As senior living organizations seek to generate positive awareness, build their brands and differentiate themselves from the competition, web-based videos should be viewed as a priority marketing tool.
Videos provide an ideal platform for “demonstration”, or “problem-solution” marketing, long considered by marketing experts to be one of the most powerful and effective marketing techniques. Identify your customer group’s problem or concern, then demonstrate how your personal brand in the product category, i.e. senior living, solves their problem.
In his article, How to Use Web Video to Win Business and Wow Customers, author David Ingram espouses the value of this dynamic medium.
Says, Ingram, “The benefits of Web video for business are all too clear, and as a marketing medium it’s really heating up.” “A Web video is a high-impact format that helps viewers retain information better than they would simple text or images. “That’s because the human brain is programmed to much more quickly take in large amounts of information presented in a combination of images, movement, and sound rather than as images, text, or audio alone.”
Strengthen Your Arsenal
Adding video to your marketing arsenal is likely to make an impact on your sales, simply because the medium is so powerful. According to AYTM Market Research, Web video has a significant influence on consumer purchases. Also, video results appear in roughly 70% of the top 100 listings in search results, according to Searchmetrics.
Like anything else, your initial planning is critical to creating an effective Web video. Make sure your content syncs with what your target audience would want to see.
Points to Remember
- Give potential customers value. With Web video, your aim is to connect with the viewer in a way that resonates with them personally so they continue viewing.
- Engagement is key. The content should be entertaining, not stuffy and corporate, and it should certainly not contain lengthy explanations about your service.
- Determine your call to action—then consider why your audience would share your video socially or go on to visit your website.
- Optimize for search. The sheer amount of online video means that it’s essential that you use meta-data to help your video climb the ranks.
Producing a Compelling Video
Because both content and production values are important to a discerning public, if you’re not up to the job technically, then it’s a good idea to utilize a professional marketing company that specializes in senior living. It is important that your video represents you and your community well. Be sure the project is completed by a professional creative team so that every aspect of it is done well.
Key Technical Tips
Ingram suggests some important technical advice for assuring an effective production.
- Start with the script, and ensure that it’s clear, succinct, and concise. A good Web video creates energy and buzz, so don’t bore your viewers with droning speeches.
- Consider how the script can be paced alongside your graphics and any other audio you use so that the whole fits together in a way that allows you to hear and see a rhythm pattern and progression, which is what will hold your audience’s attention.
- Keep the background simple, and don’t allow clutter. Let short phrases and accompanying graphics do the talking.
A well produced and compelling Web video can provide a significant boost to your brand and how you’re perceived by your customers. And by including social marketing into your video, you can promote sharing to get people talking about your company.