In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, thousands of businesses have been required to shutter their brick-and-mortar locations, either reverting to a work-from-home setup or closing up shop completely. Needless to say, it’s a difficult time for many businesses to get the revenue required to pay rent and other expenses, and it can be discouraging to think that these economic troubles may prevent a company from getting the marketing exposure they need to hit the ground running when quarantine-related bans are finally lifted.
Fortunately, video marketing is both an affordable and a viable option for marketing your business, even during this unprecedented and rather unpredictable “lockdown” situation. Even if your physical location is closed or operating on reduced hours, you can still use this time to make a name for yourself and your brand — and video is proven to be one of the most effective tactics for doing so.
In this article, we’ll review the major reasons you should consider video content marketing during this lockdown period. You’ll be surprised to see just how relevant your work can become, even when working remotely.
Why Video Now?
Orders to “shelter in place” have left professionals and their consumer bases in an interesting scenario where both day-to-day business and marketing practices must adapt. Not only must former face-to-face professionals learn how to work in remote settings, but companies and organizations must prioritize online viewership and digital interaction above all other marketing strategies.
Countless industries that, under normal circumstances, would depend upon in-person interactions will need to implement video tools in order to maintain productivity and profitability. Since professional networking events and trade shows can no longer be conducted in mass public venues, the majority — if not all — of these gatherings are faced with indefinite cancellations. Likewise, sales professionals cannot meet buyers one-on-one as they did in the past. Thus, businesses must turn to video-based options: virtual conferences with consumers, promotional videos shared across digital media, and budgetary prioritization of online marketing.
Even day-to-day operations of a business, from communicating with coworkers to troubleshooting IT problems, must use video to complete professional processes and resolve issues pertaining to productivity or technology.
In addition to preserving the integrity of corporate operations, video will play a vital role in the success of a company’s marketing efforts. On any given day, more than 75 million people in the U.S. alone watch online video programming. But today, this number is sure to be much higher given the near ubiquity of stay-at-home orders. Since virtually all businesses must now reach audiences through a single digital platform and traditional media avenues of audience engagement have narrowed, the suddenly fierce competition further necessitates the use of innovative marketing techniques.
Companies should shift their ad and marketing budgets towards video production and streaming, whether distributed via email campaigns, social media posts, web platforms, video conference sales pitches, etc. In-person demos must morph into Zoom and Skype sales calls, just as general rapport with consumers must be established through the lens of a mobile phone or computer camera.
Why is Video Marketing So Popular?
The reason video has become so popular in recent years is believed to be associated with the modern omnipresence of screens in our lives. Quarantine and stay-at-home orders have further increased their ubiquity, and this makes video marketing more relevant than ever before.
Times of uncertainty can leave individuals in search of a tangible and trustworthy figurehead to follow, whether that be a politician or an industry-specific professional. Video is the next best thing to in-person communication and contact, since no other medium allows participants to experience audiovisual content so immersively in real time. Thus, video presents the most viable opportunity for effective audience engagement and consumer education.
Think Differently About How to Market and Run Your Company
When life throws you a curveball, it’s merely an opportunity to approach your purpose and passions from a new angle. This viral outbreak of COVID-19, although concerning for many, does have a silver lining in that there’s never been a larger audience for video content.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the week before March 26, 2020 saw a significant spike of 12% in the number of people viewing online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. As a result of recent economic volatility, a wide margin of inventory slots have opened up for advertisers on these major viewing platforms. Social media is following suit.
In addition to shifting towards more video-dominated marketing strategies, many businesses, including JLB Media, will adapt in the ways they conduct day-to-day operations and communication. Companies may have to rethink traveling for business opportunities or training seminars. Likewise, professionals who traditionally meet face-to-face will reduce in-person meetings and opt for video conferences instead. Business tactics must be optimized for digital experience and virtual immersion. Regardless of how exactly these adaptations take form, it is almost certain that video media will come to play a significant role in the professional world.
If this trying time in our history will be good for anything, perhaps it will make us think a little differently about the way we market ourselves and conduct business — and ironically, there have been few better opportunities than the present.
Don’t Forget To Make It Mobile
Although a significant number of consumers view video content on traditional platforms like computers and televisions, a greater percentage (approximately 50%) of people prefer to watch on mobile devices. For this reason, it’s important to optimize your video content for vertical as well as horizontal orientations and take into consideration the relative size differences of viewing spaces.
If you post video marketing content on social media, for instance, there is a good chance your viewer will be watching with audio turned off, so be sure to include captions or text overlays and make the video’s purpose (or “call to action”) readily accessible to any audience.
Conclusion
The dramatic spike in screen time due to stay-at-home orders, in tandem with the ironic economic opportunity that can only be borne out of instability, is the perfect storm for promotional video marketing. Take advantage of this time — you probably have a bit more than you’d like — by doing some research on the kinds of video content you’d like to produce. If you need additional guidance on corporate video production, please reach out to JLB Media.
