How video marketing helps you stand out online

Elisabeth Griffioen is a real video expert. With her company De Videovakvrouw, she has been training business owners looking to use video for their company for more than a decade. “Videos are easier to remember and have greater sticking power. Besides, videos are shared up to 20 times more often than links to an article. And still, there are relatively few business owners who go about using video the right way.”

Griffioen believes this is the right time to use videomarketing for your business. “We are living in an age of deepfakes and filters. Authentic experiences are as rare as they are sought-after nowadays. So consider putting off purchasing an expensive camera and see how far a mobile phone, selfie stick, and free editing software will get you. Viewers see small mistakes as a sign of authenticity. Your customers want to see ordinary people who they can identify with. Video gives them that chance. With video, you can meet people everywhere, even from behind your monitor at home."

Introducing yourself online

You can think of a video as an online introduction, Griffioen explains. You share a part of yourself, as you would in a personal conversation. “A customer's search journey begins online, before you meet in real life. The first introduction will take place on your website or LinkedIn profile. You can have as much carefully curated copy as you want, but to find out whether you and your customer are a good match, you will have to meet live."

According to Griffioen, you can have the introduction take place at a much earlier stage of the customer journey with a video, helping you reach the right customers faster. As she puts it herself: “If you do not like me in my videos, you probably will not reach out to me. If you do like my videos, you probably will.”

The essence

With her courses, Griffioen meets countless entrepreneurs who signed up to learn how to shoot and edit videos but forgot about one essential aspect. “Technique is a tiny part of video marketing”, she explains. “I will teach you how to edit a video, write a script, and subtitle your videos, of course. My most important lesson, however, is that videos should always convey a message that benefits the viewer. It does not matter whether you are sharing complex business tips or explaining a new way to peel a banana. If you give viewers the answer they were looking for, they will keep coming back. You have to know what your target audience wants to know.”

Your audience’s needs and wishes

Knowing the wants and needs of your audience sounds easy. After all, business owners know what their customers want, right? Griffioen smiles: “I work with lots of different business owners, from lawyers and stonemasons and e-retailers to coaches and people who teach online crochet classes. They all want the same thing: more online reach. You would be surprised how many of them figure out what their target audience really wants during my courses. Once they realise their audience’s needs and wishes and incorporate them in their videos, my customers suddenly notice that their views skyrocket.”

Keyword research

Keyword research is the most effective way to find out what questions your customers have. The purpose of keyword research is to figure out which words your customers use when searching online. No one goes online to find out why you started your business or how you work, so there is no need to publish a video about it. “My customers tend to search for keywords like ‘best microphone’ or ‘vlogging camera’”, Griffioen explains, “so that is what my videos are about. The videos take them straight to my YouTube channel or website, where they can find more tips on making videos. Next, all these interested viewers become potential customers.”

SEO

Once you know what your customers are searching for, you can use this insight to improve your website copy or improve your findability online. This is called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). With SEO, you can make sure that people see your website when they enter certain keywords in Google. You can have SEO done by a professional, but you can also do it yourself.

Getting started

Once you have a clear understanding of how you can help your target audience, you can get started. Griffioen offers 5 tips for your first video.

1. Start with frequently asked questions

Business owners often have to answer the same question over and over. Every frequently asked question can be used as the topic for a new video. Besides, answering all your FAQs in videos gives you all the content you need in order to regularly share a new video. The next time someone asks you a question via email or social media, simply send them a link to one of your videos. Videos are a lot more personal than emails.

2. Cover one topic per video

When you start filming answers to FAQs, answer 1 question per video. Never be afraid of saying too little in a video. The shorter the video, the clearer the message and the better the viewer will remember it. Rather than making a video on the entire fruit bowl, focus on a banana first. Want to say more about a particular topic? Make a new video and create a series. Viewers are more likely to watch short videos all the way to the end.

3. Stay moving

To keep your viewer interested for as long as possible, your video has to stay varied and dynamic. Griffioen explains: “No one wants to watch a talking head in front of a white background for 2 minutes. I always shoot my videos outdoors, in a nearby dog park. I do not even like dogs myself, but the videos always show me walking around the same park. It has nothing to do with the topics of my videos, but the park has reached cult status among my followers.”

4. Do not be a perfectionist

A video is a way to showcase yourself. No one is perfect, so your video does not have to be either. “The occasional ‘Uhh’ is just fine”, Griffioen explains. “And if a passerby waves at you during the video, you do not have to cut it out. On the contrary, these small imperfections only enhance the authenticity of the video. You will appear more trustworthy as a result.”

5. End with a CTA

Always end your video with a call-to-action (CTA). “When people think of a CTA, they often think of commercial actions”, Griffioen continues, “Like ‘buy my book now’ or ‘sign up for my course’. However, CTAs can be much more casual than that. What about: 'Watch my next video on this topic' or 'How do you handle this issue? Let me know in the comments below.’ As well as being a good way to tie up the video, the CTA also kick starts interaction with your audience.”