It is no secret that video is a proven and effective way to communicate with current and potential customers, so I was excited to attend Space Camp, an information-packed video marketing conference put on by Vidyard.
The one-day conference consisted of a lineup of impressive speakers, awesome networking, amazing food, and even life-sized Star Wars posters to go right along with the space theme!
I insisted the Jamil, Method's Marketing Director, strike a pose with Han Solo - he was a good sport
The true highlight of Space Camp however, was the informative presentations from an impressive lineup of speakers, including:
The event’s speakers were enthusiastic, had proven metrics to demonstrate their points, and also had some great one-liners and analogies on video marketing.
Here are some of my favourites from the day:
Michael Litt, Vidyard’s CEO, kick-started the day with this statement alongside some pretty impressive stats proving that a ‘play’ button on a website, or google search, yields the most clicks. With all the emails, texts, tweets, etc that we all read everyday, it’s no surprise that a visitor to your website would much rather watch a video on your product than read about it.
Michael reminded us that, while it is essential to have video as part of your marketing strategy, it is important to monitor where you’re sending your prospects or customers to watch your videos. He recommended embedding your video directly into your website with pop up calls-to-action (CTAs).
Michael also emphasized that video content can also be interactive. He recommended using registration pages, surveys, and polls to keep your audience engaged. Even better, if you’re promoting your product or service, have a CTA within the video when you’ve introduced a particular product, to take the viewer directly to the product’s web page. CTAs at the end of videos are also really important, since viewers who make it to the end of the video are your most engaged audience and are more likely to purchase your product or service.
Jon Lucas and Andrew Askes, Founders of Arc Media, made the argument that if all you have is a smart phone, you can create great video content. I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first, but came around to the idea when the Arc Media guys showed the original video for the Pebble Watch, which was shot using an iPhone and generated millions of pre-orders. Sure, it may seem intimidating to create a video, but you don’t have to take out a second mortgage to create video content that is professional, authentic, and captivating to your target audience.
Ian Hutchinson, Vidyard’s Marketing Specialist, challenged the group to think of our videos as more than just website content. Especially in the world of small business, there’s no question that your company’s website is the storefront and first point of contact for your brand. By having video on your website, you’re bringing leads into your “store” and presenting them with an engaging sales rep that can present your product/ service all while you’re having dinner with your family or catching up on sleep.
Lastly, almost every speaker at Space Camp asked video measurement questions, such as:
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What are you doing to discover where your viewers are coming from?
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Are you aware of how long most viewers stay on your videos?
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If viewers are not staying on to watch your video in full, where are they dropping off and why?
The importance of measuring your video content was a hot topic during Video Space Camp. A platform like Vidyard helps companies measure the engagement and success of their videos with intelligent video analytics.
All the presenters at Space Camp gave us lots to think about and actions for Method’s own video marketing initiatives. A big THANK YOU to Vidyard and all the speakers for sharing your insight and experience.
Are you currently engaging in video content marketing? If so, how's it going for you and your business? Let me know in the comments section below or tweet at me @MethodCRM.
Until next time,
Lynda
