We’re a couple of months into the new year and it’s safe to say that everyone has thrown predictions out into the ring about what the year holds for content marketing. By all accounts, this year is shaping up to be the year of visual marketing. Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, video. . .great. Bring it on.
However, I feel the need to voice one concern: Don’t overdo it.
Investors diversify their portfolios and content marketers need to adopt that strategy, too. As video continues to explode and every other company’s CEO points to the medium’s omnipotence, it’s important to remember one word—moderation.
Where Video Gets Dicey
Don’t get me wrong, I love video. In fact, our company just created a custom animated video to use in our sales funnel. You’ll see videos embedded in a number of the posts there. While this is great, it’s important to keep a level head in dealing with this medium.
Video can get dicey, so please:
Don’t Ask for Too Much
Here’s the thing, folks – nobody has to read your blog. Nobody has to tweet it. Nobody has to comment. When you make a video a core piece of a blog post, your audience either has to watch it or bow out. You can’t really get much from a blog post that continues to refer to a video when you haven’t actually watched the video, right?
Respect your audience. Don’t post a video unless you’re confident that your audience will appreciate the share.
Don’t Bore or Over-Stimulate
You wouldn’t sit your kids down in front of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” would you? I guess if you wanted them to take a long nap, you might. At the same time, if you have a lot on your plate, you can’t afford the distraction of an action-packed movie playing on the T.V. Think of your video content in the same way.
Don’t bore and don’t over-stimulate.
Don’t Overdo It
Too much blogging can hurt engagement. So can too much video. If you develop a reputation as the “video blog,” people are going to be less inclined to engage with your blog. (Unless you happen to post incredible videos on a regular basis that are universally loved. . . good luck.)
3 Video Tips For Your Blog
Finding the Artful Balance
There’s no magic formula. But I do have three tips to help you make the most of video on your blog. Follow these 3 video tips for a successful, balanced approach:
Experiment
Experiment with different frequencies of video posts to find what’s working best for you. Then, take your data and create an editorial calendar that repeats this ideal frequency.
Be Creative
Be creative with your video. Having your bloggers read their posts in front of a webcam is not being creative. Offer more than the competition.
Have a Reason
Last, choose video for a reason. Failure to use video does not mean you’ll lose the race. If video doesn’t make sense for you, then disregard it. It’s better to have no video content (or very little) than to create content that doesn’t have a clear reason for existing.
How will you be using video and what balancing tips do you have?
Video Photo via Shutterstock
Ti Roberts
Great video tips, Amie. It’s important to be wise yet creative when it comes to video marketing. Video is extremely effective for business when done properly and you’ve provided a great checklist to get started with; thanks.
Ti
A little editing goes a long way. After you’ve shot your video go through and identify areas that can be trimmed. A long transition or a botched sentence or two can easily be cut out with Windows Movie Maker or iMovie. Fixing these little things can help you video flow better and stay on point.
Make
You’re right. When I feel that someone has a video blog, I hardly ever interact with them. Bloggers need to have videos that are more engaging than regular posts, because people can’t scan them and know what they’re getting in return for their time.