Strategic Insights for your Oakville Campaign

The ROI that Oakville based companies get from video production marketing is well worth the time and money invested. That said, strategic planning is the key to whether a video marketing campaign will be a success or a failure. An important ingredient for putting together a great video marketing strategy is keeping up to date on industry analytics and trends. If you’re currently planning out a video ad or marketing campaign for your company, one recent study conducted by Yahoo (in partnership with Nielsen & Hunter Qualitative) is definitely worth the read. This study examines what concepts and production elements make certain ads perform better than others in any given campaign. It reveals some very interesting strategic insights that may help you in the planning of your own campaign. Below we’ve outlined the 3 most important takeaways from this study:

Proper Mobile Alignment:
• According to Yahoo’s research, ads need to be optimized for screen alignment. In other words, viewing a landscape ad horizontally compared to vertically, can increase brand affinity by 20% and lift purchase intent by 33%. Viewing a portrait ad vertically compared to horizontally can increase brand affinity by 80% and lift purchase intent by up to 100%.

Auto-start native video ads:
• Compared to industry standard pre-roll video ads, the study shows that auto-start video ads in native environments (blogs, articles, etc.) achieve 51% higher aided recall (memory retention of the ad), 10% higher brand familiarity, and 4% brand affinity.
• Comedic ads have proven to drive a 50% lift in brand familiarity with Millennials, compared to overall viewers.
• Dramatic or emotional ads cause a 33% lift in brand affinity with Millennials.
• Informational ads have proven to drive a 31% lift in purchase intent.

These results show that fairly simple items can have a dramatic effect on video production marketing campaigns and important demographics. This is why research and strategic planning is one of the keys to video victory. A short cut here is to hire a professional Oakville video production company like Groovy Concepts to produce your content. On top of producing highly engaging content, a professional video production company should be well versed in the latest industry analytics and trends and will be able to provide consultation to help you get the most out of all your video marketing campaigns.

We’ve stated many times that research and analytics is paramount when launching and maintaining a video production marketing campaign. Video production can be expensive and Toronto based companies must know which video genres catch the most attention and how well campaigns are doing as they go along. If you are planning a paid online video campaign to boost visibility and brand awareness you’ll need to set key performance indicators (KPIs) for that campaign. This kind of research and analytics is considered best practice among the top online marketers in north America.

Although views aren’t always the best kind of metric to measure performance, with over 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s handy to have a benchmark to ascertain how well your video content is doing against others in the same vertical. Average # of Views per Video by YouTube Category (according to research by Tubular)

• How-to and Style:  8,332 views/ video average
• People and Blogs:  2,354 views/ video average
• Entertainment:  9,816 views/ video average
• Gaming:  3,050 views/ video average
• Education:  4,872 views/ video average
• Automotive and Vehicles:  5,673 views/ video average
• Travel and Events:  3,070 views/ video average
• Pets and Animals:  6,542 views/ video average
• Science and Tech:  6,638 views/ video average

A video’s view count can be a great indicator of how engaging your video content is, how well you have optimized your metadata, and how well it’s performing. However it is also very important that you also examine your watch-time metric, your subscriber growth, and other performance indicators.To make the most out of your video marketing campaigns make sure you are doing the following to attract as many viewers as possible:

• Build your subscriber base. A loyal fan base will watch almost anything you upload. DisneyCollectorBR has over 3.5 million subscribers which is why they get a huge amount of views.
• Adjust and revise your titles and description. This is one we’ve mentioned in the past. Test what works, and then test it again. Test your custom thumbnail images as well to see what works best.
• Make sure you upload your videos to the right category. This can be changed after you have uploaded the video.
• Pay for an ad campaign.
• Connect with other brands to expand your audience reach.

Researching statistics like the ones listed above can greatly help you in choosing the right genre of video to produce and can help make your video marketing campaign a successful one. We all know how competitive the Oakville market is and that everyone seems to be launching hefty video marketing campaigns these days. However with the right research and planning, your campaign can be a tremendous success making your company standout in this highly competitive city of Oakville.

Viral Video In Oakville

We receive lots of questions from our Oakville based clients about branded viral video (online videos that are heavily shared and talked about… mostly via social media). We all love watching and sharing viral videos and we all seem to understand the social impact of them. But few seem to really understand the potential business impact of viral video. Other than a purchase, there is no more intimate and influential metric than a social share, and brands who run successful viral video campaigns often earn back five times more from their investment than with any other form of content. Not only that but in some cases, viral video can launch the growth of a new product or service at an exponential rate. That said, creating a successful viral video takes one of the most sophisticated approaches in video production and marketing. The efforts and costs are well worth it if your video …well…goes viral.

The term “viral video” is so mis-understood that many brands have been derailed trying to achieve success with it. The reason is that the “viral” part of the phrase “Viral Video” cannot be created and can only be earned. Without the right knowledge, budget, campaign tactics, and a qualified production company, creating a successful viral video is a serious long shot. Before planning out a viral video production for your Oakville based company it’s important to know a few key components about this niche. Branded viral videos generally come in two categories depending on company objectives:

1. Modern infomercial
2. Branded entertainment

Modern Informercial

The modern infomercial is used mainly to drive direct response sales. If this is your objective, an infomercial or promotional approach is best. Brands such as Dollar Shave Club, Squatty Potty and FreshPet have attained a lot of success with this approach. Their sales-oriented videos have a very strong call to action and are usually presented in a comedic way. Dollar Shave Club’s viral video almost single-handedly launched the company now valued at $615 million, driving 12,000 sign-ups, and earning $100k in the first 48 hours. Squatty Potty’s video success actually out shined their Shark Tank appearance, earning them $15 million in sales with a 600% jump in online sales, 400% jump in retail sales, and quadrupling the size of the company. And as for FreshPet’s video, it is said that the the overwhelming traffic it received almost crashed their website. Needless to say, they’ve created more viral videos since.

Branded Entertainment

Branded entertainment is used primarily for brand awareness, social shares, and growing your audience. If this is your objective, branded entertainment is your best bet. This form of viral video gives you the opportunity to more narrowly define your brand while tapping into the younger demographic. If tens of thousands of people share your video, your message can become part of culture… which is really one of the ultimate goals for any brand. The Coca Cola Happiness Machine video is a powerful example of Branded Entertainment. In this hidden-camera style video a Coca Cola machine dispenses free Coca Cola bottles… and then balloon animals, then a pizza, and then even a long sandwich to a delighted student dining hall. The Red Bull Kluge video is another great example of branded entertainment. The Red Bull brand is now synonymous with extreme sports in the minds of the public, and extreme sports videos were some of the first to go viral on the Internet. This one has it all and is brilliantly executed.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the fewer resources you are able to put towards your viral video, the less your chances are of breaking through the clutter. Viral video is a highly competitive form of content and opportunities for easy breakthroughs are much less common today than they were five years ago. The rule to follow is to always plan the campaign budget to be three times that of the production. You should always develop a plan for paid advertising, influencers, video SEO and PR once you’ve created your concept.

Also, remember to test your viral video before you launch. This is the only way to know if your video is going to work. Create multiple versions of your viral video as a YouTube Ad and use different titles, thumbnails, and edits that change the shots around. Try using different calls to action as well. This should provide all the data you need for figuring out which version of your video is most engaging. If engagement is low on the most optimized version, then you may need to re-shoot some shots or segments to fix what is lacking. The producers behind some of the top viral videos of all time literally wrote and tested more than 100 title variations of their videos. This pre-launch testing is also a great way to solve any creative arguments within your team as data doesn’t lie!

Viral video production is certainly not the easiest form of content to undertake and it’s results can be mixed at best. Oakville companies should tread carefully when considering this kind of video production. Viral video can be compared to music production. There are lots of musicians putting a lot of hard work into producing their music but very few songs become smash hits. Unfortunately, that is the reality of viral video. That said, if your video does go viral, your Oakville company or brand could be on the fast track to global success and exponential growth.

Video Title Optimization

Oakville is a highly competitive city and market regardless of the company or sector. Oakville based companies really need to think outside the box in order to make themselves stand out and grab attention. Although producing high quality videos and ads can give companies the edge they need to engage with their target-customers, little attention is given to the importance of video titles. The reality is, regardless of the quality of your videos, they need to have compelling titles in order to grab significant viewer attention and bring in the engagement you want.

Flashy keywords that cleverly explain the subject matter are important and can impact search results, engagement, and views. However that’s not all. One thing many Oakville marketers tend to miss is that the length of a video’s title can also impact these areas.

YouTube titles are limited to 100 characters. That said, Youtube recommends that titles be shorter than 70 characters as any more than that will usually be cut off in the search window. In fact, according to BuzzFeed’s analytics, videos over 70 characters performed almost 40% worse in views compared to BuzzFeed’s YouTube average.

On Facebook, BuzzFeed actually got below average engagement with every video title over 40 characters. In contrast, video titles that were under 40 characters received around 44% higher engagement than their average posts. This may be due to the fast paced nature of the Facebook news feed and the necessity to attract attention as fast as possible. Oddly enough, this didn’t seem to be the case on YouTube, as Buzzfeed’s videos seem to perform roughly the same regardless of whether a video title is under 70 or under 40 characters.

This proves that just because a title may work on one platform, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work on another. So if you are posting videos to both Facebook and YouTube, we’d suggest creating a 70 character or less title for YouTube and then creating an alternate title under 40 characters for Facebook posts.

On a side note, there is a common misconception in the Oakville video marketing world that making your video title into the form of a question builds intrigue and mystery. But this is not really the case. Titles have to compliment the content of the video. On average, Buzzfeed’s Facebook video posts performed 22% worse when they began with a question. In the case of Youtube posts, results were 24% worse. When you’re talking about a global network like BuzzFeed, that’s more than 500,000 views lost due to titles.

Whether your company is aiming to get views or simply make engaging content to boost your brand awareness, the trend remains the same for the length of titles. Shorter is better. There is definitely a sweet spot on YouTube for keeping titles at around 41-70 characters and a significant benefit on Facebook keeping them under 40. In a competitive market like Toronto where properly produced and marketed videos can give you an edge, it’s very important to be mindful of the seemingly “small details” of video marketing.

Live Video Streaming in Oakville

Building a community around your Oakville based company and connecting with your audience is paramount. Research has shown time and time again that video production is the key to attaining this. In fact, live video streaming is now becoming more and more of a wide spread tool for Toronto companies of all sizes. Live video streaming has been utilized for many years but due to costs for this kind of production, it has only really been viable for large (and sometimes medium size) corporations. From insider video announcements to live Q&A sessions, product launches, press conferences and more, live streaming has the power to take your brand awareness to the next level and build on your existing audience. Although live video streaming has been out of reach for most micro size to small companies throughout Oakville, today there are apps that can allow anyone to tap into this effective form of video production.

One such app that is taking the live video streaming world by storm is Periscope. Another very popular platform is Facebook LIVE video and Instagram has also recently added live streaming videos to their offerings.

The Periscope app was acquired by Twitter in February of 2015. Since that time, it’s become one of the leading live video streaming apps available. Periscope enables you to go live using your mobile device. The app basically enables anyone to become their own on-the-fly broadcasting station, streaming live video to any viewers who join their broadcast. Periscope truly takes advantage of its mobile platform, incorporating notifications as well as social sharing (on Twitter), live discussions and feedback. Although Periscope has been used mostly by vloggers and bloggers, there are many ways Periscope can be utilized for business and it can really allow you to showcase public speaking abilities.

Once a live broadcast is over, your audience can watch a replay, and even send feedback through the Periscope app for up to 24 hours. After that, the broadcast is taken down from the app. That said however, each of your broadcasts can be saved to your mobile device and then published and shared online just like any other video. Best practice here is to post these Periscope videos to the platform that is home to your primary video audience (i.e. Youtube, Vimeo, Daily Motion, etc). Posting your Periscope video gives it a place to live that lasts longer than 24 hours and it also gives you an opportunity to promote future Periscope video broadcasts.

There are however technical issues that can come with using live streaming apps like Periscope and Oakville executives shouldn’t dive into tackling a live video stream without professional support. Just as with any other professional video you’re planning to produce, it’s always best to hire an experienced corporate video production company like Groovy Concepts to handle your live stream. Spending the money is well worth it to avoid embarrassment. You certainly wouldn’t want your video to cut out in the middle of the broadcast which is a typical occurrence for vloggers.

Common amateur mistakes can be disastrous! For instance, if someone happens to call you during your Periscope Broadcast, you’ll be knocked offline, your broadcast will be over, and your audience will be annoyed to say the least. Always remember to block your calls temporarily prior to a live broadcast on Periscope. Also, not knowing the range of your Wi-Fi network can also knock you offline very quickly. Don’t go walking around in the middle of your Periscope Broadcast unless you know the range of your Wi-Fi network and that you are well within it. Also, some rooms have better signal than others… stick to filming your broadcasts from these rooms wherever possible.

Disastrous technical issues can be avoided completely when an experienced professional video production company is involved. Ideally, it is always more reliable to simply hire a reliable company with access to professional live video streaming production equipment. At the very least it is advisable to get a full consultation and in depth how-to from an experienced professional. That said, using an app such as Periscope correctly can allow your Oakville based company to tap into the power of live streaming video and can even extend your audience reach throughout the globe.

Social Video in Oakville

Video is quickly becoming the norm on Facebook and brands and corporations throughout the world are working extremely hard to capitalize on this platform to drive interest and sales to their products and services. What this means for Oakville companies is that if your video production marketing campaign doesn’t include Facebook & Instagram, you’re missing out on huge marketing potential. In January 2017, Facebook reported its financials for 2016 and provided a ton of important facts about the importance of video for Facebook and the huge amount of engagement it generates.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO, said that “2016 was a great year for Facebook. Our community continued to grow and our business is thriving.” The results confirmed a steady revenue increase of 44%, as well as a 21% growth in monthly active mobile users.

But what about with Facebook’s video feature? Has this been paying off for the social networking site? It appears so as Facebook viewers now watch an incredible 100 million hours of video every day.

Zuckerberg confirmed that “Video is an important part of the Facebook experience”, and the company is continuing to invest in video. According to Tubular, typically 1.8 million videos are uploaded every week, generating 31.6 billion views.

Zuckerberg also confirmed that the Instagram (owned by Facebook) “community continues to grow,” but he didn’t update the 400 million monthly active users that was announced back in September 2015. He did state that the new looping Boomerang app for the platform reached #1 in the App Store in more than 70 countries. Instagram also launched a new video channel so viewers can catch up on big tent-pole events like New Year’s Eve, and College Football.

During the announcement, Zuckerberg was followed by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, who shared a recent case study. Microsoft Xbox optimized video content for Facebook and Instagram for the launch of Halo 5. The video marketing team behind the campaign understood that viewers watch video differently on mobile than on television, so Microsoft created content that would rapidly capture viewer attention (in 3 seconds or less) even if a viewer watched without sound. This tactic drove over 380 million impressions and 49 million video views, and apparently “increased purchase intent by 10 points in the US.”

Facebook and Instagram’s video features have grown leaps and bounds already but are heading towards exponential growth in the future. These platforms can no longer be ignored by marketers. But I know what you’re thinking: “Ah, great…so now, on top of creating clever online video campaigns, we now also need to plan out and create clever video campaigns customized for Facebook and Instagram too? How can we find the time for all this?”. This is where Oakville video production companies like Groovy Concepts come in. What makes Groovy Concepts different from other video production companies in Oakville is that we have a keen understanding of media trends and provide full concept, script and campaign development so that across all platforms your videos will capture viewer attention in under 3 seconds; essential for social video. Our unique concept development process insures high video engagement without having to overextend your marketing team in the production stages.

In this ever evolving world of online and social video, Oakville companies should definitely be looking at adding Facebook and Instagram to their video marketing campaigns. Corporate media specialists like Groovy Concepts are just a call or click away to help you in the process.

We get a lot of questions from our clients and associates in Oakville about video production procedure and how we go about writing our scripts. Script writing for a video is of course one of the first steps in the production process and requires a substantial amount of skill and experience to be done right. There are many variables involved in creating a great video script. Here are a few rules of thumb that we always follow in writing our scripts.

The term “elevator pitch” has become a popular catchphrase in business. The idea is to find a short summary that quickly and simply defines what you do and/or what your company does should you find yourself sharing a short elevator ride with a person of importance to your business. In a situation like this, you would be prepared to pitch your products or services to that person in that short period of time in the hopes of procuring new business.

In many ways, a video can be seen somewhat like an elevator pitch in that you must capture someone’s attention quickly to deliver your message (or pitch). Although there are exceptions, for the most part we approach our scripts from that perspective. We know that a video has upwards of five seconds to grab attention and compel a viewer to continue watching. Within these crucial first seconds, the viewer must get a clear idea that your company and brand are awesome and that your products or services are something they need…. NOW. A balanced combination of voiceover narration, compelling video shots and/or animated titles and text, are some of the many elements that can be written in to achieve this.

With video, one size does NOT fit all so we always keep the target audience (client’s target customers) in mind when developing our scripts. This comes down to having efficient dialogues with our clients and developing a thorough understanding of their target customers. Additional market research is often necessary on our part. The goal here is for the target audience to be able to easily identify with what is being expressed in the video. We ask ourselves the question: “What is the problem that this product or service solves?”. Often, creating a simple scenario or case example can help viewers get the point quickly. From there we present the solution. We explain what makes this product or service ideal and why the viewer should choose our solution over the competition. The solution needs to create a desire for the viewer to act fast.

In terms of duration, today the most effective marketing videos are between 30 and 60 seconds. 90 seconds and beyond is where you start losing viewers unless your content is really exceptional. Keeping a video to within 30-60 seconds means really keeping your information and content to-the-point. Narrations, actors’ lines, shots, call-to-action text, etc. must all be properly planned out to fit within this time rage. It helps to keep sentences and on-screen text short and to use simple language…. no insider-industry jargon…. always use layman’s’ terms. Once the working draft is complete, we read through the script and time it with a normal speaking cadence to confirm that the duration falls between the preferred 30 – 60 seconds. Revisions are then done as needed and the process is repeated until we’ve achieved the right duration for the script. This works very well if the video has narrations throughout and also helps us imagine how the visuals will play out on screen. It’s also important to allow for the right amount of time for the call-to-action shot at the end (the next step the viewer can take to get started). When the working draft is complete, we submit it to the client for feedback and apply any necessary revisions. As soon as the client approves the script … it’s lights, camera, and action time!

Script and concept development is the first step and a decisive factor in whether a video will be great or if it will be a flop. If you are interested in joining the millions of companies world wide that are enjoying the benefits of having video in their marketing plan, contact a reputed corporate video production company today. Remember, video is no longer just some luxury marketing tool in it’s infancy, utilized by early adopters. Video marketing is essential NOW. And it all starts with a great script!

It’s 2017 and as usual in early February, Oakville companies of all sizes are hitting the ground running launching new marketing campaigns for the opening quarter of the year. Thanks to the winds of change and modern technology, marketing tools and trends today are very different than they were in the past. With so many media platforms available in 2017, the attention span and patience of your audience is limited. Your target customers need to be able to engage your content quickly and understand your message in double time if you are to have any hope in converting them. And no other form of content is as effective in pulling this off as quality video content. Video as an integrated part of your marketing campaign ensures that your target customers will absorb your message in a way that will leave them wanting more.

Statistic – According to Forbes Insight, 50% of executives who viewed an online marketing video went on to make a purchase for their business.

If this statistic alone isn’t enough to convince you of the importance of video in your marketing campaign, here are 5 more reasons to make video marketing part of your company’s 2015 New Year’s resolution:

1. Captivating – Nothing holds attention better than a quality video. From animation and motion graphics to real-time demonstrations and interviews… the creative possibilities of video are endless.

2. Accessibility – Video enables you to communicate with your audience in a way that is engaging as well as easy. Whether on social media, YouTube, or on your own website, customers like the idea of a video that tells them exactly what they need to know and which also combines compelling images, narration, and music for a fuller experience.

3. Time Saving – Video has the power to communicate complex ideas in a quick and powerful way. As mentioned earlier, the attention span and patience of your audience is limited (in the social media world in particular). Very few people are willing to give the time of day to read some dry, long-winded case study about how a client saved 15% (or more) by switching car insurance providers. But deliver the same message in a 30 second to one minute online ad that is both amusing and informative and you’ll notice a huge difference in engagement.

4. Cost Effective – Seeking a strong return on investment? Video is the investment for you! When produced properly, video is the next best thing to personal selling and depending on the abilities of an individual sales person, video is often better. Online video has the power to sell people on your products and services on a global scale, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You would need a sales force of epic proportions on the level of sci-fi to be able to match this impact.

5. The Power of Storytelling – Customers buy from people and companies they know and trust. Getting to know you better and understanding who you are and why your company does what it does, helps to build trust. When produced properly, video tells your full story in an honest and highly complimentary manner that not only converts more customers but can also allow for your brand to even become iconic in time.

It’s 2017 and with broadband capabilities continuing to increase throughout much of the world, the scene has been set for more exponential growth of video consumption to an ever increasing number of platforms and devices. Video is no longer just some luxury marketing tool in it’s infancy utilized by early adopters. Video marketing is essential NOW. And those who aren’t already on board or who aren’t planning to get on board, will soon come to the realization that their marketing tactics will have been left in the dust of the early 2010’s allowing for your target customers to laugh and say the old cliche … “That’s so 5 years ago”!

In our 11 years of producing video production content in Oakville, we’ve come to understand one important fact: Oakville is a great city in which to do business. You’d be hard pressed to find a business professional in Oakville that disagrees. Between the treasure trove of corporations, industries, co-operative networks, and of course the large population, the opportunities for success and innovation in Oakville are truly endless. And let’s not forget all the business enabling venues: great restaurants, boutiques and cafes on every corner; exciting sports, activities, and a nightlife that attracts Hollywood stars. Oakville has all the furnishings to accommodate today’s business professional in almost every way.

That said, this abundance of industries, companies, and business professionals also makes for stiff competition regardless of your industry. Beyond maintaining high quality standards and methods, you must also be effective in communicating your company’s excellence to your target market and be successful in converting them into customers. This is where marketing plays an integral role. And as regards to marketing, according to latest statistics, no other marketing tool is as effective as video production for the conversion of new customers. Don’t believe me? Check out these 3 statistics provided by Brightcove:

• Using video on landing pages can increase conversion by 80%.

• Visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy than visitors who do not.

• Video in email marketing has been shown to increase click-through rates by over 96%. In response, the number of marketers planning to use video in email campaigns has increased five times since the beginning of 2009.

Corporate video production has become one of the top marketing tools in the world today. With world wide brands increasing their video production budgets to unprecedented levels, online audiences and social media users are being converted through highly entertaining videos with celebrity interviews, professional acting and direction, incredible animation, effects, and even top notch hollywood style action stunts – as seen in the Volvo Trucks “Epic Split” video with Jean-Claude Van Damme:

But that said, one does not need a multi million dollar budget to create powerful video content. It is true that a high level of video production quality is needed to capture and hold your audience’s attention but you certainly don’t need Hollywood production companies to create compelling video content.

All you really need is a trusted professional corporate video production company with many years of a experience, supported by an extensive and diverse portfolio and testimonials. The company you choose must also have an excellent creative team with vast knowledge of video production procedures and content marketing trends. When you find the video production partner that fits your individual needs and can provide  all of the above, then you are ready to move forward.

In short, Oakville is a major part of the golden horseshoe of Ontario. It is a vibrant entity with countless moving parts helping to create a strong Canadian economy and quality of life. At this moment, companies are being built, deals are being made, and countless successes are being attained. With the right vision, the right company, and these effective marketing tools, you’ll be on the fast track to finding your own success in the big city!