This morning, before getting out of bed or even fully opening my eyes, I found myself reaching for my iPhone to clear away all of the little red notifications. I checked my to-do list for the day, scanned through my e-mails to make sure there were no emergencies, and scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed. As I was scrolling through my newsfeed, I found myself watching several seconds of videos that I wasn’t at all interested in including footage from an EDM show, millennials sampling foreign candy, and a profile on a restaurant located half way across the country. It felt like flipping through TV channels of my friend’s interests.

It’s safe to say that I may be addicted to my iPhone and/or social media, but I like to think that I’m just keeping up to date. But, I promise you, it’s not just me. Device obsession is skyrocketing, according to a study by Deloitte done in 2015. I’m curious to see the data from 2016, as I’m sure it hasn’t declined in any way.

When Facebook executive Nicola Mendelsohn said that in 5 years Facebook will be all video and no text, it seemed pretty surprising at first. But, think about how often you stop to watch a video. Humans have always been captivated by video. Think about the silver screen or people stopping in awe to look at a television in a store window because they could not yet afford one at home. Video is hugely important to American culture. The Buggles didn’t write “Video Killed the Radio Star” for no reason, right?

All things considered, if you’re not implementing video into your content strategy, you’re missing out on huge levels of engagement. It may seem overwhelming at first or you may be thinking that video cannot work for your industry, but I promise you that you can make it work. People want to see your face, familiarize themselves with you, understand your expertise and the only better way to do this than in-person is through video. Additionally, video advertisements on social media networks garner much higher levels of engagement at a much lower cost per result than static advertisements. If you’re a small or medium sized business, with a modest advertising budget, video ads will get you the most bang for your buck.

I’ve laid out several ways your business can incorporate video into your marketing strategy,

Product Demonstrations

Organic Burst uses video in a number of ways, my favorite ways include their Instagram stories and Facebook videos.  Organic Burst makes a number of high-quality health supplements, and you may be wondering what the heck that has to do with your business. Their concise, well-done product demonstration videos can be applied to pretty much any industry. Take the video above as an example. In under 25 seconds, you’ve learned how to prepare a drink using their products, exactly the way it was intended to be used. Whether you make dog leashes, dental instruments or brew craft beer, people want to know how to use your products correctly.

Live Video

As you can tell from Dan’s blog on Facebook Live, tons of people and brands are using this feature to connect with users. Facebook Live is an awesome way to connect with your audience, do a Q&A or show them a glimpse of something they normally wouldn’t see. Facebook Live isn’t your only option, I personally qualify Snapchat and Instagram Stories as a form of live video. You get one chance, unrehearsed, unproduced, and your users only get to see it for a few brief moments. These channels are also interactive, which allows you to quickly answer questions about your video, providing value to your audience.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery does an awesome job with Facebook Live videos.  This morning I caught them canning some beer and explaining the process along the way. This may be something that the brewers never thought their audience would want to see, but in this day and age, people want to know every detail about the product they’re purchasing.

Commercial Video

When you make a commercial for your business, you put a ton of time, money and effort into it to make sure that it’s perfect. Repurposing your commercial video on social media is extremely smart, especially if you want to put some money behind it. Since the engagement rates are so high for video, the cost per video view on an advertisement is extremely low. The barrier to entry is so much lower than broadcast television, and you can get instant feedback, provide customer support immediately, and track your conversions very easily.

 

So, how will you use video to reach your audience?