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How to Use Video to Grow Your Brand on LinkedIn

Posted: 27 Dec 2019 07:00 AM PST

 

  • Video is all the rage. People are devouring and sharing video content on social media like never before.
  • LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share a video on the platform than any other type of post.
  • While LinkedIn is a social network for professionals and business leaders, your video content doesn't necessarily have to be professionally produced to be effective.
  • If you aren't incorporating video in your marketing strategy in 2020, you're leaving some serious money on the table.

Once upon a time, LinkedIn users could only embed video content from other sources, such as YouTube. But in 2017, LinkedIn made it possible to upload native videos through its mobile app. This lets LinkedIn users see a more "human" side of brands and companies, making them more affable.

Now, according to Wyzowl's 2019 State of Video Marketing:

  • 51% of video marketers have used LinkedIn video as a channel, up from 38% in 2018.
  • Out of those, 84% say it's been successful for them, up from 75% in 2018.
  • 79% of people say a brand's video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or app.
  • 87% of people would like to see more videos from brands.

What's more, 59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video.

Even so, numerous businesses are yet to give video marketing a chance. This may be due to lack of time, budget, technical know-how, or some other excuse. Consequently, video is still a fairly untapped marketing channel.

If you are wondering whether video marketing on LinkedIn, or even in general, is worth all the effort and investment, then go ahead and put your doubts to rest. Because as the figures above confirm, it's definitely worth it. The only question is, how do you do it effectively without breaking the bank?

You don't want to be one of those brands that fail to leverage the demand for video content just because you are on a shoestring budget. Let's dive into the top five most cost-effective ways to kickstart video marketing for your business in 2020.

1. Create screencast tutorials and presentations

A screencast is nothing but a video recording of your computer screen accompanied by audio narration. If you're just getting started with video marketing on LinkedIn, creating screencast videos of slideshow presentations and tool tutorials is the most effective-yet-inexpensive way to go about it.

To kick-off, all you really need is a script for your video, some solid visuals on your screen (created on say, PowerPoint), screen recording software, and a mic to speak into. You might use your webcam to reveal your face and make it a bit more personal, but that's optional.

Basically, you just narrate as if you were giving a presentation or tutorial to a live audience. If you can't currently invest in a decent camera, or if you're just camera shy, make sure to give screencasting a try.

2. Share video testimonials from happy customers

Social proof is something you can never get enough of as a business. Having more and more user-generated content in the form of product reviews, social media shout-outs and testimonials from happy customers is invaluable to the growth of your business.

Video testimonials are especially effective because they communicate social proof and brand credibility more concretely than plain text reviews. A couple of genuine video testimonials from your clients can go a long way in growing your brand on LinkedIn.

Besides, potential leads and clients on LinkedIn are very forgiving about the video quality when it comes to testimonials. In fact, an unusually well-produced video testimonial will appear less honest, since it's likely well-rehearsed and shot with multiple takes.

Thus, consider reaching out to your existing client base and offering them discount codes in exchange for video testimonials of your product. Your customers will appreciate a good discount, and you'll greatly benefit from such social proof in the long run.

3. Show behind the scenes of your business

How about showing your audience where the magic happens? Everybody loves a backstage pass.

You can highlight your best employees each month and appreciate their hard work in a simple one-minute behind the scenes video. Impress your audience with the skill, craftsmanship, or technology that goes into making your products. Or, simply flaunt your super cool office culture and brand values.

4. Try DIY animated videos

Of course, hiring an agency or experienced freelancer to create high-quality animated videos will cost you a pretty penny. Doing so could really pay off in terms of long-term ROI, but presently, we want to get the best bang for our little buck.

An excellent way to save resources while making entertaining and educational videos is to make animated videos yourself. Animated videos empower you to explain concepts in a more simpler manner and at the same time, they can be really engaging. Such videos spark the conversation and enchant your viewers if done well. No wonder so many marketers prefer going the animated route to make inexpensive marketing videos.

While cloud-based animated video creation platforms such as Sparkol or Vyond are not free, they are surely affordable. Besides, you can also start animating for free by signing up for free plans of software like Animaker or Powtoon.

5. Interview experts and thought leaders

To be recognized as an industry influencer, you first need to associate your brand with existing industry influencers. Provide value to your social media followers and business prospects by interviewing experienced leaders in your industry or even the C-suite of your own company.

Filming interviews with thought leaders in your industry is a tried-and-tested way to build trust and authority with your target audience. Discussions about product innovation in your industry and case studies on successes and failures work really well. Production-wise, interviews are quite easy to manage. A noise-free environment with good lighting, a couple of steady cameras, and basic video editing software is pretty much all the equipment you need to get cracking.

Moreover, interviews with founders and business leaders in their office space comes across as personal and authentic. Interviews can open your brand up to a wider audience who are connected with the person you are interviewing. And with growing video conferencing technology, your guests need not be next to you. You can conduct interviews with anyone on the planet using tools like Skype, GoToMeeting, and so on. Just record that conference video call and post it on your LinkedIn.

So, hunt down influencers and thought leaders in your industry, reach out to them strategically and get these conversations in front of your fanbase.

Don't forget to include subtitles or closed captions in all your videos as people typically scroll through content on their feeds wherein videos are on autoplay without audio playback. Doing so will also make your content more accessible to the hearing-impaired.

Video content marketing is still booming like crazy and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. It drives more eyes and engagement compared to any other content format today. With the tactics outlined above, you don't have to spend big bucks to hit the ground running. Start small and scale fast.

How to Use Billboard Advertisement Effectively

Posted: 27 Dec 2019 06:00 AM PST

  • More than two-thirds of Americans make their shopping decisions while in the car .
  • 71% of U.S. residents have noticed a billboard
  • 28% of billboard viewers take note of the web URL on a billboard
  • Billboard viewers have seen a ton of actionable info on billboards in the U.S., including stores and restaurants they then visited, radio and TV programs they then listened to, events they later attended, etc.

Billboards are something we usually come across while driving on roads and freeways. However, these structures require attention and frequent gazes, in order to make any form of advertising worth the effort. That said, in the subsequent sections, we shall talk about the famed concept of billboard advertising in detail and discuss the effectiveness of the same.

What advertisers need to do while considering billboard advertising

Advertising products and services on billboards is more a relative choice as there might be individuals who gaze at the mounted structures while driving whereas there might be quite a few who prefer keeping eyes just on the road. Moreover, there are regions where billboards are installed with such frequency that noticing the desired message becomes extremely difficult.

Based on an independent survey conducted by the AAA American Driving Survey, there are quite a few aspects which determine the popularity of billboard advertising or thereof the lack of it:

  • An average American prefers spending about 20 hours on the freeway, often treading across 200 miles or more.

  • The fall months usually see an increase in driving frequency with an average of 31.5 miles on a daily basis.

  • The usual age group that prefers going out falls anywhere between the ages of 30 and 49, with an annual driving average of around 13,506 miles.

All these factors and more directly or indirectly determine the role of billboard advertising for businesses and we would be talking about the same in the next few sections:

What billboards really do

In simpler terms, billboards are like giant posters that are often mounted on select structures for public viewing. In comparison to online promotions and public relations, billboards are costlier and more conventional forms of marketing. Therefore, indulging in billboard advertising means that the business is willing to showcase the message or the main aim of the venture on a bigger space; precisely for attracting a wider audience base across a particular region. 

For someone looking for more insights on the concept of a billboard, it is important to note that the largest one available in termed as the 'bulletin'. However, the size of the advertising region also depends on the location and business preferences. Typically, a standard billboard measures around 14 feet in height and 48 feet in width, in usual cases. 

How to use billboard effectively

In most cases, advertising on billboards isn't a pricey affair. However, the effectiveness of price ratio if often determined by the way these advertising tools are used. While the factors like public resonance and location need to be looked at beforehand, there has to be a certain way in which billboards should be designed for putting across the desired message.

A typical billboard must not contain a lot of text and should be able to provide clear information regarding the business and the offered set of products or services. Most importantly, businesses that thrive on the concept of branding and awareness are the most suited towards using billboards as the desired form of advertising. For starters, a billboard must only feature six words at max, to communicate perfectly with the potential audience base. Another important consideration has to be regarding the tone of the billboards as they are usually placed on freeways. Any kind of provocative content might lead to accidents and therefore result in negative publicity for the concerned business. 

Judging billboard advertising effectiveness

Now that we have acquired a fair idea regarding the nature and usage of billboards, it is time to address the actual elephant in the room i.e. billboard effectiveness. However, we would start by talking about the pros and cons of this form of advertising and would conclude the discussion with a more targeted inference.

Pros of billboard advertising

  1. The issue of attention captivity is sorted out by a billboard advertising as its usually massive and graphic oriented.

  2. Having billboards mounted on busy streets make sure that the audience is always engaged during periods of traffic jams and monotonous halts.

  3. Billboard ads are more like tools for continuously bombarding the senses with an impact. Therefore, if and when installed on a particularly busy route, this form of advertisement is expected to make inroads into the users' minds. 

  4. Most importantly, billboards have the capability of reaching out to a massive audience base as compared to other forms of advertising. 

  5. For a business planning on improving the geographical targeting in regard to marketing, billboard advertisements are great alternatives for a more costly marketing package. 

  6. Billboards aren't costly and perfectly capable of delivering low-cost impressions, as they cater to a massive audience base.

  7. Three-dimensional billboards have the capability of portraying a static image as a moving entity that eventually displays different messages across different times. High-end billboards which aren't typical banners also have the ability to stream content, depending on the marketing plans. 

Cons of billboard advertising

  1. When it comes to finding options for a more targeted marketing approach, billboards aren't applicable as they are seen by individuals who have different interests and requirements. This means billboards do not have the capability of tapering targets on the basis of preferences.

  2. Most billboard spaces come with a rental arrangement and it often becomes difficult for a start-up to bear the costs for a longer period of time, provided the company isn't making regular profits.

  3. Typical billboards are more like bulletins set in stone for a certain period of time. While they aim at bombarding thoughts with the business offerings, there are times when the ads can get monotonous after a day or two.

  4. Billboards are prone to damage if structured in areas that encounter heavy and frequent weather strikes. As they are mounted on top of towering structures, they are the first ones to get damaged.

  5. The previous point reveals that billboards should be considered as seasonal marketing options in certain regions which cripple the effectiveness of the same, by a sizeable margin.

It is necessary to look at the statistics focussed on the concept of billboard advertising. Firstly, one heartening figure shows that almost 28% of the fabled billboard watchers do note down contact details of the service provider, mostly the website address. Moreover, 26% usually go for the direct contact number, displayed on the billboards. These statistics show that even though drivers were busy concentrating on the road, they were still willing to follow up on the concerned billboard message.

According to a study by Arbitron, 71% of the population ages 18 and older noticed the advertising message on a billboard. Billboard viewers have seen a ton of actionable info on billboards in the U.S., including stores and restaurants they then visited, radio and TV programs they then listened to, events they later attended, etc. And more than two-thirds of Americans make their shopping decisions while in the car and more than one-third make the decision to stop at the store while on their way home.

Using billboard advertising correctly

It wouldn't be wrong to state that billboards are exceptional marketing tools provided they are used correctly. By correct usage, however, we mean that targeting the specific area where the concerned service procurers are in excess. Most importantly, traffic accumulation is an important factor that determines the effectiveness of billboard advertisements. 

Moreover, the cost of billboards is on the lower side and the best thing about this form of advertisement is that it is virtually unavoidable, unlike radio or television. Therefore, to make the most of a billboard advertisement, the business must consider several aspects and ponder each with significant levels of attention. Billboards are cheap as compared to other forms of advertisements and the results are almost exemplary provided they are used with discretion and marketing intuitiveness. 
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