How video marketing helps you stand out online

Making videos has many advantages. Video is a powerful tool for promoting your business or product and showcasing your expertise. Because videos are often viewed longer and shared more often, you will be easier to find in search engines such as Google. What's more, viewers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video. It is also good for customer loyalty to your brand: videos can evoke emotions and build trust with your target audience.

Online introduction

Elisabeth Griffioen is an expert in the field of video. Under the name De Videovakvrouw, she trains entrepreneurs who want to use video for their business. "A video is actually an online introduction. You show something of yourself, just as you would in a personal conversation. A customer's search process starts online, before you meet each other in real life. So that introduction starts on your website or social media. These platforms feature well-written texts, but whether there is a personal connection between you and a customer only becomes clear after a live meeting." According to Griffioen, a video brings that introductory moment forward, allowing you to attract the right customers more quickly.

Getting started with corporate videos

"With your mobile phone, a selfie stick and a free editing programme, you can go a long way," says Griffioen. "But the most important thing is that you say something in a video that is immediately useful to your target audience. Whether you're giving a business tip or explaining a different way to peel a banana, it does not matter. If your viewer was looking for that and finds the answer with you, they will always come back for more information. So you need to know what your target audience wants to know."

Determine who your target audience is

To know what your target audience wants, you first need to know who your potential customers are. This will help you create the right type of video.

Find out what your target audience wants to know

Keyword research allows you to see what questions your customers have. You discover which words your customers use online to search for solutions to a problem. Griffioen: "For example, my customers search for terms such as 'best microphone' or 'vlog camera'. So I make videos about those topics. These videos take them directly to my YouTube channel or website, where they can find even more tips for making videos." From that moment on, an interested viewer becomes a potential customer. Also think about the questions you get from your current customers.

Choose your topic

Decide what you want to say with your video. Do you want to inform people or sell a product? Choose one topic per video. Make sure your message is clear.

Choose your channel

Decide where you want to post your videos by choosing the channels where your target audience is active. This will also help you decide how to film: YouTube, for example, is in landscape format, while TikTok and Instagram are in portrait format. 

Make your video

Write down what you want to say and do in your video beforehand. Make sure your video has a clear beginning, middle and end. This will make your video more interesting.

Hold the viewer's attention

Keep your video short and powerful, so you don't lose the viewer's attention. Also think about lighting, sound and your background. It is best to use a microphone. Griffioen adds: "Watching a talking head against a white background for 2 minutes is boring. I always film outside, at a dog park around the corner from my house. It has nothing to do with the subject of the video, but that park is now famous among my followers."

You do not need to be perfect

A video is a way to show who you are. Nobody is perfect, so your video doesn't have to be either. "It's okay to say 'uh' a few times," says Griffioen. "Things like that reinforce the feeling that you are completely yourself in the video. This makes your message come across as trustworthy.’

End with a call to action

Always end your video with a call to action (CTA). "We often think of CTAs as commercial actions," says Griffioen. "Such as 'buy my book now' or 'sign up for my course'. But a CTA can be much more accessible. For example: 'Watch my next video on this topic' or ‘How do you do that? Put it in the comments below this video.' A CTA like this is not only the end of the video, but also the beginning of interaction with your target audience."

Don't forget subtitles

Many people watch videos without sound when they are on the go or in a busy environment. Subtitles make your video accessible to people who cannot hear the audio or who speak a different language. Subtitles also improve your video's search engine ranking. Most video editing programmes have a feature that allows you to easily add subtitles. 

Share and improve

Share your video in the channel you selected earlier. Refer to the video as much as possible: in your newsletter, on social media, and on your website. Ask your followers to share the video to increase its reach. Check the statistics for your videos regularly. This will help you understand what works and what you can improve.