaign for businesses who want to achieve more from an influencer marketing campaign with less budget.
2. Unboxing
Unboxing videos are not only fun to watch but are also aesthetically pleasing. A lot of fashion influencers, lifestyle influencers, and skincare influencers do these unboxing videos for their independent content where they record the whole process of unboxing their products. Who knew watching someone unbox products could become a content bucket someday? Packaging holds huge importance in brand identity. Small businesses pay close attention to packaging. It is helpful in the long run.
And hence, these unboxing videos are a good insight into your brand identity. Believe us, good packaging can be appealing enough to make some buy your product. You can always integrate this strategy to create your successful influencer marketing campaign where you send your products to influencers and they can unbox on a video for their followers.
- Trials
Trials or otherwise known are reviews have become a very appealing form of video content. The fact that the audience has easy access to reviews of products is what has led to the rise of influencer marketing. Different influencers have different ways to try a product and give their reviews. Some would do the entire process of using the product and reviewing it simultaneously or some would use the product for a while and then review it. Either way, it has been proven to be conceived well by the social media audience. The reason why these are done in video format is that they are more informative and entertaining than reading about it. You can have influencers try your product and share the reviews amongst their followers. This will give the audience a better insight into your product and once they know that their influencers have used it and have liked the experience, you are bound to gain new customers.
4. Skit/Storytelling
This format has been used extensively recently. This is one of the video formats that has now also become a popular way to advertise products. Today’s micro-influencers are focusing a lot on this format. Instead of bluntly talking about the product all the time, most influencers and brands have experimented with this video format recently and it has proven to be really beneficial. Advertising a product by inculcating it in a storytelling format really helps you to show the practical implications of the product. Brands working with social media influencers should focus on using this format. It is extremely entertaining for the audience to see how different influencers use their creativity to promote products.
5. Reels
Reels have been on Instagram for only a couple of months and they seem to have become everyone’s favorite. They are easy, quick to make, a short video format that allows brands, influencers, and users to create videos without investing much into it. Also, the Instagram algorithm is in full support of reels and it really has a chance to blow up your business. Since Instagram is pushing reels, a lot of people and small businesses are getting discovered by the users. And hence, this is one of the video content every business should integrate into their marketing strategy.
- Vlogs
It is always fun to watch your favorite influencers, celebrities give an insight into their lives. Vlogs are not just a video format that brands can integrate into their marketing strategy but is also a profession that is chosen by most influencers and creators. As a brand, you can use this video format in multiple ways. One of them would be to sponsor a vlogger’s video or to create a vlog for the brand with an influencer. If you are going for the latter option, you can plan to have a long-term relationship with the influencer or you can have multiple influencers in your vlog.
One thing to know is that making vlogs can be really challenging. You might need a big team for the same and you will have to continuously come up with different concepts for your vlogs. Or you can simply use an influencer marketing platform to find a perfect influencer that fits your requirements. You can use WORD Marketplace, an influencer marketing platform that lets you simply post your requirements and have suitable influencers approach you with their content. It’s that easy!
7. Tutorials
When you are creating content for social media, one of the things you need to always keep in mind is that your content needs to provide utility to your audience. Create content that is sharable and something that people would like to come back to. And tutorials are just the right thing for that. There are various kinds of tutorials available on the internet. Be it crafts, cooking, connecting your phone to the pc, make-up, making a skirt out of a shirt, you name it. Every kind of tutorial is available. People tend to share and save these tutorials for further reference. This has a chance for your content to be viewed by more and more people.
Video content had multifold benefits. You can hold the attention of people for longer, you align well with the algorithm of different social media platforms, you get to stay trendy. Your marketing strategy does not have to be all about video content. But integrating it in your campaign every now and then is sure necessary.