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Category: Video Marketing

5 Reasons Why Nobody is Watching Your Business Videos

We can throw a lot of numbers at you about why video marketing is so important, statistics as to how the number of conversions you will receive after putting out video content will increase by hundreds of per cents and traffic to your website will be driven up a gazillion-fold. The numbers will be impressive enough to convince you that your business will fold without some form of video marketing in the future. Yes, there are plenty of articles online to convince you of that. Business videos, too.

What most of them forget to tell you though is that no matter how many statistics there are to prove that video marketing works, your video might not be successful. You can find yourself at a position where you’ve scripted some great lines, filmed some wonderful scenes, edited it all with a blend of your blood, sweat and tears; and then posted it online and the number of views have been… zilch! This may already have happened to you.

We have gathered these hints and tips to prevent this from happening to you again (or ever happening to you at all). Some we’ve learnt from our own experience, others from others’ mistakes.

So where do people really go wrong? And what can be done to prevent this?

1. Poor video quality

There is plenty of good quality video content out there. No one has the patience to sit through a grainy video and try to figure out what you are saying. The trick is to engage your viewers visually from the get go through well-made videos with great animation and effects, if you are using any. A poorly made marketing video reflects the quality of the brand in customers’ minds, making the quality of the video a vital factor in audience conversion. So forget about borrowing your friend’s newest iPhone, use professional camera work and lighting instead. Viewers today can certainly separate the professionals from the amateurs and it shows in the number of views!

2. An uninspiring introduction

Your video needs to grab your viewer’s attention right from the start. This may be through great visuals or a compelling storyline. A fifth of your audience is likely to click away from your video within the first 10 seconds or less if they are not captivated. And don’t be afraid to use humour, not just in your introduction but throughout your video as well. Everyone loves to be entertained!

3. Long, boring sales-pitchy videos

Now that you know how quickly audiences can be lost, it’s just as easy to lose them through the video, so make sure your content is relevant and engaging. Try not to go overboard with the sales pitch. People watching know that the video is put out by your brand so the fact that they are watching it is a form of advertising in itself. Centre your video on a story and address your customers’ emotions. You can always sneak your product or service in towards the end! Just kidding about the sneaking, but a strategic call to action towards the end can go much further than a video that’s all “ME! ME! ME!”

And remember to keep the whole video short. Today’s audiences have plenty of things to distract them from your video so say everything you need to in as short a time as possible.

4. Not knowing your audience

It is vital to conduct your research and know the demographics of the audience you are reaching out to along with what your brand portrays. Just because cat videos are all the rage at the moment, it doesn’t mean that making a similar video will ensure success. A good video will be able to reach out to the right demographics and send the right message through its script and visuals. The target audience must be considered right from the start so that every step taken towards producing your video is taken with them in mind. A good video production company will know this and will be able to guide you through the entire process smoothly.

5. No CTA

CTA stands for Call to Action. This can often be a deal breaker when it comes to follow through actions from your audience. You want those views to convert into something tangible at the end of the day after all. There is absolutely no point in having a great video out there if your audience doesn’t know what to do with the information they have just received. So tell them!

They’ve just heard all about your wonderful product or service, so strike while the iron is hot. Let them know about the wonderful link at the bottom of the video they should be clicking on or the telephone number they should be calling NOW! You’ll be surprised at how many of your customers will be happy to oblige you.

Bonus tip: Research the platform you are sharing your video on. Include a descriptive, catchy but brief title. Use all the right tags to reach out to the audience of your choosing and promote your video on as many social media platforms as possible.

A good video production company will offer an end to end service right from the planning of your video, to the scripting and finally the production and post-production to ensure you have the best video for your service.

At Toolbox Studio, we collaborate closely with our clients to create animated corporate videos that have a lasting impact. Our production teams include some of the finest directors making sure that our animated corporate videos are of the highest quality. We cover every phase of making the film including script generation, storyboarding, shooting, filming, editing, graphics and animation and audio. Whether it’s business videos or animated explainer videos, our team is dedicated to delivering top-notch results. Take a look at our past work.

COMMERCIALS | EXPLAINER VIDEOS | CORPORATE FILMS

Get in touch with us to see how we can help you make the perfect video for your product!

Featured Image Source: https://www.maventri.com/blog/

August 17, 2017
9 Reasons Why Your Business Should Be Producing More Visual Content

As a passionate visual arts company, Toolbox Studio studies and understands the possibilities and potential applications of the latest numbers and data on the role of visual content for business in marketing.

“You can’t expect to just write and have visitors come to you – that’s too passive”, said Anita Campbell, founder, CEO, and publisher of Small Business Trends.

Looking at the evolving trends in content marketing and social media in the last 12 months, we analysed what counts as ‘active’.

Visual content for business has played a crucial and rewarding role in supporting powerful communication. In 2016, big social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat experimented with a business visuals-based marketing approach. Infographics and video content have proven interesting connections between brands and their audience.

Here is a quick 9-point list that demonstrates how businesses can benefit by investing in video content.

1.Tech is taking over

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the phenomenal change our world has experienced in mere decades. The tech-savvy urban population takes seconds to connect with one another through a plethora of platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, all while demanding and creating exciting visual content for business communication. Whether through infographics, presentations, or other business visuals, these platforms have transformed how we engage and share information.

Source: pexels.com

85% of adults consume content on multiple devices at the same time. There were more than 500 million Instagram users in June 2016. Half of YouTube subscribers between the ages of 18 and 34 would drop whatever they were doing to watch a new video from their favorite channel. It’s an encouraging time for businesses to get noticed since the consumer base is already active and ready to receive content through these popular platforms, most of which favor visual content.

2. ‘Did You See’ works better than ‘Did You Hear’

Visual memory is more powerful than one might imagine. Turns out, when people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retain 65% of the information three days later. 85% of videos on Facebook are watched without sound.Do we have your attention yet? Well, we will, and your consumers will have yours… just as soon as words are supported with interesting visual content for business.

3. Blending Pictionary with Scrabble

Eye-tracking studies have shown that internet readers pay close attention to information-carrying images to understand the equation between visuals and memory further. when the images are relevant, readers spend more time looking at the images than they do reading text on the page.

Smartly-designed visuals = powerful content-support = effective and influential communication.

4. A picture is TRULY worth a thousand words

In the most competitive of markets, one of the most reliable methods to perform well is to know what your consumer base likes, wants, and needs. Here’s some data that presents consumer preferences.

Visual content for business is a key driver of engagement. Infographics are “liked” and shared on social media 3X more than any other type of content. People following directions with text and illustrations do 323% better than people following directions without illustrations. In an analysis of over 1 million articles, BuzzSumo found that articles with an image once every 75-100 words received double the social media shares as articles with fewer images. Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images.

5. Moving pictures shape the market picture

Source: freepik.com

Studies suggest that 4 times as many consumers prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it. Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and clickthrough rates by 65%. These figures effectively sculpt the marketing approach for 2017.

6. Consumers hold the smartphones that hold video content

Source: freepik.com

The speed-age calls for swift access to crisply-presented information. 51% of all video plays are on mobile devices, and Videos under five minutes in length account for 55% of total video consumption time on smartphones.

Learn more about Toolbox Studio’s specialised corporate film production services and the application of such films about your business.

7. Market trends vouch for visual production

According to an Animoto survey, more than 60% of marketers and small business owners planned to increase their investment in video marketing in 2017. In 2016, 62% of B2B marketers rated videos and business visuals as an effective content marketing tactic. 55% of marketers consider Facebook their chief social media platform.

8. Business owners embrace the new ‘image’

74% of social media marketers use visual assets in their social media marketing, ahead of blogs (68%) and videos (60%). 5% of marketers and small business owners who have used video marketing say it had a direct impact on their business, and more than 60% said they plan to increase investment in video next year.

9. Fun facts make solid proof

Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than tweets without images. Facebook users watch 8 billion videos per day while Snapchat users watch 10 billion videos per day. Snapchat users also share 9,000 photos per second!

The more business visuals exhibits, the better your chance of being in front of your audiences. Toolbox Studio offers exclusive video creation services, including professional business visuals like explainer videos, an avenue you should explore in 2017.

Contact us today!

April 3, 2017
Creating Visual Content: Consumer Preferences in 2017
2017 might become the ‘Year of Movement’; quite literally, if you consider the latest marketing trends. Written content is no longer enough to make a mark. Consumers seem to respond a lot more enthusiastically when information is presented with visual content.

Source: freepik.com

Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images. Videos are swiftly becoming the most popular form of communication. Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%. A survey by Animoto showed that 4 times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it. Businesses have already hopped on board the visual marketing bandwagon, with more than 60% marketers and small business owners planning to increase investment in video marketing in 2017.

Wish to know more about corporate video content and its benefits for your business? Toolbox Studio is happy to help! Visit https://www.toolbox-studio.com.

Considering all these statistics, we are certain you are convinced that visual communication is an effective marketing tactic. It is important to understand how consumers interact with visual content, what induces a positive influence, and what sort of approach may come across as invasive. Accenture Interactive conducted a survey wherein more than 1000 consumers were asked about their preferences, habits, and reactions to content.

Source: freepik.com

Here are the key observations and conclusions of the survey presenting consumer preference in 2017.

Demand for Interactive Content

According to the survey, consumers prefer mediums that stimulate human interaction and provide visual components. While television, preferred by 57%, is still the primary source of news and current events, digital media is swiftly catching up. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are convenient sources of information since smartphones have become a pocket-essential. In fact, Facebook users watch 8 billion videos per day! Print media, on the other hand, is losing preference (and relevance) in the digital age. Consumers rarely choose newspapers as their routine source of news.

Substance in Content

Donna Tuths, Head of Global Digital Content at Accenture Interactive, said, “This study proves that it all hinges on quality”. While assessing the definition of quality is complex, the study does show exactly what consumers are drawn towards. Topping the list are new brands that use innovative technology and strategies.

51% said they are drawn to brands that support a cause they believe in.

49% chose to engage with brands that exhibit humour.

38% said that visually appealing marketing content grabbed their attention.

Connecting Content to Consumers

We, as a generation, seem to be hungry for stimulating content. Thought-provoking content pulls customers closer to brands. While 67% people said they primarily choose videos for entertainment, 54% said they view videos to learn how to use products. A very interesting point brought forth by more than half of the survey candidates was that the value of content isn’t lost to consumers even when sponsored by a brand. This is a key observation that business owners ought to remember. The study also suggests that 35% consumers were likely to register with a brand and share their basic personal information if what they receive in return is free, compelling material.

The Video Shift

Business 101 dictates that it is crucial for marketers to keep up with times and trends. Video is rapidly becoming the most prominent and effective way for businesses to communicate information with employees and customers.

Source: freepik.com

84% of all marketing communication is predicted to be visual by the year 2018.

50% of B2B marketers are prioritizing visual marketing this year.

62% of B2B marketers rated videos as an effective content marketing tactic in 2016.

Toolbox Studio specializes in digital video production, and offers a special ‘explainer video production’ service.

Virtual Reality – More than Entertainment

What started off as interesting elements in futuristic sci-fi movies is solid reality today. VR is an excting new development in the visual production field. While most consumers are exposed to the concept of virtual reality as entertainment, there are several other applications pertinent to the world around us. Business owners would be happy to hear that 36% of consumers said they see virtual reality as an aid to education, for instance, virtual classrooms. 31% are likely to use the technology for travel. 16% found it to be a potential benefit for virtual training programs and prodcut testing.

Source: freepik.com

Studies like the ones presented here are helping businesses shape smart video marketing strategies for the year to come. Are you on board yet?

Additional resources:

http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-want-keep-consumers-engaged-make-quality-video-content-174743/

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2016_B2B_Report_Final.pdf
March 30, 2017
A Preview of the 9 Hottest Video Marketing Trends (2017)

Video is becoming one of the most sought after commodities in the digital space. A truly engaging medium, video marries motion picture and sound into one irresistible package that viewers worldwide are consuming in great big doses.

Times are changing though, and while I would have been unimaginable a few years ago, video consumption is moving away from the more traditional television and onto online channels in modern times. In the Asia-Pacific region for example, Mumbrella reports that “viewers consume an average of two hours of traditional TV daily.” However, the digital space is fast catching up with “1.6 hours spent consuming online video in any form, which includes free platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, and paid subscription sites such as Hooq, Netflix and Iflix.”

Marketers the world over have been taking cognizance of the growing popularity of digital video and setting aside a portion of their marketing budgets on this very medium based on its ever growing popularity.

What does the future hold for video though, is 2017 going to see a greater shift in video marketing? Is digital the way to go? We take a look at this and more with our nine hottest trends of video marketing in 2017.

1. Smartphone video consumption is booming

In this mobile-driven, smartphone-dependent generation, video is the single biggest consumed media online today. A report by Cisco says that “Mobile video traffic accounted for 55 percent of total mobile data traffic in 2015. Mobile video traffic now accounts for more than half of all mobile data traffic.” The same report goes on to state that “three-fourths of the world’s mobile data traffic will be video by 2020. Mobile video will increase 11-fold between 2015 and 2020, accounting for 75 percent of total mobile data traffic by the end of the forecast period.”

2. Infotaiment is the new wave

Infotainment marries information and entertainment and is expected to be a big deal in 2017. Consumers no longer want to watch videos that only inform. The video should be presented in an entertaining, easy to digest package to retain their interest and attention, and how to achieve this mix will be a big challenge for marketers in 2017.

3. Ad budgets are increasingly leaning towards the digital space

CMO an Adobe venture reports on the changing trends in ad spend for the digital space. Here is an interesting excerpt on mobile video ad spend – “Mobile and video are converging. In fact, according to the study, mobile video is proving to be a key area for increased investment, with budgets up 18% year over year.” An 18% year on year increase clocked back in 2015, this trend has continued to grow, and even more investment is expected in 2017 for mobile video ads.

4. Programmatic video is on the up

Programmatic video or taking the aid of software to invest in digital video ad space is huge these days. The same article says that “programmatic video has reached critical mass among 91% of buyers and 88% of publishers. The report estimated that by the end of 2015, 32% of all digital video ad spend will be bought programmatically, making up nearly $2.91 billion in ad spend. That number is projected to grow to 38% in 2016, totalling $5.37 billion—nearly 86% growth in dollars directed toward programmatic digital video advertising—all in the span of one year.” With the advantage of having real-time data guide the process to ensure that the video reaches target consumers with greater accuracy, it should come as no surprise that programmatic video spend is expected to increase in 2017 as well.

5. Reach of over a billion on YouTube alone

YouTube is the big daddy of digital video consumption. The numbers are staggering, and as per YouTube’s own admission – “YouTube has over a billion users–almost a third of all people on the Internet–and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views.” The enormous reach of YouTube will play a big factor in advertising spend decisions in 2017.

6. Facebook video consumption is on the rise

Another avenue for marketers to explore in 2017 is Facebook video. This article shows just how big Facebook is in terms of video. The article says that “users watch 100 million hours of video per day on Facebook,” a number they quote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It goes on to add that he also said, “500 million people watch Facebook video every day.” The article also points out that “the first number is new and apparently replaced the “total video views” metric Facebook has shared in the past.”

7. The consumer is depending on video for information

This Wyzowl study says that only 4% of consumer chose to gain information regarding new products and services through the manual, 5% speak to customer care via the phone for further information, and a staggering 44% chose to watch a video regarding the product or service to learn more about it.

8. Video apps are the next big thing

Techcrunch reports that Snapchat is becoming the new big thing in video consumption. According to the article “Daily video views on Snapchat have spiked to 10 billion. That’s up from 8 billion video views on Snapchat in February this year, 6 billion daily video views in November 2015, and 4 billion in May 2015. The new numbers represent a 150 percent increase in video consumption on Snapchat in just under a year.” Apps with video components such as Snapchat and Instagram are expected to continue to blossom in 2017 as well.

9. Multichannel is the new approach

In 2017, marketers won’t be able to restrict their activities to just Twitter and Facebook or YouTube. Getting the word out will require an attack on many fronts including a whole gamut of social media portals that are constantly cropping up. Being aware of trends and the new big thing in social media and constantly updating the marketing mix to match these channels will prove to be the big challenge.

If you are looking to expand your video portfolio and develop promotional videos for digital consumption, then look no further than Toolbox Studio. A digital video production company with a state-of-the-art 5,000 sq. ft. facility and experience gained from years of video production for clients across three continents and numerous verticals, we can deliver exactly what you need and when you need it.

December 12, 2016
Holiday Marketing: A Great Video Can Help You Break the Clutter

The festive season of Christmas and New Year is just around the corner and the internet is the one place that audiences now look to for unique ideas to make their holidays just that little bit more special. Holiday marketing has become an essential tool for businesses during this time, helping them connect with consumers through engaging campaigns and promotions.

Over the last couple of decades, the internet has facilitated the businesses to extend to extend their reach far beyond their immediate localities. While this has been tremendous in terms of sales, it also means that businesses need to catch up in face-to-face interaction with their consumers. To bridge this gap, product videos are a powerful medium for marketing, offering a way to create meaningful connections with audiences. Additionally, digital advertising is crucial in ensuring these campaigns reach the right people, making it a cornerstone of successful holiday marketing strategies.

Nonetheless, this can be circumvented by product videos for marketing that connect. Over the years, we’ve seen our favourite brands strike a chord with us and millions like us through their brilliant videos, whether they’re in the form of digital videos or television commercials – especially during the holiday season.

Holidays are a time for businesses to throw convention to the winds and show their clientele how their products can really make the festive season one to remember. Businesses normally go all out to appeal to their target audiences. But what works? We’ve put together a few pointers that will make your digital video or TV commercial really stand out amongst all the others.

1. Tell a story

Holiday videos do not follow the maxim ‘sell, sell, sell’. They are more about connecting with the audience and appealing to their audience. Tell a story revolving around the festival you are advertising your products or brand for. Weave in how your product is going to make this festive season even more special. Holiday marketing is most effective when it feels authentic and relatable, focusing on creating memorable experiences for the audience It is important to keep the sales speak to a minimum to make it sound as genuine as possible. Of course, the odd celebrity can help bring in the holiday spirit too!

Take a look at Manyavar’s Diwali advertisement that shows how their special line of Diwali apparel can make the season brighter and more delightful.

2. Don’t be afraid to have fun

Holidays are a time for giving and much festive cheer. Make sure your digital explainer video fits in with the holiday spirit. John Lewis, the department store, got it right with this advertisement for Christmas 2016. It, strangely enough, revolves around the family dog Buster the boxer. It shows him watching a couple of foxes, a badger and an assortment of other cuddly wild creatures having fun jumping on a trampoline which has been bought as a Christmas present for the little girl in his house. Come Christmas morning, Buster is the first on the trampoline. The tagline accompanies this advert – Gifts everyone will love. Brilliant!

The advert draws in the audience by appealing to their sense of humour (with the dog) and inculcating that sense of nostalgia (of childhood, with the trampoline) that always seems to revolve around holidays while keeping it light, fun and warm-hearted.

3. Don’t forget your product or service while writing the script

While this may sound contradictory to what has been said so far, it is important to remember that this video is meant to showcase your product or service albeit with a holiday theme. Make sure that this does not get lost in the storyline while scripting. This video is an opportunity to showcase your offering – whether or not it is even remotely related to the festival at hand!

Although the festive season might make audiences more relaxed, it is important to make the video short. 90 seconds or less is the perfect length for your product video. Take a look at this Waitrose Christmas advertisement that has kept it short and sweet while driving the message home.

4. Plan and prepare for the season

It is all about timing! Plan your digital video well in advance along with realistic timelines of what you hope to achieve through it. Chalk out a plan for the entire journey from the making of the video to its launch as well as a plan for monitoring its success post launch. Consult your production team to find the best format for your video without compromising on quality. Launch your video well in advance to give it the time it requires to reach your target audience (and to allow them time to act on it).

Get a professional video production house to make your video – it’s the best approach for holiday marketing campaigns, ensuring your content stands out during peak seasons.

5. Include a strong call-to-action (CTA)

As always, it is important to end your digital marketing video with a clear CTA. Tell your audience what the next step is by including one or more CTAs within your video. You could get creative with this – create multiple types of CTAs and then pick and choose the ones that blend into your video without seeming like they have been forced into it.

At Toolbox Studio, we collaborate closely with our clients to ensure the videos create a lasting impact. Our production teams include some of the finest writers, directors, technicians, editors and artists who make every product (video) stand out in the crowded world of digital advertising. We cover every phase of making the film including script generation, storyboarding, shooting, filming, editing, graphics and animation and audio.With expertise in holiday marketing strategies, we ensure that our videos resonate with audiences during key festive seasons

Contact us to know what we can do for you to make your product videos for marketing stand out this holiday season!

November 17, 2016
Why Video Has Become the Preferred Medium for Brands and Audiences Alike
We live in a world dominated by media, whether it be for information, entertainment or communication. As a result of this, we have become accustomed to instant gratification and in turn we gravitate towards things that will give us just that. Fortunately for marketing, videos are one of those things.

According to GoAnimate, 60% of people who visit a business website prefer to watch a video about it rather than read the text. And according to a study conducted by Eyeview Digital, including a video on your landing page can potentially increase your conversion by up to 80%¹.

Source: hubspot.com

Why Video Marketing Works

According to YouTube, mobile video consumption goes up by 100% every year. If you look up ‘Video Marketing Statistics’ on Google, you will get dozens of blog posts listing 50 (if not more) statistics about video marketing. The very fact that these statistics exist and people are blogging about them should say something about the importance of video marketing.

According to the University of Massachusetts Darthmouth, 86% of all colleges and universities have a presence on YouTube. This means you can immediately tap into a huge, promising audience for any material that you post on YouTube. Furthermore, regardless of whether they are students, businessmen or homemakers, 90% of users claim that watching a video about a product is very helpful in their decision making process. So doesn’t it already seem like a great idea to market your brand through videos?

The fact of the matter is nothing will grab your attention like a video. Think back to when you were in school. Didn’t watching a movie about the French Revolution help you study better than reading pages and pages of text from your history book? The same principal applies in video marketing. Videos and movies make a deeper impression on the viewer than texts or images. It is no wonder that according to Mist Media, internet users will spend 88% more time on a website that has videos².

Take a minute to carefully study this nifty infographic. Statistics show that 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. Furthermore, real estate listings that are accompanied by a video receive 403% more enquiries than text listings. Such is the power of video!

Videos Can Spread Like Wildfire

How many of us have viewed, liked and shared videos on social media? Yes, we’ve all done it. It may have been a snazzy business video or a video of a dog bottle feeding a goat, but the bottom line is that it made a big enough impression for us to like and share it.

Invodo reports that 92% of people who watch videos on their cell phones share these videos on social media. When videos go viral (think “Charlie Bit My Finger”) they can do so overnight. So why not tap into this ability to go viral and make a video that can give you some good publicity?

It is perfectly clear what a video can do for your brand and your product. All you have to do is take the plunge, hire a good corporate film production company that can draw up a solid video marketing strategy and invest in a solid video for your brand. This will not only improve your SEO rankings but you will definitely notice more and more traffic on your website and soon enough it will begin to generate revenue.

Resources:
1. http://www.eyeviewdigital.com/documents/EyeView-White-Paper-Making-Video-Accountable.pdf
2. http://www.mistmedia.com/
October 7, 2016
Can a Great Product Video Really Help You Boost Sales?
Video marketing has been around for ages. The adverts we see on T.V. everyday are nothing but a rudimentary form of video marketing. However, these ads are mostly ignored as people switch from channel to channel looking for something else to watch while the commercials are on. Furthermore, at the risk of being brutally honest, the quality of most of these adverts is substandard.

Today we as a people have evolved into a demographic that can only be reached through social and other kinds of internet-related media. So much so, that we make purchases, pursue friendships and form opinions about things we’ve never even heard of, without having to leave the comfort of our couches. Not so great for us as a species, but absolutely fantastic for product video marketing!

So, to answer the question in the title, yes, a great product video can indeed help you boost sales and here’s why:

Videos Are Easy

What I mean when I say this is that videos are easy on the viewer. They require very little mental effort, are completely entertaining and therefore appeal to viewers more than articles, billboards or newspaper adds. People today are looking for instant gratification and so videos have a higher chance of being shared than other forms of advertising. Simply put, with product video marketing you can reach the laziest of the lazy with just a click.

Videos Can Reach Far

If you are on the internet reading this article right now, you are no stranger to YouTube videos. How many users does YouTube have? How many users does Facebook have? How many users do Twitter and Instagram have? You get the point. To say, “a lot of people use the internet” would be a gross understatement. How many of us have started by watching a recipe and found ourselves 3 hours later looking at funny cat videos? There’s no shame in it, videos have a tendency to suck you in ever so subtly and that is the main reason why they are a class one strategy for brand’s product video marketing today.

A Leg Up In SEO

More importantly, adding good quality videos to your website automatically gives you an advantage when it comes to SEO. Google (and other search engines) are partial to web pages with videos. Your website will automatically rank higher in a search. A well-placed product video can increase sales by attracting and retaining potential customers, boosting your overall video marketing ROI.

Videos Can Spread Like Wildfire

We have all heard of videos going viral. And the truth is, any video, no matter how bad or how good, can go viral. Heard of Rebecca Black’s Friday? That girl actually got rich because people hated her so much and thought her song was so stupid, that they had to keep watching it over and over again; classic example of infamy. However, she got lucky, but you might not. So take the time to really invest in your product video marketing production and come up with a solid entertaining yet informative video that really lets people know what your brand and product is all about. As much as there are people who can spend all day watching “Numa Numa” on YouTube, there are also people who appreciate quality videos and will not hesitate to share them.

A Good Video Guarantees ROI

When you decide to invest in video marketing strategies, you should know right from the get go that you will make your money back. The initial investment in a video VFX production company in India, or anywhere else, is the only money you will have to spend. So, don’t scrimp on this stage because a good quality video will advertise itself! The more relatable the video, the more shares it will get. And at least one out of every 10 people who share your video might be interested in your product. Slowly but surely your video will spread far and wide, and soon enough you will see a steady increase in your product videos sales.

So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us at Toolbox Studio and explore our digital video production services – we assure you the highest quality of videos that can catapult your product, service, or brand to new heights.
October 6, 2016
Why Content is King Even in Case of Video Marketing

There is no denying that video marketing is the biggest thing in the digital world these days. There is a whole slew of statistics to back up this statement. According to a study by Cisco, as reported by Ad Week, as of 2014, internet video traffic was at 64%. The study predicts that this number will rise to a massive 80% by 2019.

Businesses and marketing firms have also latched on to this trend, as a study by IAB on video ad spends elaborates. As per the study, which interviewed over 300 brand marketers, “More than two-thirds (68%) of marketers and agency executives expect to see their digital video ad budgets increase in the next 12 months.” Other pertinent observations from the study include, “Steady increase over last 3 years in the share of digital video budgets dedicated to original digital programming” and a future where the divide between traditional TV ads and online video production will disappear, “Most advertisers agree that original digital video programming will become as important as TV within 5 years.”

Clearly, video-based content marketing is taking the internet by storm, and not just on traditional video portals like YouTube, Vines and Vimeo, but a variety of social media outlets that support the format. This includes the likes of Instagram, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and Snapchat among others, all of which are being populated by video content.

Content at the epicenter of digital video marketing

The way videos are created and presented also has to change along with the medium, and it has. There is now a marked distinction between ‘branded video content’ – content created specifically for the web, and ‘video ads’ or traditional video advertisements that appear on television. It is no longer enough for marketing content to just espouse the qualities of the product or the brand. Brands have to become storytellers these days, create engaging, emotional, exciting content that goes beyond the surface and connects with the viewership on a deeper level.

Take the top 10 trending ads from 2015 for example, a list published by YouTube every year on what ads were the most viewed in the past calendar year. You might recognize some of them. The most popular one was the epic Liam Neeson starring Clash of Clans ad, quickly followed by Hyundai’s adorable Message to Space. Other highlights include the Boom Beach animated ad, a vivid example of how a product is explained through the means of a gripping narrative. Then there’s the gripping Adidas #Unfollow ad starring footballing legend Lionel Messi, shot completely from a fan perspective and full of memes and internet pop culture. Then there is the empowering Always #LikeAGirl campaign that won some many hearts.

One common thing you will notice in all these ads is that not one of them talks about any product. The ads are about the emotion, the ethos, the message. These ads tell you that the brand cares about more than just preaching its own virtues. Instead, these brands use a strong emotional impulse to connect with the viewer, like Hyundai drawing inspiration from its customers and helping them out, or Liam Neeson’s ‘Taken’-esque monologue on revenge. Adidas’ effort to idolize but not imitate your heroes, and of course, Always’ endeavor to help young women get over societal prejudices and achieve their dreams. This is the essence of branded video content.

If you are looking for something more current, then the BBC’s excellent animated Rio Olympics 2016 introductory video is a must watch. It has been making waves on social media of late, and has already garnered over a million hits since it was first published.

Increasing investment in video marketing

Since it is clear that internet-based video marketing is the biggest growing advertisement stream, one with its own language and specific needs and approaches, the question still remains – are corporates investing enough in video marketing? Well, according to a study by the Content Marketing Association (CMA), there is a clear upward movement in this area, as this Campaign article explains. Here is an excerpt from the report:

“The CMA’s Video Content for Engagement study found that 58 per cent of senior level marketers are planning on increasing the proportion of marketing budgets spent on video content in the next 12 months.”

“Currently, on average, 78 per cent of content marketers spend less than a quarter of their budgets on video content. The survey showed that 71 per cent believe that brands are not investing enough in the medium.”

“Over half of those surveyed cited mobile as their primary channel for branded video content, while a third said mobile is the biggest growth area for video, followed by social media at 29 per cent and short-form content at 24 per cent.”

Clearly then, one of the top priorities for content marketers is video content. As a brand, are you looking to take your consumer engagement to the next level with video content? Toolbox Studio can help. Find out how our team can help you create rich video content that keeps ‘the message’ front and center, and can drive your brand recognition numbers up through quality digital videos. Contact us today!

August 23, 2016
Viral Video Brand Marketing – What Makes It So Effective?
Lately the marketing campaign trends have shifted from posters, slogans and TV adverts to brand marketing videos that are basically posted on social media. The reason for this shift is obvious. People spend a lot of time on social media, on their phones and tablets all day. I mean seriously, when was the last time a millennial read a newspaper? Everything is online now. Even television is slowly becoming obsolete. Why pay for cable when you can stream movies and TV shows online for free? And that too, without the annoying commercial breaks!

But let’s get back to the effectiveness of branding through video marketing strategies. For obvious reasons I do not want to argue against the effectiveness of these videos. But if we want to use them to our benefit, it really helps to understand what makes them so effective. First off, the video will only be effective if it goes viral. Viral video marketing plays a key role in boosting brand visibility and engagement.But what makes these videos so effective in advertising? Let’s find out!
1. TV Commercial Vs. Viral Marketing Video
The difference between a TV commercial and a brand marketing video is that the latter is usually longer in duration, extending up to 3 to 4 minutes. These videos often tell a story, follow video marketing strategies and sometimes use their brand name and products to provide solutions or create awareness about a popular social cause.

TV commercials on the other hand are made purely with the agenda of promoting the product and making it look good no matter how fake the premise may be. They also have slogans that make claims that sound great, (like “instant whiteness”) but aren’t necessarily true. So when you set out to make a video, make it with the agenda of entertaining your audience instead of blatant, obvious brand promoting. Staying aligned with digital marketing trends ensures your content remains relevant and impactful.
1. Public Reach
There are over 6.88 billion cell phones¹ in use in the world today. That means at any given time, 6.88 billion people have potential access to material on the internet. Furthermore, a study published on plos.org shows that the average young adult spends approximately one third of his waking life in front of a screen. This may not be the best news for the health of our youth but the point is that people spend a lot of time on their phones, laptops and tablets.

This makes digital marketing trends a great way for brands to advertise and make their presence known. Being able to access 6.88 billion people with the click of a button is something short of a miracle. Still wondering why brands are using viral videos for marketing? It’s a bit of a no-brainer.
1. Views and Shares
With online branded videos, not only are you able to reach a huge demographic, but you can also effortlessly rely on a lot of viewers to share and re-post your videos, making viral video marketing an effective way to expand your reach

Furthermore, nowadays, with social media, especially Facebook, even if a viewer doesn’t share the video, it still appears on their feed, increasing visibility. This aligns with modern video marketing strategies and digital marketing trends, ensuring broader audience engagement with minimal effort.
1. Content – The Message
It isn’t just the medium that is working wonders for video marketing. It also has a lot to do with the content and theme of the videos. As mentioned earlier, the content in these videos is a lot better planned than say, a TV commercial.

In marketing video production there is almost always a theme that is followed across all videos that the brand makes. For example, when you think Red Bull, you automatically think extreme sports, but not everyone who drinks Red Bull is into extreme sports. Or, when you think Coca Cola, you think friendship. The brand itself gets associated that particular idea.

Furthermore, one of the key video marketing strategies today is to tackle a social issue or support a cause, which really seems to be working great on social media.

For instance, the video marketing team at Proctor & Gamble (a company that makes feminine hygiene products and cosmetics among other things) has been making adverts dealing with the theme “woman empowerment” for years. Their latest video “Like a Girl” went viral because it spread a very strong message how women should be revered for their strength and beauty instead of being viewed as weak and powerless. The video deals with the connotation of the phrase “like a girl” and deals with how the phrase is used as an insult. The video has over 62.1 million views on YouTube today.

In all honesty, brands like Coca Cola, Red Bull, Samsung, Apple, etc. are popular enough without advertising mainly because they have been around for a while and have built a name for themselves. But for new up-and-coming brands it is worth considering and investing in a viral video marketing strategy for the soul reason that you have easy access to a very large audience.

Looking for an innovative video production company? You have come to the right place!

Resources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use
August 1, 2016
7 of the Most Viral Branded Videos of 2015 & 2016
What does it take to make a video go viral? Honestly, it is a combination of many different things. There is no fixed rule or list of things that is guaranteed to make your video go viral. It is completely possible for a well-thought-out, brilliantly-directed branded video, produced by an incredibly expensive video production company to get less views than a random video of a cat sneezing. It all depends on who your audience is.

Knowing your demographic, their likes and dislikes, their culture, their social inclinations, etc. can really give you an edge when making a good video, such as a branded video. It can seriously up your chances of making a viral video. But again, it is not a guaranteed cheat that allows you to win the game every time.

To better understand how videos spread and, more importantly, why they are shared or viewed, let’s examine seven of the most viral brand videos of the past two years.

Dillan’s Voice: Apple

A little over three months ago, Apple made a video featuring one of their tablets. The branded video has already had over 4 million views in three months.

The viral brand video is about an Autistic boy who finds it challenging to verbalize his thoughts, needs and emotions. Because of his disability, he is viewed differently by people around him. They don’t understand his challenges and are hence apathetic towards him.

Eventually, he (Dillan) uses the tablet’s “Speak” option to communicate with the people around him. The video ends with him giving his class graduation speech. Dillan narrates the entire video, which enhances its impact tenfold.

They did a good job pulling on the viewer’s heartstrings with this one. What we most appreciated about this video is that it isn’t all “up in your face” with the product. The tablet is mostly in the background, while the video attempts to create awareness and provide a helpful solution.

Coca Cola: Friendly Twist

It is no secret that Coca-Cola makes viral brand videos pretty well. This is probably because their video production team really knows their demographic and it helps that they have been around for ages! Most of their videos target teenagers and young adults.

This branded video is about making friends on the first day of college when everything is awkward and no one knows anyone.

The video is relatable to a huge percentage of the world’s population, which is why it was viewed and shared all over 9.8 million times on social media.. Another reason why this video went viral could be that they designed a whole new bottle just for this ad campaign. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely worth a watch.

Although this viral branded video was made in 2014, but it really is one of Coca Cola’s best, and definitely deserves to be on this list.

Red Bull: The Athlete Machine

This viral brand video is probably one of the most famous branded videos and is definitely the ultimate video for any stunt-crazed sports junkies out there.

It is basically a series of really cool stunts set up in a chain reaction obstacle course-type arrangement where only the completion of the previous stunt can begin the next one. The stunts feature everything from sky diving, to skateboard stunts, bicycles, motorcycles and even a race car. The video ends with the last stunt setting off an arrangement that breaks a block of ice inside which there is a frozen can of Red Bull.

This viral brand video’s sheer intensity is what probably made it go viral. It literally has you at the edge of your seat the entire time, s0 it is no wonder that it has over 25.6 million views on YouTube today.

Durex #Connect

Yes, Durex, the condom company. And no, this video is not inappropriate, and it has nothing to do with sex. However, it sends a powerful social message to people who allow entirely technology to take over their lives.

The viral brand video is a series of interviews conducted by a therapist that features various couples talking about how big a part technology plays in their daily lives. After realizing that most couples value their devices more than their partner, the therapist suggests that they use their phones and tablets to enhance the time they spend together in the bedroom. How? Watch the video to find out!

Surprisingly, condoms are not featured in this video, yet they have reached 37.6 million views!

Proctor & Gamble: Like A Girl

This video, a series of interviews conducted on girls and women of different ages, tackles the issue of the derogatory connotation of the phrase “like a girl.” For instance “don’t throw like a girl” or “he runs like a girl.” Instead of portraying strength and confidence, the phrase is immediately associated with weakness and lack of skill – immensely offensive, in our opinion.

What’s really sad is that even women have subconsciously begun to use the phrase as an insult. However, the video tastefully tackles this issue and slowly throws light on how the phrase can be spun into a compliment. This video has received over 62.1 million views since it was posted in June 2014.

Yet another video with a social message! Social messages seem to be the trend with viral videos today. Take a hint!

Hyundai: A Message to Space

This is another one that will pull at your heart strings. The video is about a girl, Stephanie, whose father is an engineer on a satellite in space and does not get to meet his family for long stretches of time.

With a little help from Hyundai, the daughter writes a message on the ground, large enough for her dad to see from space. It definitely has the “cool” element but mostly, it’s a sweet father-daughter love theme that is bound to get at least 4 out of 5 viewers to share the video.

With over 77.4 million, this video is definitely one of the most viewed brand commercials of the past 2 years.

Volvo Trucks: The Epic Split

If you haven’t seen this one, the only thing we’re going to tell you is that it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, it is the coolest video on YouTube, and it most certainly deserves way more than 83.9 million views. So go watch it now!

Most people don’t like Enya but this video’s soundtrack creates a beautiful contrast to the intensity of what is actually happening. Yes, the video is real and has not been tampered with.

And that concludes our 7 viral brand videos. As you can see, all the videos are entirely different in style, theme, and agenda. The bottom line is you have to create an entertaining video. If you’re out to sell, chances are your video won’t make it. Also, as we have seen, picking a social cause will do wonders for your video.

Contact us to know how we, at Toolbox Studio, can craft a brand video for your brand – a video that has all the essential ingredients that could make it (and your brand) go viral!
August 1, 2016