The Power of Video Marketing: How to Create Compelling Video Content
Think about all of the ways you use your mobile device to consume information.
Now, consider what makes a website appealing and eye-grabbing to you.
If you're like 80% of internet users, "video content" was likely the first thing that came to mind.
As a business, brand videos can help you shine above the competition. A comprehensive video marketing strategy will keep people on your page, decrease your bounce rate, and make you seem more credible. Read on to learn how to position yourself as a home services industry leader with video content.
Understand the Power of Brand Videos
Including a video on your landing page can increase conversions by 80%. Additionally, 43% of individuals want to see even more video content from businesses and marketers.
People process images 60,000 times faster than text, which has made image content a popular choice for marketers over the past several years. But case studies also show that replacing images with videos can increase conversions by 12.62%.
These statistics all show why video is such a popular tool. And they make sense - video content is colorful, eye-catching, and interactive. It brings your website to life so that people feel a sense of connection with the people and graphics in videos.
This positions your business as credible and reputable. It also gives you the chance to build your brand voice with video content.
Choose the Right Type of Video
To begin harnessing the power of video-related business marketing, it's critical that you know what kind of video you want to create. This will ultimately depend on your target audience, so research them thoroughly before deciding on a video marketing strategy.
Look into what demographics are most interested in your services. HVAC repair professionals and plumbers bulk of their customers will most likely be middle-class homeowners and landlords. Lawnscaping services will also work with a lot of homeowners, but they may have a higher income than other home service clients.
Then, you can decide what type of video will work best on your website.
Product videos won't be effective for home services since you aren't selling a tangible good. However, you could have a video that shows some of your best landscaping work if you take care of lawns and landscaping. HVAC professionals or plumbers could include videos of themselves hard at work to show commitment and attention to detail.
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are generally the way to go when you begin creating a video marketing plan. These videos will showcase a past client talking about the ways that your services have helped to resolve their problems. Since these problems will align with those that others in your target audience share, you'll illustrate the ways you can help them, too.
In an explainer video, you can also have the person talk about why your home services stand out from the competition. Create a script saying why potential clients should choose you rather than others in the area.
Creating a connection with your audience is key in business, and explainer videos are the chance to do that. Potential clients will see the face of a real person and hear their voice, which fosters a natural attachment and connection. They'll be more likely to have strong feelings for your brand and work with you.
Animation
Animated videos also have a great place in the world of business marketing. They're fun and simple ways to provide a pop of movement and color to your landing page.
You also can showcase fantastical movements and actions that aren't physically possible in a live-action video. For example, a lawn care business can show workers moving inhumanly quickly to get the job done. A plumber can show themselves cleaning up after a major disaster without disgustingly off-putting imagery.
Animation is also a great way to convey fast facts and numerical data in an attention-grabbing way. You can have statistics pop up from nothing. You can have tiny renditions of people run along the tops of letters.
Plus, with professional help, you can optimize these videos to boost your SEO strategy! Including appropriate tags that feature relevant keywords and enhancing the meta description can help you rank. Positioning video content at the right place on your landing page can work wonders for conversions.
Keep Things Short and Simple
People's attention spans have been waning in recent years. As of 2023, people can only pay attention to one screen for about 47 seconds. It's important to keep your videos short and to the point so that people watch them long enough to absorb your message.
In the era of TikTok and YouTube shorts, keep videos under 1 minute if possible. If you plan to have a longer video, make sure to change its appearance every 30 seconds or so. Switch colors around or change the angle so that people feel like they're looking at a new, fresh screen.
This also benefits marketers because short videos are candid and easy to produce. You can engage with your audience easily and effectively by frequently uploading short videos to your website. Consider including them in blog posts and switching out landing page videos every couple of months.
Be Mobile-Friendly
It's critical that you apply all video marketing tips to mobile platforms as well as desktops. Almost 61% of online traffic comes from smartphones and tablets. Make sure that videos are compatible with both iOS and Android devices so that they're playable for all users.
Consider making the initial mobile landing page a soundless video... or one that people can turn sound on manually for. It's a great way to make an initial impression that keeps visitors on your page long enough to become interested in your brand and services.
Boost Your Engagement Today
Now that you know how to create brand videos that drive conversions, it's time to enhance your video marketing strategy with expert help. Our team is committed to helping you come up with a video marketing plan before producing and uploading the visual content needed to enhance your outreach and SEO.
We listen actively to your vision and goals to ensure that you get content that's perfect for your home services business, so contact Optic Marketing Group to learn more about how we can boost your business marketing ASAP.
The Future of Digital Marketing: Trends and Predictions
Marketing has a rich history dating back to clay tablets in 3000 BC. Over the years, the industry's evolved into a behemoth. Stones turned to paper which eventually turned to web-based content.
One of the only things more interesting than the history of marketing? Its future on digital marketing platforms. Read on to learn some trends and predictions that you can use to take your business to the next level in the coming years.
Mobile-Ready Platforms
About 60% of global searches stem from mobile devices. Because this figure is only growing with 5G and an increasing number of smartphone users, this trend is only growing. It's important that your website be configured to look appealing on phone and tablet screens.
Make sure that you create a mobile-ready web design that's easy to navigate on small screens. Make it scrollable and include large buttons and CTAs. Let people download a special mobile app so they can buy your products and services while on the go.
Voice-Powered Searches
As mobile devices proliferate, so does voice search. About half of queries made on smartphones happened via voice search. Hands-free technology has grown a lot since 2018 when it kicked off, and people are becoming more and more comfortable talking to their devices.
Because of this, you need to optimize for voice queries. When people type words into Google, they usually search for shorter queries like "Chinese restaurant in Chicago." Now, with voice search, people will speak in full sentences like "Where can I get Chinese food in Chicago?"
You'll want to work with digital marketing experts to fill your page with long-tail keywords that look like voice queries.
Businesses that want to go the extra mile can also let people use voice search on their mobile apps. It's an innovative way to look for specific products and blog posts and doesn't require manual navigation. Since people like this, it also will help you stand out over competitors.
AI and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence has been proliferating across the marketing landscape for years. But in 2023, there have been numerous advancements that make it an even more useful tool. One of these advancements, machine learning, lets AI platforms learn from experience as they gather more intelligence. The bots train themselves to categorize data, segment customers, and communicate with your target audience.
Chatbots are becoming a customer service tool that's set to replace live agents more frequently. When algorithms get more and more complex, they'll be better able to emulate human representatives and assist customers quickly.
AI also can power ads on Google and social media. It can emulate the best-performing designs from competing businesses and use their best features. But this isn't a good replacement for human marketers yet - AI isn't creative enough to make your business stand out. It just draws on recycled designs from other sources. The same applies to blog posts and written content since AI bots can't produce quality or engaging content. A human marketing expert can leverage AI tools to uplift your marketing strategy rather than eclipse it.
Programmatic Advertising
Search engine marketing (SEM) strategies rely on businesses bidding on marketing space under specific search queries. When you want to get a PPC ad up on Google, you bid on a keyword and placement for your ad. Once you win the bid, you get to display your well-designed advertisement.
Manually researching appropriate keywords and ad placements takes time. It also requires you to be savvy and be in the right place at the right time. There's an element of luck to it that you don't want to rely on.
Programmatic advertising solves this problem. Marketers can use animated technology to identify appropriate advertising space when it appears. The AI will then buy the space and display the pre-designed ad in a high-traffic location. All you need to do is enter the ad content, campaign goals, demographics, and constraints. The software takes care of the rest.
Video Content
Video content can increase website conversions by 80%. Movement is an eye-catching way to grab consumers' attention, and consuming video is a favored pastime for most Americans. YouTube is the 2nd most-visited site on the web after Google!
There are also many different video types that you can leverage to connect with your target audience. Explainer testimonials can show other happy customers talking about how your solutions have helped resolve their pain points. People are more likely to trust reviews from peers with similar problems, form a connection to your brand, and make purchases.
Animated infographics are an awesome way to convey data and analytics about your business. You can include fun facts that show why you stand out above the competition.
If you sell physical products, videos can also be a powerful way to show their intricacies to online buyers. This will make people feel more confident in their purchasing decisions so they're more likely to buy from you over the web.
Conversational Marketing
Not many things are more engaging than video content, but conversational marketing is even more interactive. These tactics let your target audience engage directly with you and make conversation. Chatbots are a great conversational marketing tool, but so are live chat and messaging apps that let them connect with real representatives.
Conversational marketing is great because it lets consumers establish a personal one-on-one connection with the brand. Parasocial relationships are powerful, and when you play your cards right you can establish a lot of trust with your audience. If your target market feels personally loyal and cares about you, you'll generate a lot of conversions quickly.
Leverage Digital Marketing Platforms the Right Way
Now that you know some trends and predictions that will define the future of marketing, it's time to begin boosting your business with top-notch digital marketing platforms. Whether you're an HVAC contractor or a lawn care company, it's critical that you take effective steps to contact your target audience.
Our team is committed to helping home services contractors reach residential clients with SEO strategies, PPC ads, and social media marketing campaigns. Contact Optic Marketing Group to learn how we can help you come up with a comprehensive business marketing plan so you can reach the clients who matter most.
How to Measure the Success of Your Digital Marketing Efforts
Think fast: how much money are you putting toward your marketing efforts? If you're like many small business owners, the figure you came up with is between 5-10% of your brand's total revenue, though it can climb up to a whopping 14%.
That's a lot of money. Are you sure it's being put to good use?
If your answer is anything other than an instant "Yes!" you might want to do a better job of tracking your campaigns. No matter which digital marketing platforms or strategy you focus on, measuring your outcomes is crucial.
For a higher return on investment and an easier path to success, here are our best tips for tracking your campaigns.
Set SMART Goals
Without a roadmap, it's hard to figure out if you've reached your destination. That's why SMART goals are a crucial part of any digital marketing plan.
SMART goals have five elements that help you define realistic and time-sensitive targets that work for your organization:
- Specific: The desired outcome is clear and specific
- Measurable: The desired outcome is quantifiable
- Achievable: The desired outcome is something attainable
- Relevant: The desired outcome aligns with your brand's goals
- Time-bound: There is a deadline associated with the desired outcome
For example, let's say your lawn care brand is focused on social media. A good SMART goal might be to increase your follower base on Instagram by 15% over the next 12 months.
Maybe your HVAC company is hoping to measure and improve customer satisfaction. A good SMART goal might be to increase your client referral rate by 10% over the next six months.
No matter what your business needs, the right SMART goals can be a powerful tool for your digital marketing strategy.
Target the Right Audience
Honing in on your target audience may not be an obvious step when you're trying to track your marketing analytics, but it's worth mentioning here. If you haven't yet identified your target audience, researched their needs and pain points, and generated buyer personas, the next steps are going to get much more difficult.
Knowing your target audience helps you streamline your marketing strategy, focusing your efforts on the solutions you know will connect with your potential customers. Consider how you'll reach this audience as you start thinking about your metrics.
Choose the Right Metrics
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are values you can track to measure your progress. Though you can track as many as you want, be strategic about the ones you associate with your SMART goal.
There are countless business marketing KPIs to choose from, but here are some of the most popular:
Lead Generation
Lead generation metrics help you measure the effectiveness of a campaign focused on things like client referrals and customer retention.
- Monthly new leads
- Qualified leads per month
- Cost per lead
- Retention rate
- Attrition rate
- Cost per conversion
Creating more targeted campaigns that focus heavily on your desired audience can help improve these metrics.
Website Traffic
Getting more eyes on your website is a great goal for any home services brand. However, there are a few metrics that can help you track your website growth on a more granular level:
- Traffic by source
- Bounce rate
- Page views
- Session duration
- Returning vs. new visitors
- Click-through-rate (CTR)
Improving your website's navigation and design while adding helpful content is a good way to get more clicks and conversions.
Search Engine Optimization
The right cost-effective SEO efforts have the potential to offer a massive ROI. Here are the metrics to track:
- Google PageRank
- Page Authority
- SERP rankings
- Backlinks
High-authority content is your best bet for improving your rankings and growing your site.
Social Media
Because the medium is often interactive, social media can feel like a difficult platform to measure. Fortunately, a few metrics can help:
- Social shares
- Share of voice
- Impressions
- Traffic from social media
- Audience/follower growth
- Engagement rate
Building a community should be at the core of any social media strategy, as loyal fans are more likely to become customers.
Use Analytics in Your Digital Marketing Platforms
Once you've established the KPIs for your digital marketing success, how do you track them? Depending on the strategy and marketing platform you've chosen, you can harness a range of online tools.
Google Analytics G4, for example, helps monitor KPIs related to your website and SEO. Different social media platforms also have built-in analytics tools that can get you started.
In addition, third-party analytics tools can help you get your hands on more in-depth tracking solutions. For a fee, you can integrate these tools into your website, social media, email, or SEO strategies.
Harness Your Results
There's no point in tracking your KPIs if you aren't going to use them in future digital marketing efforts.
Set aside time at least once a month to look through your analytics. Many analytics tools allow you to generate reports that include helpful visualizations of your progress, but you can also create your own reports as needed. This process can be time-consuming, but it's a crucial part of understanding your marketing outcomes.
What are the obvious pain points in your campaign? Which strategies are working, and which ones aren't? Is the campaign offering a satisfying ROI, or should you look for ways to make it more cost-effective?
Asking questions about your campaigns allows you to react fast and tweak your efforts. In the long term, the insights you've learned can be put toward future campaigns. This allows you to take a more proactive approach as you gain a better understanding of your audience and the strategies that work.
Get More out of Your Marketing
Measuring the success of your online marketing campaign can help you feel more confident about your ROI and your results. No matter which digital marketing platforms your brand is focused on, make sure to track your outcomes and look for opportunities to improve!
If you want to make your campaign strategy and tracking a breeze, we've got you covered. Optic Marketing Group makes it easy for home service businesses to create powerful campaigns that resonate with their audiences, and we'll track the performance to ensure success. To get started, contact us at 1-844-700-4781 or email info@opticmarketinggroup.com.
Creating a Winning Marketing Plan: Tips and Strategies
Stepping into the world of business? You'll quickly find that a top-notch marketing plan isn't just nice to have. It's a must-have! Think about walking through a big maze. Without a map, it's easy to get lost among endless turns and dead-ends. That's how the marketing planning process feels. It is full of competition, ever-changing trends, and a shifting audience. Here's the good news: we're laying out a clear, easy-to-follow map for you. This guide is your companion on the journey to creating a standout marketing plan. So, are you ready to dive in? We're here to explore practical marketing tips and strategies with you. We'll dig into digital marketing and get to know what customers want. It's all about learning, growing, and reaching higher.
Navigating the Marketing Planning Process Maze
Starting a journey without a map can lead you everywhere but your destination. The same goes for your business. This is where the marketing planning process comes into play. It's your map in the vast world of business, guiding every step you take. With a solid plan, you know where you're going and how to get there. It's all about making informed choices and avoiding those dead-end paths.
Every sturdy building needs a strong foundation, and your marketing plan is no different. The cornerstones?
- Clear goals
- Understanding your audience
- Knowing the market inside out
These elements give your plan the strength it needs to stand tall, even when faced with challenges. Together, let's explore each cornerstone, ensuring your marketing plan is rock-solid from the ground up.
Carving Out Success: Goal-Setting Brilliance
There are many ways that one can set goals. However, we find that the SMART framework is one of the best ways to meet those goals.
The SMART framework helps you set goals that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
This framework guides you in setting goals that not only outline exactly what you want to achieve but also help you identify the steps necessary to get there, ensuring your goals are both meaningful and attainable. It's also crucial for your marketing goals to dance in step with your broader business objectives. If they're out of sync, it's like trying to paddle a boat that's going in circles.
Target Audience: Your North Star
Imagine throwing a party but not knowing who you're inviting. You might end up with a mix that doesn't quite fit together. The same goes for your business. Knowing your audience is essential. It's about finding the people who need your product or service and will love it as much as you do.
Beyond just knowing who your audience is, understanding their desires, fears, and needs is pivotal. Once you know these items, you can answer their pain points, creating a connection that resonates.
Weaving Your Marketing Strategy Tapestry
Your marketing ideas are the seeds for your business growth. Start by keeping a close eye on market trends and competitor strategies. Use this knowledge to brainstorm unique and effective marketing ideas for your business. Apply practical techniques to decide which ideas will work best for you and learn how to implement them for maximum impact.
Today, it's crucial to make your business visible online. Understand the various channels of digital marketing, such as:
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
Try to invest some time to learn how each channel works and how you can use them to reach your audience. You will discover proven strategies for effective online marketing that boost your business visibility and sales.
Budgeting: Crafting the Financial Masterstroke
First, take a look at your overall financial landscape, noting income and expenses. Now, carve out a portion of marketing that you can spare to spend on marketing. Divide this portion into smaller parts for the different channels we've already discussed. Keep an eye on your budget allocations. Are some paths leading to better results than others? Be ready to shift your resources, keeping your marketing journey on the course of growth and success.
The Action Blueprint: Making Marketing Happen
Start by outlining each step of your marketing strategy. Decide on your main routes. Break down each route into smaller steps, assigning responsibilities and deadlines. In the action plan, include steps for boosting your online presence. The digital world is a bustling marketplace. Use social media to directly connect with your audience. Implement email marketing to keep your customers informed and engaged. Apply SEO strategies to increase your website's visibility on search engines. By enhancing your online presence, you make it easier for customers to find you and interact with your business.
Measuring Success: The Power of Metrics
Metrics, or measurable data, guide you, showing what's working and what's not. Use tools to track your website traffic, social media engagement, and email response rates. By analyzing this data, you can see which parts of your marketing strategy are successful and which need improvement. Metrics aren't just numbers; they tell a story. If a marketing tactic isn't working as well as you'd hoped, the data will show it.
Don't be afraid to adjust your strategy based on what the metrics reveal. It's about learning and adapting, making your marketing efforts more effective over time. One of the best strategies for measuring success is A/B testing. A/B Testing is a marketing experiment. You have two marketing strategies and you present them to different segments of an audience.
This can help to determine which version performs better in terms of driving desired behavior, such as:
- Clicks
- Sign-ups
- Purchases
Navigating to Success: Concluding the Marketing Planning Process
Remember that the marketing planning process is an ongoing journey, not just a one-time event. It's a continuous cycle of planning, executing, measuring, and refining. The path might seem daunting, but with the right tools and strategies, you're well-equipped to navigate through the maze of marketing with confidence and agility.
Are you ready to elevate your marketing planning process? Your journey toward marketing excellence starts now. Start on the path to success with Optic Marketing Group, your trusted guide in the ever-evolving world of marketing.
Propel your business to new heights. Together, let's create marketing strategies that resonate, engage, and drive growth. Take the step today and contact us now!