Today, it’s clear that video is hard to beat when it comes to engagement. The medium is ideal for sharing ideas and capturing the attention of an audience. Essentially, if you aren’t embracing video right now, that means your association is missing out.
Exactly what are you missing out on? At this time, nearly one-third of all internet users spend time on YouTube, watching a cumulative 500 million hours of video every single day. Over half a billion people watch videos on Facebook daily, and 82 percent of Twitter users watch videos on Twitter, too. That means, if you aren’t using association video marketing, you aren’t capturing any of that attention.
Now, even if you agree with 87 percent of online marketers and decide to embrace video, that doesn’t mean that you should post any footage you have lying around. Instead, you need to craft an engaging video marketing campaign for your association, ensuring your message is focused, and the videos draw in viewers.
But how do you get started with creating a video marketing campaign? And how do you make sure yours can achieve your marketing goals while respecting your budget? Let’s find out.
Most associations have limited marketing budgets. Developing a formal script is time-consuming if handled in-house and can be expensive to outsource. Paying for professional video crews isn’t typically practical. Usually, post-production editing costs aren’t easy to shoulder either. In reality, it’s the price tag of video marketing that prevents associations from including videos in their campaigns. Luckily, there are alternatives that can provide you with amazing content at prices you can afford.
User generated content allows you to leverage the passion of your existing members. They can share real stories focused on interesting experiences, an approach that can be incredibly engaging for your audience.
Plus, you don’t need video crews or formal scripts to make it happen. Even a high-quality smartphone camera or a simple video kiosk can capture the footage. Then, you cut clips together with titles and transitions, and your video is ready to go.
User generated content can be incredibly effective. For example, in just 24 hours, The League of American Orchestras used user generated content to raise $75,000.
With user generated content, the videos feel authentic. It gives viewers a glimpse into real-world experiences, and that’s impactful. Plus, it’s much less expensive than traditional videos, making it a budget-friendly approach, too.
The internet is overrun with sales attempts. Pop-up ads, auto-play videos, and commercials that play before the main content are everywhere. And, often, the onslaught of marketing messages can get pretty annoying.
People don’t get online to be sold on something. Instead, they want information. Internet users favor content that provides them with value. And, when the message is more than a sales attempt, they form positive associations with the brand. In a way, quality content is marketing by proxy; it’s an indirect route to bolstering interest.
So, how do you create content that resonates on a whole new level? You create a video marketing campaign for your association that focuses on stories, not sales.
Create videos that have an emotional element. Share details that help viewers in their everyday personal or professional lives. Make the content interesting, engaging, and informative above all else. That way, if you add a call-to-action at the end, that appeal isn’t the sole message behind the video.
When a message is shared in a video, 95 percent of it is retained by the viewer. Considering that only 10 percent is retained when something is read, and it’s clear that video can be perfect for teaching your audience something important.
Create videos that allow you to educate your audience in areas that matter based on your association’s niche. This could be details about your organization’s mission or the association’s industry. You could provide tips that help your association members in their personal or professional lives, if there is a relevant connection.
It taught viewers about aspects of the organization that many people may not have seen before, and it was delivered in a powerful and authentic way.
At Waterkeeper Alliance, user generated content educated viewers on how people engage with their waterways.
It shined a light on how important waterways are to a community, bringing attention to something critical to the organization’s mission.
Did you know that one-fifth of video viewers will click out of a video in 10 seconds or less? It’s true. Additionally, were you aware that short, high-impact videos are better than longer ones? Considering that the average viewer will watch for about 2.7 minutes, that’s clearly a fact as well.
By understanding how timing in a video impacts engagement, you can plan your association video marketing campaign accordingly. Make sure that the first 10 seconds of every clip piques your audiences’ curiosity or clearly demonstrates why they should keep watching. Aim to capture their attention fast, such as by using teasers or asking thought-provoking questions.
Then, once you have them hooked, don’t dawdle. Strive to share that video’s core message in an efficient manner. Your goal shouldn’t be to drag the experience out. Instead, you want to keep engagement high, so don’t be evasive about providing the value you promised in the first 10 seconds.
The video marketing campaign for your association will only be successful if the clips get seen by your target audience. Without maximizing your SEO, you’ll miss out.
Make sure that the titles of the videos draw viewers in and feature a relevant keyword. Create a thorough but concise description that includes additional keywords. Add tags or hashtags (when uploading to social media platforms) to increase the odds that the clips will show up in searches. Make your videos embeddable so others can share them with ease.
By paying attention to video SEO, you can increase your video’s reach. Your message will be more likely to be seen, and that can boost your campaign.
All of the tips above can make creating a winning video marketing campaign possible. If you want to experience the power and cost-saving benefits of user generated content, Gather Voices makes it easy. Dozens of leading associations use Gather Voices to collect videos from their members. This enables them to integrate member stories with ease. Plus, it eliminates the need for costly video crews, fancy scripts, and tough production schedules. Our video platform empowers association marketers, giving them tools that work anytime, anywhere. Schedule a demo to learn more about what Gather Voices can do for you.