Are you making use of customer reviews in your marketing efforts?

You should be – according to a recent study conducted by Emplifi, in collaboration with Harris Interactive, over 87% of consumers say that real-life customer reviews have a greater impact on their purchase activity than influencer/celebrity endorsements, or direct brand ads.

Looking to make DMs more of a focus in your social media marketing approach?

Over time, more interactions are switching to private channels, as our main feeds become discovery surfaces, filled with short-form video and AI recommendations.

Indeed, according to Meta, far more interactions now occurs in DMs, which is a major shift in how people are looking to engage – and could be an important note for brands trying to reach them.

Looking for ways to boost your LinkedIn reach, and maximize your content performance in the app?

Looking to get a better understanding of the latest Search trends, and how they’re impacting your SEO efforts?

A guest post from Natalie Jones.

You’ve come up with a brilliant idea for a video as part of your social media marketing strategy, and you’re ready to start production. But before you can even think about picking up the camera, there is one crucial step you need to take: creating your storyboard. Vyond notes that a storyboard is an essential part of the pre-production process as it helps visualize your concept, set expectations for yourself, stay on budget, and keep track of what will be included in your video.

Emmanuel Fonte invites you to read on to learn how to create an effective storyboard for your social media marketing video.

Before Storyboarding

Before you start putting together your storyboard, there are some important steps you should take first. Researching similar videos that have done well in the past provides inspiration and helps inform which elements could work in your own video.

Brainstorming ideas with team members can also generate creative concepts and ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes time to produce the video. It’s also a good idea to create a quality video survey for your target audience. Such a video allows you to engage with your audience and gain valuable insights that can be used for storyboarding. You increase the chances of getting feedback by offering incentives with a gift card API, a digital convenience for you and them. Who wouldn’t appreciate a Visa or retail gift card for simply answering a few questions?

Finally, writing a summary of what the video will include will give you something solid to work off when creating your storyboard.

The Storyboard Structure

The structure of your storyboard is just as important as its contents. StoryboardThat suggests establishing the template for your storyboard, which includes frames that represent each shot and graphic elements you want to incorporate. Describe what is happening in each frame, add notes about camera angles and movement, and audio details such as music and sound effects, dialogue, or captions if necessary. Lastly, make sure to indicate where stock footage or graphics can be possibly utilized so they can be included post-production.

Script Writing Fundamentals

After creating a structure for your storyboard, you can begin to fill it with content by mapping out the key points of your script to each frame. Descriptions of the action in each scene, dialogue boxes or caption cards that match up with existing audio, and any necessary stock footage and graphics should all be factored in. Taking this extra step in pre-production helps ensure smooth post-production workflows, and you could end up saving on costs further down the line.

Stock Videos as a Savings Opportunity

If you’re looking to save on your video production costs, you can find video available instead of filming your own videos. Using royalty-free videos significantly reduces time spent on production, and you’ll also be able to access high-quality HD videos at a fraction of the cost. All that’s required is a subscription so you can securely access the footage whenever you need it.

The Best Platforms for Your Video

After putting all this hard work into creating an amazing business marketing video, it only makes sense that you want as many people as possible to watch it. Make sure you identify relevant social media channels, depending on where your audience hangs out online, then share away. Further, consider optimizing titles and descriptions across platforms so viewers get maximum exposure when searching for related topics online.

Having a detailed storyboard keeps everyone on track and provides your production team with clear expectations and goals. It also allows you to plan ahead, identify savings opportunities, and make changes if needed, which can save time and money in the long run. By having a well-thought-out storyboard, video makers can accurately map out their corporate messages, design aesthetics, visuals, and audio direction.

Image via Pexels

The Emmanuel Fonte blog introduces you to examples of my work and what makes me show up every day and my passion for music. Reach out today by calling (206) 713-3244!

Are you looking to update your SEO strategy? Want to learn the ranking factors that Google has confirmed will determine where your website ranks?

The team from Red Website Design shared the confirmed Google ranking factors you need to know in this infographic.

Here’s what makes the list:

• Backlinks
• Relevance
• Freshness
• HTTPS
• Mobile-friendliness
• Page speed
• Core Web Vitals
• Intrusive interstitials

Check out the infographic for more detail.

Another great article from Mary Aspen Richardson

Video marketing is one of the most powerful tools at a marketer’s disposal. It is versatile and applicable in many ways. Today we want to talk about the role of video marketing in a digital marketing strategy and why it is such a crucial type of content. Learn how to benefit from including videos in your marketing campaigns and completely change your advertising approach.

Video marketing is highly engaging

What would you choose if you had to choose between watching a video or reading a text describing that same video? We all know a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true, then a video is worth a thousand pictures.

Videos are incredibly engaging, and they will dominate 2023 for multiple reasons:

• They create a perfect synergy of image and sound
• The music adds to the emotional aspect
• People can listen to videos while working on other stuff
• They are very entertaining
• Videos can also be very descriptive and educational

With all of that in mind, it is much better to advertise products and services through videos. Customers can connect better with the product and see it before the purchase. That is crucial for digital marketing, especially when people buy products online without seeing them in person.

Video marketing builds trust

From where we left off, customers will have more confidence in their decisions once they see products or services in a video ad. That builds trust in the company and the product.

As a business, if you can provide relevant information about the product and also demonstrate how it works, you save your clients a lot of time. They don’t have to do further research or determine how the product works.

Furthermore, using videos to create product reviews or customer testimonials adds a whole new level of trust to your company. Future customers can now not only see how the product works but also get to see how other people use it and what they think of it. That is an excellent strategy that helps you to advertise through word-of-mouth advertising.

It is easier to tell your brand’s story with a video

Because of their storytelling narrative, videos are perfect for presenting your brand’s mission, values, and culture. Whether we talk about promotional content for customers, or internal materials for employee use and education, videos will deliver 100% of the time.

As a marketer, engaging with the audience and ensuring your content keeps them interested is your job. When it comes to videos, half of your job is already done.

You can implement videos in any type of marketing

Whether you want to advertise through emails, social media, PR, or any other type of digital marketing, you can use videos as your main content. The role of video marketing revolves around its flexibility. Videos are easy to work with and will substantially improve any marketing strategy you can think of.

People are more likely to share videos

You will benefit from videos if you create a winning social media marketing strategy and rely on your followers to share relevant content. People are likelier to share them with friends because they are entertaining, educative, and engaging.

Furthermore, if done correctly, videos can go viral and increase traffic. Viral marketing is a monster to tackle, and if you plan to use this strategy, there is no better content type than videos.

If we look at how videos developed over the years and how popular they are today, it is clear why people love them. No other type of content can generate millions of views that quickly.

Videos improve SEO

Besides attracting customers’ attention, videos will also benefit your search engine optimization strategy. Google loves videos because they require a lot of effort and energy. Also, they drive more traffic through views, which will indirectly rank your business website higher. Furthermore, if you plan on generating leads with video marketing, that is the best way to get more potential clients as well.

Also, videos are very convenient for mobile devices. People use mobile phones all day, and once you optimize your website for mobile, you will create an efficient synergy that will bring you a lot of SEO juice.

Differentiate yourself from the competition by using video marketing

It is a fact that many businesses today use video marketing. If you miss this opportunity, you will fail behind. However, you engage with your audience through the power of videos. In that case, you can differentiate your business from the rest of the market and stand out among the competitor companies while maintaining a positive digital marketing ROI.

All you need to do is to figure out a unique way to record your videos. It is all about the presentation and the message you want to send. You have to think from a couple of different angles. Some of the most useful types of videos to utilize are:

• Explainer videos
• Product demos
• Customer testimonials
• Brand videos
• How-to videos
• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Live videos
• Animated videos
• Webinars
• Personalized videos

Each type requires a different filming technique and speaks to a different audience. That is also a crucial detail. No matter what your product is, people might want different things out of it.

For example, if you are selling subscription-based software, one customer would like to learn more about the software. Another person could want to learn how to troubleshoot a specific issue or use a feature. Or, they could also want to learn how this software will improve their business.

That is why it is crucial to have a variety of videos. That way, you can talk to different groups of customers.

That is the role of video marketing

We hope you now have a better understanding of the role of video marketing. There are many different digital marketing strategies, but as long as you understand how to use videos, you can implement them in any approach.

META DESCRIPTION: Understand the role of video marketing and improve your digital marketing strategy. Here is how to boost your business with videos!

KW: The role of video marketing

https://pixabay.com/vectors/marketing-video-marketing-7579809/

With social media playing a significant role in our interactive process for well over a decade now, many things have changed, many trends have come and gone, and best practices are constantly evolving.