Videos will account for about 80% of all internet traffic in the next 4 years. If that’s not convincing enough, how about the fact that over 60% of customers make a purchase right after viewing video content on social media?

Or, the fact that people spend almost double the time on internet pages with video than they do on pages without video.

In another study conducted by Invisia.com, around half of the internet using population searches for videos of a product or service before they hit the store. What that means is video is invaluable even to a brick and mortar operation.

Humans are visual creatures and we’re always going to prefer visually stimulating material over simple text. This is why a majority of customers will watch a promo video rather than read a brochure.

Anyway, getting to the point, producing videos for your brand is where the real challenge lies, especially if you’re a small business. The entire process can prove to be quite expensive. However, thanks to technology making video production tools more accessible, it is possible even for small businesses to produce videos on a limited budget. “Do It Yourself” or “DIY” videos are a brilliant example of this. They are far more cost-effective to produce. In fact, DIY video marketing is a thing and several brands have already leveraged it to their benefit.

But, it can’t compete with a commercial, can it?

Technically speaking, you’re right. But, video marketing is more than just creating stellar videos. It’s also about how you leverage your videos. For instance, the social media population actually prefers an assortment over just the usual professional stuff.

So, it’s not a bad idea to put up a few DIY videos every now and then as part of your overall video marketing campaign. Apart from saving you money, DIY videos have a certain advantage – they offer a strong sense of authenticity. A commercial is a commercial at the end of the day and people can see through most of it. However, a DIY video is far more original and natural.

Needless to say, this brings up the question of how you’re planning to use your DIY videos again. You need to decide if the video is going to be used on social media or on your website. Are you going to use it for a vlog?

Basically, you need to make a few considerations before getting involved with a DIY video marketing project. To make things easier, we’ve listed out a few key factors you need to consider.

The purpose of the video

Make sure you know why you’re creating the video in the first place. Ask yourself what purpose the content serves and what you want viewers to take from it.

The most important quality for a video to possess is value. Your audiences need to derive something from your videos. In digital marketing, there is something we call intent. Intent must be navigational, transactional, or informational.

You must know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Once you figure out what the real purpose is, it becomes easier to figure out the other aspects such as style, quality, and the equipment needed.

Actionable information

One of the more obvious expectations from a DIY marketing video is that it should offer something actionable. You don’t want to just stand there and talk about something. That’s just going to look and sound monotonous.

In order to keep people engaged, you need to offer actionable information. For instance, if you’re looking to talk about your product, then show how your product works. Talk about all the features and how the product can be utilized in various scenarios. In other words, think of a DIY video as a visual instruction manual.

The right distribution medium

Next, decide how you’re going to distribute the video. Each channel or medium is associated with certain expectations. For instance, YouTube is known for its entertaining content. So, if you’re looking at YouTube, you’re going to have to make your video extremely entertaining.

On the other hand, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are better for casual, low-budget videos. So, an instructional DIY video would have a better impact if it was posted on your social media page.

That brings us to the next bit…

Technical nitty-gritty

Just because you’re doing a low-budget DIY video doesn’t mean you get to ignore the basics. It’s a video at the end of the day and the basic rules apply. To begin with, make sure you have a script to refer to. You can’t create a flawless video without a script.

A script is like a plan. It tells you what you need to do and where you need to go. For example, a script will tell you if your video is too long or too short. Apart from that, it will also help you deal with the post-production process. For example, you’ll know when and where graphics need to be included or editing needs to be done.

Scripts aside, you also need to make sure you shoot your video properly. One thing you must never forget is the aspect ratio. A video must always be shot horizontally. Though other aspect ratios have been experimented with, a horizontal video is still the preferred method.

Then, don’t forget about the audio. People must be able to hear what’s being said. So, make sure you choose a quiet location to shoot the video. Or, if possible, find an application that helps you add and sync video during the post-production process.

So, there you have it – a few key considerations to be made when DIYing your video marketing campaign. But, as you can see, even creating DIY videos requires a fair bit of work. So, why not hand it over to the professionals?

For more information, get in touch with Crafted.

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Video is no longer a strategic tool used by large enterprises or tech-oriented startups. If you’re a business of any kind, size or shape, you need to start taking video marketing seriously. There are a number of reasons why.

The numbers say it

According to a study conducted by Animoto, around 73% of customers are likely to purchase a product after they’ve viewed an explainer video about the said product. Around 71% of customers state that video content influences their perception of a brand, which is often on the positive end of the spectrum.

So, if you’re still hesitant about creating videos for your products, you need to start seriously reconsidering things. Product videos are important, and there’s no time to be sitting and thinking.

Product videos are the best thing that can happen to your business

There’s a misconception that videos are just a trend. Now, a trend is anything that has superficial appeal but offers very little in terms of effectiveness or impact. On the surface, video content might seem like that. But, in reality, it’s far from being just a trend. It’s much, much more.

Unfortunately, many businesses still under-utilize product videos. This is shocking considering just how beneficial product videos are for businesses and their customers.

For starters, they offer customers a more in-depth view of the product. You see, one of the biggest challenges in sales is to convince the customer that the product is good. How do you do that when a customer isn’t willing to step into your store or if your store exists only on the internet?

Well, you resort to producing a product video. Videos allow customers to see the product in its natural state. As the manufacturer or seller, you can use the opportunity to give out a demonstration and show the customer how the product works. Plus, with today’s high-resolution video quality, the customer can even get a feel for the product’s quality. This can go a long way in convincing the customer and minimize uncertainty.

Another advantage with product videos is that you can show the product in the exact setting it needs to be used in. In other words, you can show your customers how the product fits into their lifestyle. Let’s say you’re selling extra-strong and durable covers for mobile phones or tablets. Now, showing how the covers can come in handy during certain situations can be very convincing. For instance, if your target audience is people who travel a lot for work in fields such as construction, you can create a video highlighting the benefits of using your mobile device covers in those environments.

This is far more convincing than just images or text.

Product videos build trust

Apart from offering a closer and deeper look at your product, videos also help build trust in your brand. Every business out there knows just how important trust is. In order for a business to sustain itself, it needs to operate on the foundation of trust. It is only when buyers trust a brand that they choose to patronize it in a continuous manner. Plus, it is far more cost-effective to retain old customers than chase new ones.

But, how does a product video create trust?

Well, it all boils down to the previous topic. Product videos provide an in-depth view of the product to the customer. But, it doesn’t end there. On a more subconscious level, product videos tell customers that your business is willing to go above and beyond to meet customer expectations. The very fact that you’ve invested resources into creating product videos for the customers’ benefit tells them that you’re committed to their satisfaction.

Needless to say, customers find this to be very appealing. More importantly, they see this as a sign of reliability.

Videos make you more visible on social media

Another major part of the digital marketing strategy is social media marketing. Interestingly enough, video plays a key role here as well. In the last few years, video content, especially with regards to product videos, has gone on to become a common feature on social media platforms.

This has opened up fresh opportunities for businesses to push their promotional strategies further.
Video works on social media because it is highly effective at holding people’s attention. The same cannot be said for text or images. So, once you’ve got people’s attention with video, it becomes much easier to draw them in further.

This is of critical importance because social media already favors posts from friends and family over advertisements.

So, now that you know just how important product videos are for your business, it’s time you started looking for a video marketing partner that can produce high-quality product videos. If you’re in NYC, Crafted is your best option.

At Crafted, we can create any type of product video you want!

Crafted is a highly recognized name when it comes to Product Videos in NYC. So, if you’re looking for product videos that translate into a bigger bottom line and improved customer retention rates, Crafted can help.

We have a skilled and experienced team that can create any kind of product video you want. Do you want an explainer video that talks about the various features of your product? Or, do you want direct response videos that draw your customer further into the sales funnel?

Whatever it is that you want, you can be sure that our stellar product video team will provide you with the best results possible.

Crafted is excellent at the collaboration game, and we deliver according to client expectations. So, visit our website or fill out this form for more information.

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