There seems to be a lot of hype around video marketing these days, but is it really worth the investment for your business?
Video must be done well in order to produce a professional looking piece of content to use for marketing materials. It takes planning, time, equipment and some skill.
What about live video? Are Facebook Live and YouTube Live videos worth the effort to create?
And finally: Should there be captions on all marketing videos?
We answer all the above questions on this episode of Monday Marketing Q&A. Catch the full video on Facebook Live:
Question 1: Is video marketing here to stay or is it just a fad?
CMay: It’s definitely here to stay.
For a while, it seemed like every year is predicted to be the “year of video,” and almost each year has been a disappointment until recently. Though video was slower to catch on, it is now the preferred method of content distribution for large portions of personas and audiences, and there are several different kinds of videos that marketers can take advantage of. Live video, like on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, or Instagram Live, is a new advancement that companies and marketers are just starting to use to reach audiences in a completely new way.
Video is disrupting the way buyers get content and it is only growing in popularity. It’s a great way to reach out to viewers with live or scripted original content and show them a different view.
Question 2: What is the difference between live and recorded videos?
CMay: They are produced differently and cater to different audiences.
Live video is for viewers to watch as it's happening. You set up a camera or your phone, hit the button and your video is broadcast over the feed as it is. It cannot be edited, and there is no chance for retakes. These types of videos are intended to help content creators engage more with their audience. On Facebook, for example, your followers receive a notification when you begin your live video, encouraging them to tune in. All they have to do is click on the notification when it pops up, and they are brought to your broadcast. It works well with Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube’s algorithms because of this notification, and it also saves the live video at the top of the Instagram newsfeed for a short time, so your audience has easy access to it. It is one of the first things they see when they open the app.
In contrast, a recorded video can be shot in multiple takes and edited to perfection. Our recorded videos are usually more serious and formal in nature compared to our live videos, as these usually have a different audience and objective.
You can produce live video content much quicker than recorded video, and it doesn’t always have to be of the highest quality. If you have decent lighting and a decent camera, you can shoot a live video. Recorded videos take much more production time before and after filming to produce a professional product.
Illumine8 has two regular live shows - Monday Marketing Q&A and Illumine8 After Hours. After we’re done filming each episode of these shows, we often write a recap of what we discussed, which you are reading right now. This allows our content to go further and reach an even wider audience.
Question 3: Do social media videos need captions
CMay: Yes.
It used to be that video captions weren’t really necessary, but now, people are consuming more and more video content throughout the day. They could be watching video while at work or in a public place where they can’t use volume. Facebook now autoplays videos on the newsfeed, so if someone scrolls onto your video, you are still able to reach them with captions, even if they don’t have their volume turned on. If you’re not including captions, especially on social media videos, you are likely to reach fewer people.
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Catch each Marketing Monday Q&A episode on Mondays, live on Facebook and on our Youtube channel.