As we know, video marketing has made giant leaps over the past few years. With the rise of Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Live, it’s no wonder that social media video marketing is one of the hottest conversation topics within the marketing field. Using video as a marketing strategy, however, is not a “one size fits all” tactic. For example, messaging for a B2B company will generally differ from that of a B2C company because of the overall strategies used in appealing to customers versus appealing to business executives.
A recent social media marketing industry report found that “B2C marketers place greater importance on visual content than B2B marketers.” Because video has been proven to generate stronger results across the board, that may not be good for B2B marketers; but it is a positive sign that B2C marketers are in touch with what consumers want — video.
Due to all of the recent technological developments in video marketing, it is paramount to first understand your target audience and their behaviors to effectively determine what tactics would work best. Let’s examine three broad categories of video that B2C businesses can utilize:
Temporary Video Content - This category includes platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram Stories and is popular with millennials but doesn’t resonate strongly with baby boomers. Temporary content is projected to grow in 2017. With Snapchat users watching more than 10 billion videos per day, and the number of Instagramers topping 500 million, these networks are important to consider when developing your B2C video marketing strategy.
Live Streaming Video - Facebook Live and Periscope are the most popular platforms in this category. More and more businesses, non-profits, celebrities, and media are taking advantage of the popularity of live streaming to reach a large number of people all at once. Whether it be a product demonstration, a behind-the-scenes look, a case study, or an event, the possibilities for your company to effectively use this marketing medium are endless.
YouTube - Even with the rise of temporary content and live streaming, YouTube continues to be one of the most influential video sources. A recent Google report stated, “50% of 18-34 year olds would drop what they’re doing to watch a new video by their favorite YouTube creator.” This indicates that YouTube should be an important component of a B2C marketing strategy, especially if your target audience includes millennials.
If you are unsure of how to use temporary video, live streaming, or YouTube for your business, or if you need guidance on overall video marketing strategy, call Embark today.
