Leveraging Video to Find Success in the New Normal

We are living in a sea of change and your business needs to evolve through the challenges to stay competitive. As we all overcome uncertainty around how to position our businesses moving forward, video can play a vital role in your ability to confidently serve and attract customers.

Video is the tool you need to build brand awareness, drive engagement, and close more sales. Gone are the days of only thinking about video in relation to marketing or top of the funnel efforts. A more effective approach, one which is and will continue to define the new normal, is a video-first, full-funnel strategy.

Let’s take a look at the importance of embracing video and how it will position you for success now and into the future.

 

Video Helps You Evolve with the Times

Finding success in the new normal requires breaking out of old processes and strategies, while also adjusting to how people now engage with content. Challenging the notion that you have to lead with blogs, articles, and other written content is a good first step in this process.

People are visual and will engage with short effective videos far more than with written material.

Today’s audiences lean towards a seamless self-education journey that is best guided through the use of video. They are going to do the work of education before they call you and so it’s important to empower them to do this in the most effective way possible.

This shift into online video is one that many companies have already deemed as vital for moving forward and staying competitive.

 

Here are just a few examples:

Home Depot – Product features and how-to-videos with CTAs to learn more.

Tyson – Hunger relief explainer video.

Salesforce – Product demo videos.


Modern buyers are also more aware of when they’re being oversold than even a few years ago. With so much automated messaging devoid of value, people have become numb to being approached in this way. Instead of following this ineffective practice, use targeted video throughout your whole funnel to bring real value and grab attention.

For instance:

Headspace has done a great job of focusing on a “good vibes” approach instead of directly selling to customers. Their videos are inviting, engaging, informative, and direct viewers to where they can learn more instead of over-promoting the brand.

Let’s take a look at some of the numbers supporting the trend of brands shifting into video:

  • TV advertising spend is down 40% compared to last year at this time.
  • For ages 18-49, traditional TV viewership has declined by 35% since 2014-15.
  • 78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day. 

With these stats in mind, there’s no confusion about why companies are doubling down on online video.

 

Video Presents New Opportunities for Brand Awareness and Engagement 

Many companies have traditionally relied on brand activation campaigns to generate awareness, but the onset of Covid-19 has stopped these efforts in their tracks. Without fans visiting stadiums or watching live broadcasts, many brands and organizations need to find new digital outlets for advertising and fan engagement.

Here are some examples:

  • The PGA tour has partnered with Twitter to create the “Twitter Multi-Cast” which is a series of live streams featuring commentary from celebrities and influencers to bring a new kind of content to golf viewers.
  • The LA Chargers launched the #BoltUp campaign which ties together all their digital marketing content, sponsorship/partner relations, and community engagement efforts. By producing high-quality video content associated with #BoltUp, the Chargers have become a leader in the sports social media world.

 

Support Internal Training and Education with Video

Video will support your marketing efforts, but it also can play a key role in boosting the education and skills of your internal team. Forget the days of handing your staff pamphlets and written materials that no one wants to read. Instead, create an engaging experience by using video that’s easy to consume and drives positive action.

There are many internal use cases for video including: 

  • Employee onboarding
  • Diversity training
  • Best safety and hygiene practices as people return to work
  • Skill-building for staff that have transitioned to remote roles


Examples:

Apple – Recruitment Video


Dunkin Brands –
Culture Building Video 

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Employee Onboarding and Training


Additionally, with many sensitive subjects on everyone’s radar, you can use video to help provide your team with insight and guidance on these topics. 

 

Respond to Uncertainty and Communicate Important Messages with Video

Video is increasingly being used to explain important material to the masses and now is the time to invest in ways to communicate these significant messages. Video can educate in an impressionable and emotional way that written content can’t compete with. It also gets a message across in a shorter amount of time while being more effective.

With many questions and so much uncertainty right now, it’s important for brands and organizations to answer those questions with short videos which leads to more engagement and follow-through. 

 

To Recap:

Everyone is facing challenges, and these challenges can truly be overcome with video. By shifting to a video-first mindset, video gets interlaced with all company processes and becomes your main driver of internal education, brand awareness, and increased sales.

Video is essential for navigating the new normal and Explainify is here to support you. We can do a full audit of your processes and help you figure out where to get started and how to create a strategic set of connected videos. With expert guidance on using video throughout your whole funnel, you can position yourself for success amidst all the uncertainty. 

We’ve already helped many companies get started and thrive in this pursuit and we would be happy to solve your problems too.

Solidify your video strategy by reaching out today!