Eoin DowdallCreative Director
No one would argue that online marketing is a key part of any business’s marketing strategy. And yet I am still amazed at just how many businesses, new and old, big and small alike remain cautious about dipping their toe into the deep and ever-rising gulfstream of online video. Whilst there is always the murky issue of ‘how will I fit it into my marketing budget.’ Or ‘If content is king – how can we make ours shine’, but just explore the basics and you will be relieved at what you find.
So to tackle the first: video is expensive. Well actually no. Not any more. (And particularly not with the Kartoffel model – though yes I am biased.) Like most things in life, you can spend as much as you want to, albeit a minimum. But even at the minimum, your video budget can be easily offset against the value of the marketing reach and impact.
In fact – I would argue that most businesses cannot afford to ignore video marketing. After all, according to eMarketer, 72% of internet users in the UK, (more than half of the population), will watch video content online at least once per month. It is ever easier to watch video content on a growing list of devices, including desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, tablets, video game consoles and internet-enabled TVs.
And it is expected that between 2013 and 2017 the UK digital video audience will rise from 34.4 million viewers to 40 million. Over the next year the number of digital video viewers will grow at just below 6% – and continue to grow so that in 2017, the digital video content viewers will account for more than ¾ of internet users, (601% of the population.)* These figures show that any Marketing executive should be revelling in the rapidly increasing audience – and realise that video content is the means of connecting with that audience.
So how about content? Well keeping the message clear, simple and brief. Despite the growing number of viewers, the attention span for online content is more limited. So be creative – just one idea that is different, and effective can have the desired impact and successful increase your brand awareness or service offering. And the thing that is so often overlooked, is that digital video content can be, and should be , reused and recycled for different platforms – from a youtube channel, to a newsletter, to your website. Think like this and you will automatically get more bang for your buck.
And of course, you can research. What makes you watch some video marketing? What content hooks you. Next time you watch video online, think about the impact it can have for you business.
* Source Emarketer.com – June 2013
