There are always more outlets for online marketing videos. New places to show them. Old places you’ve missed out on. New ways of attracting attention to them. New ways of telling your stories. The aim is always to get more views for your online videos and to attract new customers. Today I want to take a look at three outlets for your video marketing that I haven’t looked at in any depth before.
Getting Views With Banners
There is no question that banner advertising can be irritating. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t effective. It can be especially effective when your banners contain video. Having your video auto play (remembering to have it play with sound muted) in a banner means that you get to grab your viewers attention. Your video draws their eye across the page and makes them take a decision on whether or not to click. You get free views. This is especially true on mobile platforms as you banner pops up on the screen forcing the interaction from the customer. The downside to using banners is the irritation factor I mentioned above. The initial interaction with a banner is forced and I don’t like that, do you? So what other outlets are there for the small or medium size business to use marketing video to gain views and attract new customers?
Live Streaming
Live streaming has been around for a few years now. Recently the functionality has been added to Facebook and with that its use has exploded. Live streaming used to be something businesses did for training events. Then there came public platforms where people could stream events. YouTube has provided live streaming functionality since 2011 and you can visit their live stream page here. This enabled live streaming to really start to grow. Streaming video games became particularly popular. Meanwhile radio stations began to live stream their radio shows effectively transforming themselves into online TV stations.
The rise of live streaming apps is really changing the game with apps like Meerkat and Periscope leading the way. But I’m going to argue that by adding this functionality Facebook has started a minor revolution in online video. The sheer popularity of Facebook means that for most people the first contact they’ve had with live streaming is on their Facebook newsfeed. Anyone can do it. Today no less than three of my friends have live streamed. Two of them from their holidays and one of them to show their daughter’s first steps. The stream is done directly from their phones and couldn’t be simpler. So how do businesses make use of this?
I don’t know. I have some thoughts but this is new ground being broken by ordinary people all around us. The possible uses are mind boggling. Are you a charity? Then why not live stream your funding events. Why not live stream an auction? Do you have a shop? Why not live stream an event from there? You could make the first day of your sale an event and live stream the bargains that are going to be on sale in the days leading up to it.
[bctt tweet=”From live streaming to virtual reality, check out these new ways to reach customers online” username=”yellbusiness”]
Live streaming is the democratic fulfillment of the promise television made when it was first invented. It is the ability for anyone, anywhere to freely broadcast their message whatever that may be and it is very exciting.
Virtual Reality
I’ve talked briefly about virtual reality before, but the latest news is that Sony will be releasing their VR headset this October and that it will cost only a third of what current models cost. There is a short window of opportunity here. It won’t be easy to exploit but it is there. Virtual Reality headsets are very expensive with the most popular currently selling around the £750 mark. But this October Sony will release their headset for use with the Playstation 4. It will cost under £350. Developers are already making games and the Steam games platform already has a dedicated section for Playstation 4 VR content.
The early adopters will be hungry for content. They will want games, demos and videos to try out their new technology. This is the chance for companies to get their 360 degree videos out there ready for people to watch. It won’t be long before there is a glut of content to access. In the gap between release and fulfillment we can really make an impact by being among the first advertisers to give VR viewers an experience that also pushes your brand recognition.
