Top tips to engage customers with video

More and more businesses are discovering that the medium of video is a highly versatile, highly powerful marketing tool. Consumers love videos and are happy to watch them. Used in combination with other forms of marketing, videos add a dimension to your product or brand in a way that is virtually effortless for the viewer – watch instead of read.

The challenge is to produce videos that give your brand that crucial dimension that cuts through, enhances, and informs with the ultimate objective being to engage. Here, we give you the top tips to engage customers with video.

1. Videos generate excitement

Do you remember when people had video cameras and would send in clips to the TV show Australia’s Funniest Home Videos? There’d be videos of someone’s uncle falling off a kid’s tricycle into a creek, or something equally as silly. The show was incredibly popular. It was bite-sized entertainment and Australia loved it.

That’s what you want to capture in your video. Something that people want to watch.

It doesn’t have to be silly, but it does have to grab and hold attention.

It’s said that the first three seconds are crucial. Win the viewer in those first few seconds and they are more likely to watch to the end.

2. Have a purpose for your video

Former Supermodel, Linda Evangelista once said that she didn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. In other words, her day needed purpose.

Likewise – your videos need a purpose, or don’t bother getting them out of bed.



Here are some good reasons to make a video:

• Product launch
• Competition or offer
• Brand awareness
• Convey product information
• Differentiate from competitor
• Product demonstration
• Reach new customers
• SEO performance
• Live event

If you have a business with technical products, demonstration videos are gold. People are more likely to search videos on how to assemble a product or address a problem than search through volumes of data sheets. The more specific your video, the better. You can explain more in a two-minute video than you can in an eight-page booklet. They also save your help desk from receiving calls that can easily be explained by a video.

If you have a business with technical products, demonstration videos are gold. People are more likely to search videos on how to assemble a product or address a problem than search through volumes of data sheets. The more specific your video, the better. You can explain more in a two-minute video than you can in an eight-page booklet. They also save your help desk from receiving calls that can easily be explained by a video.

Demonstration videos serve another purpose; they generate a positive brand message. They help make you an authority on the subject.

3. Videos are part of an overall message

Don’t expect a video to stand alone as your marketing message. Videos are best used in a supporting role. They should complement a bigger message.

Even a demonstration video is part of the overall education of your products.

You need to back up any video message with other content because you can’t assume that every person will watch every video. Some people prefer the written word or are in an environment where they can’t view a video.

Videos are effective at pointing people to something, like a competition, a special offer or your website’s sales page.

4. Get your video seen

Of course, you want people to watch your video. Give it a title that suits the environment. Titles for instructional videos should be accurate descriptions of what people would search for on the subject. Videos you distribute for attention should have thought provoking titles.

Briefly, here are ways to help your video be seen:

• Give it a good title
• Produce an eye-catching thumbnail
• Use tags
• Build links
• Add keywords
• Optimise it for all platforms
• Make it shareable
• Use music
• Give it a QR code

You also need to put it where people are likely to see it. For example, you could send it in an email. Put it on social media. Have your own YouTube channel. Put the QR code on POS material.

5. Live broadcast an event

You can use video to broadcast a live event, which is easily done through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Live broadcasts record excellent engagement, with people 10 times more likely to comment during the broadcast than to a pre-recorded event. Live event broadcasting needs to be carefully planned, because if you lose the viewer’s attention, it’s unlikely that you’ll get it back.

Live broadcasting can be an inexpensive way to connect in a personal way with your audience.

6. What do you want your viewer to do?

Videos have many roles to play in online engagement. Avoid jamming everything you want to say into one video. Each video should play one role. Overdoing it could easily dilute your message and it could suffer from poor engagement. Its SEO could also suffer if people are searching for a specific video topic – yours might not show up.

Also, encourage viewers to comment on your video and share it on their socials. Acknowledge their opinion for further engagement. The more engagement, the better.

Your time is valuable. You probably want to spend more time boosting sales than making a video. Let Icon take care of the content of your video. We can develop the idea, write it, film it and produce it. We can also take care of its distribution. In other words, we can do it all for you so you can devote your time to taking care of business.

Joe Papadatos

The final point

Videos are an effective way to engage customers. With videos becoming more popular as forms of marketing communication, their effectiveness is only increasing. There are many reasons businesses should use videos in their marketing mix. Follow our tips and your videos can enhance your brand in ways you might not have thought possible.

Read more about the work we do for our clients, drop us a line or call us on 1300 138 984 for a chat.