3 Innovative Video Marketing Campaigns

With over a billion users, YouTube is the second largest search engine on the web today and more video content is uploaded every 30 days than major U.S. television networks have created in 30 years. With so much available video content online, it takes a lot of time, effort, and money to create a video marketing strategy that truly stands out.

It’s obvious that online video plays an integral role in any marketing strategy, with users spending 88% more time on a website if it contains video.

Why is Video Content Marketing So Effective Online?

Tubularinsights found that 64% of consumers make a purchase after they watch a branded social video. With conversion rates that are this high, it makes sense that businesses of all sizes are investing in high-quality video marketing online strategies to increase their engagement and generate new leads.

Videos allow a viewer to understand a business, product, or service in a new way, as video provides the narrative to be built much more quickly than with other content mediums. According to HubSpot’s State of Inbound Report, 65% of marketers note that their biggest challenge is generating leads and traffic. However, when done correctly, a strategic video marketing campaign can optimize the user journey, convert leads into prospects, and guide them through a brand’s online sales funnel.

3 Innovative Video Marketing Campaigns

HubSpot recently compiled a comprehensive list of video marketing and advertising campaigns that were enjoyable to a wide audience. However, 3 of these video marketing campaigns stood out above the rest, with innovative strategies and masterful narrative developments. Feel free to use the following captivating online video advertising campaigns for some digital video marketing inspiration of your own:

1. BuzzFeed for Purina - "Puppyhood"

BuzzFeed, known for their relatable, informative, and engaging array of YouTube videos, listicles, and an ever-expanding cast of professionals that provide hours of online entertainment, created a video that told the story about a man who adopts a puppy, outlining all the entertaining and cute adventures along the way. Not only is this video adorable, but also it provides a great outline of what subtle product placement should look like in a video.

2. Dove - "Choose Beautiful"

The best online content elicits a genuine emotional reaction in its viewers. This video campaign for Dove by Ogilvy & Mather Chicago takes connection to the next level, engaging with an internal narrative that people around the world face every single day.

Although their product line isn’t necessarily a huge part of this video campaign, the video went viral, aligning Dove with the positive emotions that keep their loyal customers engaged and supportive.

3. GoPro - "Fireman Saves Kitten"

In this 2:04 video promoting the GoPro Hero 3, a fireman equipped with a GoPro helmet camera finds an unconscious kitten in a smoke-filled home and proceeds to save it. Often, this adventure-packed brand has videos of mountain climbers, skydivers, and surfers. But again, emotions were the name of the game in creating this video marketing campaign. Additionally, by creating a video that differed from the brand’s normal content, they were able to reach a broader audience.

Create a Strong Video Marketing Campaign to Enhance Your Brand

As you saw in the above examples of innovative video marketing campaigns, video has the potential to engage a wide audience in a very short amount of time. With 1/3 of all online activity spent watching video content, it only makes sense that digital marketers begin creating relatable, engaging video-based content for the brands and businesses they represent.

Not only can a best-in-class video marketing campaign inspire action in 46% of viewers, it can also provide the following benefits to an online presence:

Increase Conversions

When integrated into a complete strategic content marketing plan, 71% of marketers state that video conversion rates perform better than those of other types of content. Not only can video increase brand awareness, but can also turn leads into prospects, and prospects into loyal, supportive customers.

Better SEO

SEO is no longer singularly focused on keyword placement or word-counts of web pages - context is now king when it comes to driving relevant traffic to your site. High-quality video content can also help improve a brand’s SEO. According to MarTech, optimized videos increase your chances of landing on the front page of a Google search by 53 times.

Engaging Viewer Emotions

As we saw in the above videos of innovative video marketing campaigns by leading brands, emotional ties are vital in making your video a viral sensation.

Increase Your ROI

83% of businesses state that video gives them a great return on investment (ROI). With the ability to improve SEO, evoke strong emotional connections, and increase conversions, investing in a video marketing campaign will most likely help increase your revenue when all is said and done.

Get More Attention from Your Audience

If your goal is to increase brand awareness, creating a high-quality video marketing strategy will help you get there. Video captures more attention than other online content, so make sure you stand out online with plenty of video-based content.

Increase Engagement

Video does wonders for brands trying to increase engagement. With visitors staying 2 minutes longer on retail sites that contain video, top-notch video content will help you achieve higher levels of engagement with your target audience.

Explain Complex Ideas

If you’re in the midst of creating a new service or product that may be difficult to explain, creating a targeted video marketing campaign might be the answer. Complex thoughts and ideas can be understood easier when visuals and audio are involved, while promoting brand awareness along the way.

Another great way to take advantage of the accessibility of video content is the creation of animated educational videos. YouTube channels like TED-Ed do a stunning job of taking difficult or substantial ideas and breaking them down into digestible animated videos under ten minutes long.

Online Sales Funnel Optimization

As a digital marketer, part of your job is to help convert generated leads into mid-funnel prospects. This process usually involves measuring data and analytics of shared online content, which without the right tools or knowledge, can be a complex process.

However, video content has straightforward metrics that are easily measured, allowing you to access insights that can help you optimize placement throughout the sales funnel, adding in or taking away drips where necessary.

At the end of the day, the current state of the internet is flooded with content from countless brands and businesses, all of whom are trying to make a sale. But what happens when you put a greater focus on the story of selling a product or service?

Marketing has changed a lot from the traditional methods of sharing every last tidbit of information about your business with a lead or prospect. Now, buyers are looking for brands, products, and services that provide a solution to a problem that they’re having; a high-value benefit rather than a specific feature.

Keep this in mind as you develop a narrative for your video marketing campaign or any other aspect of your digital marketing initiatives. Emotional connections stay with viewers much longer than a cool bit of information.

Video Production Is Easier Than You Think

Technology has come a long way since the development of the first motion picture. With smartphones and mobile devices that are able to take high-quality portraits and videos, it’s easier than ever to create amazing video content with just your smartphone and your laptop.

Keep in mind that a professional videographer will be able to provide the best quality of video for your brand but if you’re on a tight budget, research some basic video principles and use your smartphone camera to film. For example, Facebook Live videos allow you to create video content and share it with a large audience in real-time. Whether you’re hosting a webinar or simply want to engage with your target audience for a couple of minutes for a quick Q+A, Facebook Live allows you to connect easily with high-quality video.

Don’t Forget to Tag Your Videos

As mentioned above, high-quality video content can increase SEO. However, to reach your maximum SEO potential, it’s vital that your text description includes relevant keywords and a detailed description of what the video entails. With the ability to reach a global audience, a video that is able to show up high on search engine results pages will help you increase engagement, spread brand awareness, and convert prospects into customers.

An innovative and well-planned video marketing campaign can help you make the most out of your marketing budget. As a digital marketing professional, you know that when you save money in one area of your marketing strategy, you can optimize another area to streamline your entire process.

Use the above online video advertising examples and tips to get your own creative juices flowing to brainstorm, develop, and deploy a video marketing campaign that will help bring your brand or business to the next level.

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