Top Reasons to Promote a Video
There are 500 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, and this stunning statistic doesn’t take into account the videos uploaded on other sites. Videos can be an extremely effective way to build brands, demo products, showcase artistic talents, and accomplish countless other objectives. Videos increasingly dominate the internet – to stand out, individuals and businesses need a plan to get noticed in this crowded space.
Video promotion can involve all kinds of methods, including paid advertisements, social media, and email. Promoting a video is the art of getting it in front of viewers, but this process can be a lot more challenging than it sounds. The following guide explains the various channels for video promotion and tips on how to do it effectively.
The hard work of making a video is wasted if the video never gets watched. Even though everyone might have different motivations for promoting their videos, it’s essential to always keep in mind what your video was created to achieve, because that will inform the promotional approach. Here are some of the core reasons:
Meeting the Objectives of the Video
A video cannot help its maker reach its goals if it does not have an audience. Goals vary, but whether someone is trying to draw new customers to their business, educate people about a critical mission at their non-profit, or simply get attention as an entertainer, they need viewers.
Brand Building
Businesses, non-profits, government entities, and even individuals all have a brand. The brand is the essence of the organization or individual, what people think of when they hear the name of an entity. A well-promoted video can help with brand building, whether the brand identity is fun, serious, intense, relaxed, or some other vibe.
Improving Return on Investment (ROI)
Videos always cost money to make. Even the most rudimentary or cheapest video comes with a price tag, whether that’s the cost of a smartphone, promotional ads, or even just the creator’s time to make it. Drawing in an audience helps to improve the return on investment.
Everyone has an objective when they make a video, and typically, the most effective way to meet those objectives is by getting the right people to watch it. Committing to the promotional process can help those viewers know the video exists and click the “play” button.
Use These 8 Tips to Promote a Video
There is much thought, marketing expertise, and creativity going into promoting a video in the current crowded market. Here are some basic strategies for promoting a video, many of which are low-cost or even free:
1. Putting Videos “Above the Fold”
Videos posted on a website need to be “above the fold.” This is an old term from the newspaper era, and it simply refers to placing photos or stories on the top half of the page so they are visible when the paper is folded in half. Above the fold on a website refers to the area site visitors can see when they first navigate to the page without scrolling down. This position dramatically increases the chance of the video being watched.
2. Adding Share Buttons Near the Video
People should be able to easily share videos when they finish watching them, and to promote a video effectively, this process needs to be as easy as possible. Businesses and other entities can’t expect people to copy a URL when they want someone else to watch a video they found interesting. They should place share buttons near the video instead, so visitors can share with the touch of a button and amplify the video’s exposure online, or even hit the motherlode and have the video go viral.
3. Promoting the Video in Newsletters and e-Blasts
Entities that make videos should cross-promote them in their other marketing efforts. This includes putting a thumbnail or a link to the video in newsletters, e-blasts, and company email signatures.
4. Leveraging Social Media Accounts
YouTube is the go-to video platform, but Facebook is actually the top social media platform for marketers wanting to post video content. Effective video promotion also needs to leverage social media accounts – and that means several of them. Most people have at least one social media account for their business as well as their personal accounts, and they need to get the video in front of their followers on as many channels as possible.
5. Reaching Targeted Markets Through Paid Social Ads
Putting a video on social media and hoping for views and re-shares is a type of free organic marketing. Video promotion, however, needs to go a step further and use paid ads to reach target markets. These ads are especially beneficial when trying to promote a video, because social media companies allow advertisers to define their audiences demographically. Promoters can reach out to them based on everything from region to gender, income level, interests, and more.
6. Inserting Videos on Landing Pages
Landing pages are built around specific keywords, and they are generally designed to appeal to people looking for a particular product or service. Displaying videos on landing pages built around the keywords related to the video can be another effective promotional approach.
7. Optimizing for SEO
Effective video promotion should also consider search engine optimization (SEO). This helps people find the video through web searches. Best practices include putting a target keyword in the video title, using a video player that is SEO-optimizing, adding a meta description, and uploading a transcript of the video.
8. Use a QR code
It can be a challenge to promote a video on printed media such as a business card, a flyer, or a billing statement. Creating a free QR code allows anyone to quickly get to the video from a smartphone by taking a photo of a QR code from a sign in a window, a restaurant menu, or any other printed material.
The film Field of Dreams features an oft-repeated line of “If you build it, [they] will come.” This sentiment eventually comes true for the protagonist, but unfortunately, it’s not so easy for your average video to compete against a virtual avalanche of competitors. Apply some persistence and a bit of online savvy to the ideas above to get your video better viewership.
Contact Rock Creek Productions Today
Rock Creek Productions offers a full range of video production services, including creative development and scripting, studio and on-location production, and postproduction and finishing services, and video project management. We have experience with a vast range of projects across the video spectrum, including broadcast, commercial, non-profit, documentary, corporate, government, and web-based clients.
Our team of production specialists will apply our cinematic storytelling skills to your project – and give you all the deliverables you need for your promotional efforts. Contact Rock Creek today to discuss your next video production.
