Your content marketing is the key to your survival and growth and video must be an intricate part of it all. Too many small businesses are not using the traffic and conversion driving power of video, and even those that are, simply don’t seem to have an activation strategy that will propel their videos to a domination level. With over 300 hours of video being uploaded every minute at YouTube alone, can you really afford not to have a sound video activation strategy?
- The major challenge is that many videos are actually quite good but are not being watched because they are not being promoted in the correct way. A video activation strategy is needed to get those videos out to the right audiences. You must know who your potential customers are and you must have a profound understanding of your field or industry. These videos are your commercials. They are an important sales tool that can’t be left to amateurs.
- Knowing your audience means knowing where they are and the type of content that will be highly engaging to them. This is critical to the success of your strategy as you are likely trying to reach the same viewers as your competitors. This where your SEO must come in for it is your best weapon to get your videos seen and shared. If no one is seeing your video content, you are just wasting your time and your resources.
- Display them everywhere you can and include all of the share buttons as well as considering the marketing value of email and RSS. Make your videos easy to be found and easy to be shared. Enhance your SEO with some paid advertising and promotion. This can often give your videos a jump start but is not to be considered some sort of quick fix or long term strategy.
- If your strategy includes posting at your YouTube channel, take advantage of the first week of posting. YouTube gives videos a ranking with regard to views during the first seven days so the more you can get initially, the greater visibility they will have in the long run. Spend time considering your tags and keywords because they will make a huge difference with regard to them getting watched. Be fresh and exciting. Be bold and innovative. Used right, video can put you over the top and drive traffic and increase your conversions that will be sustainable over time.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
