How Video Can Significantly Boost Your Covid-19 Marketing Strategies

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major effect on how we socialize, travel, work, and go about our daily lives. Our current circumstances are extremely complicated. If you are on a marketing team or happen to be responsible for the marketing of a company, it can be difficult to see the silver lining right now.

But there just so happens to be one. Average consumers now absorb over 80% more content than before the outbreak, and video is leading the way. 

By 2022, 82% of all content production is expected to be video. That means the average person will be watching almost two hours of video content on a daily basis.

While many companies focus on the power of digital technology as a replacement for face-to-face events, there is an unparalleled opportunity for businesses to use video as a means to engage, communicate with, and retain customers during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Here are a few ways to integrate video into your marketing campaign.

Determine your goal

While the use of video in digital marketing strategies is very popular, this does not always mean that it will be effective. 

Why? The most likely answer is because not all businesses set clear objectives. To ensure your video gets the results you want, actually take the time to determine your end goal before you sign off on your video’s creatives. 

Do you want to start conversations, create engagement with customers, or share information about your company’s current activities around the pandemic? Make sure every goal is translated into video. This is very important when you consider that 72% of consumers prefer learning about a new product or service through video, so it’s an opportunity you can’t afford to waste.

What’s more, be realistic about your expectations. Customer demand is down worldwide; that is a fact. The time has come to change our expectations in order to adapt to the changing landscape. If it means you have to take another look at your demand-and-supply strategies, do it as soon as possible.

Be sure of its purpose

Right now, customers are bombarded with content. It goes without saying that businesses would like to tell their customers what they are doing to safeguard their food, products, customers, and employees during the crisis. 

In theory, that’s a positive development. Research shows that over 56% of consumers want to hear Covid-19 messages from their favorite brands and businesses. Still, if you want to convert visitors into buyers, you have to make sure that you are getting heard above the clamor.

From marketing emails to social media posts, everyone seems to copy and paste the “Your safety is our first priority…” line instead of being sincere and differentiating themselves amid the noise. So how can you change that? Make sure that your communication has a true purpose. 

Even beyond your goals, any videos you publish should give something back. When it comes to video marketing, we are after emotion connected to the customer experience. If your content serves you instead of your customer, it will only lead to irritation. Lay the foundation to interact, support, and uplift, and continue to build on that foundation as you go forward.

Be original and authentic

If you want to go viral, stick with video, remember to stay authentic, and be true to your company’s personality. If you don’t have a brand personality, now would be the time to give it some serious consideration. 

Think of the campaigns run by Oreo or even Budweiser during the last few months. They were authentic, heartwarming, and elicited an emotional response from viewers. Look at the brands that are getting it right, and take your cues from them. Create content that “looks” and “feels” or even “tastes” like your brand without directly referring to your products.

Get by with your budget

Your business may not be Budweiser or Oreo. Perhaps your business is also facing some budget cuts. You might even find yourself taking Google’s lead and cutting your marketing expenditures for the remainder of the year. 

Right now, it is a given that any marketing investments you currently make might not see any ROI in terms of sales. This is why managing your budget is so important. The time has come to be real, and that means to focus on your employees or even yourself.

Make use of live streams and Instagram stories. If your budget is running low, use apps like iMovie to edit your videos yourself. By investing in video strategies now, you can reap the benefits when the economic wheels are churning again.

Be mobile-friendly

During the lockdown period, about half of all people read the news or their social media updates via their mobile devices. Ensure that your video content is scalable and mobile-friendly. Consider realities such as the fastest download times and the most user-friendly streaming services. 

Also carefully consider your platform, and the benefits you will gain when using YouTube, as Google already owns the platform. In this example, the search functionality will pick up your website or other details as well as your videos, effectively doubling your content’s search power. 

Include videos in your emails

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to keep a customer base engaged with a product or service. It also provides an excellent opportunity to make your videos more visible in front of more people and boost your marketing strategy. 

By including video in your emails, you can feature video landing pages that have powerful calls to action, send inspirational customer story videos, and incorporate personalized video emails as part of your overall sales process.  Most people receive emails from their favorite brands every day, but your emails can stand out more by incorporating video into them. 

A final tip to truly capture your customers’ attention is to look at what is trending. The viral videos right now are those that bring people hope, awareness, and happiness. People are searching for encouragement. If your marketing videos provide any of the above while remaining sincere, you will have successfully found your cloud’s silver lining.

Gary Stevens is a front-end developer and copywriter who specializes in writing about cybersecurity, blockchain, and tech trends.