How To Engage Online Users With Video

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Video, when done right, makes a great addition to an online marketing campaign, either as an addition to a website or as a great content source for syndication and quality (not quantity) Backlink generation. Video grabs attention in ways just not possible with textual content or even still images. Website engagement is a key determinant of website success and video is a great tool to foster engagement. You only have to understand your own behavior and those around you to understand this. Anytime we humans meet “pictures flying through the air” we either stop what we are doing to watch or focus even more if our eyes happen to be on the source in the first place. While baby boomers, now in their 60’s, are easily drawn by video, the younger you are the more you “lock-in” when video is present.

Engaging video can also add a whole new facet to your SEO campaign. Because video is not text based, you can use a video or slideshow format to syndicate some of your best articles, site content, and marketing information. The proper use of keywords and ...
... tags (optimization) in your video will also help you get traffic from YouTube and Google Video search engines, just to name two. Video should be viewed as a marketing channel with just as much potential as blogs and social media. Just don’t let your search engine optimization basics like great keywords and Meta tags fall by the wayside. They’re easy to incorporate into video platforms. You can also use services such as Tubemogul.com to upload your videos to many video sharing sites.

In creating video to engage online users, you’ll want to remain acutely aware of your audience. This ties in directly with the overall intent of the video: do you want to sell a product, advertise your website, or liven up content? Taking all of this into account will help make your efforts with video successful.

If your video is going to appear on other websites for the purpose of advertising, your instinct might be to produce something that resembles regular TV commercials. Doing so is fine to an extent, but there are some definite differences. For one, there are two primary ways to distribute these types of videos online: ad space on websites and social media. For those electing to use ad space, it’s worth noting that the most lucrative ads feature a brief pre-roll and optional sound. This formatting means that an average looking person delivering a monologue will make a mediocre video, at best. A good, engaging video here will be visually striking and enticing so as to draw in the audience. It should be succinct and interesting so as to continue the user’s engagement once they’ve devoted their attention to it.

The social media option involves using sites like Twitter and YouTube to distribute your video. It can be cost-effective and allow for more creative expression. You don’t have to limit yourself to a 30-second clip or factor in the pre-roll, but you still have to immediately capture and continuously engage short attention spans. Viral campaigns fall under the social media umbrella and can be a great way to spike interest and profits.

Additionally, take caution when using hand, phone, or web cameras for producing video. Even on the internet, quality is king. If you’re going to utilize lo-fi recording techniques, make sure the aesthetic and low-tech feel aren’t going to damage your company’s and/or website’s reputation. There are a number of companies that specialize in video production for online use. They’ll also be able to contribute the knowledge and experience of specialists to the entire process, something that can improve the success of your video. Low production values tend to be more acceptable for videos that will be distributed via social media and/or merely be embedded in your own site or blog. Although this isn’t always true, so try to use your best judgment. If you are using low-quality recorders, take extra care to make sure that the content is original and moving.

Regardless of what you choose to do, bearing in mind the basics of advertising and content should allow you to produce video that truly engages your online audience. If you need help generating video content, just contact us.