Have you jumped on the video content bandwagon yet? Well, it is time. Video is continuing to grow in popularity.
Why video?
The simple fact that YouTube is now second only to Google (its parent company) for online searches should be reason enough to start up the video camera. But here are a few other statistics that are pretty compelling:
- 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week [Source: Forbes].
- 59% of executive would watch a video rather than read text if both are available [Source: Forbes]
- 65% of executives visit a vendor’s site after watching a video [Source: Forbes].
- Internet users spend 88% more time on your website if there is a video [Source: Mist Media]
- Videos are predicted to comprise 74% of all Internet traffic in 2017 [Source: Invodo]
- When the word “video” is used in the subject line of an email, the open rate increased by 19% and click through rate increased by 65% [Source: Syndacast].
The simple truth is that video converts better than any other medium. So let’s take a look at one kind of video content companies are developing: vlogs.
What is a Vlog?
Vlogs are a visual version of a blog. They offer an alternative way to share your content, instruct and interact with your audience. Vlogs can be produced by professional video companies, but they don’t have to be. That is because vlogs are not commercial quality spots. It is the information that you are imparting that is the focus of attention. Generally only a few minutes long, they feature a subject matter expert talking in an engaging way about a topic of interest.
You should use video to capture your audience through experiences they otherwise would not be able to have. For example, use video as a form of show and tell, to give a tour, or dive deeper into a complex subject. Vlogs can have audio over video footage, slides and graphs, or even presentations you’ve created.
What to Vlog about?
Think about your written blogs. Are some topics better explained or covered in video? The visual experience of a vlog can often help convey meaning better than the written word.
Where to post your Vlog?
Start off posting your video blogs your company’s website, then consider hosting it elsewhere.
YouTube is still the go-to site for video. Videos can be posted on YouTube and shared as you would other blog content. Aspire to have a subscriber base in YouTube as you would to your blog. Remember to cross pollinate. Encourage subscribers to your blog to also subscribe to your YouTube channel.
Another video platform to consider a fee-based Vimeo account. Vimeo is considered a great vlogging website because you get away from the excess clutter found on YouTube—no cute kitten videos, no video advertisements. But keep in mind, Vimeo doesn’t have as large an audience.
Over time you will build a credible following on whatever video platform you use.
Where ever you decide to host your video, remember to use keywords in the title and description, have your video optimized for multiple devices and make it easy to share on social media.
Are Vlogs a good B2B choice?
The answer is yes.
B2B buyers consider video as among the most useful content for making work-related purchases. So, if you have not yet added a vlog or video content to your website, social media or other hosted website, like YouTube, now is the time.
So get started. Identify a great topic, write a script, shoot and edit your video, and post. Remember, video is highly shareable content, so don’t be shy when encouraging others to share.
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