You know that video is the easiest way to engage the modern audience — but how can you convince your boss that it’s the right choice? To do it properly, a video does require an initial investment of both time and money. And that means that you’ll need to be able to show conclusively just how effective it can be.
1. Pull Out the Statistics
Data supports the strength of video media — and statistics are an easy, fast way to convey complicated facts. Through statistics, you can show that video is a growing part of the online landscape. Bewitch the boss with some of the following:
Experts believe that video will take up 69% of consumer internet traffic by 2017. (Hubspot)
Online video advertising is a $5.79 billion dollar industry. (Statista)
81% of all brands now feature video on their corporate website. (Hubspot)
Using a video on a landing page increases conversions by up to 80%. (Codefuel)
78.4% of U.S. Internet users spend their browsing time watching online videos. (Statista)
67% of marketers have found video marketing to be successful while 18% found it to be very successful. (Hubspot)
64% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service after watching a video. (Codefuel)
Video increases email open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%. (Hubspot)
2. Give Them the Raw Numbers
Video generally increases conversion rates by about 20% to 60% on average. Armed with that knowledge, you can project how much money your company will make through investing in video. Odds are that it will entirely eclipse the amount of money that it will take to create new media. Bosses are busy and they need to see the bottom line; remember that every advertising dollar spent in one area is an advertising dollar that isn’t spent in another. By showing your boss that video is absolutely most effective at increasing revenue when compared to other methods of media, you can vastly improve your chances of getting a “yes.”
3. Show Some Engaging Examples
Sometimes you have to see it to believe it. Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness or pitch specific products, showing engaging videos that are similar to the ones that you want to develop will show your boss just how viable video really is. Sometimes it’s all about show, don’t tell, and finding the best examples to prove your point. Your boss will undoubtedly realize that what they feel when they watch these videos is what they want their consumers to feel as well. Consider some of these superb video marketing campaigns:
Thai Life Insurance commercials became an Internet sensation even among English speakers who have never been near Thailand. These commercials show how video can evoke emotions effectively in just a few minutes. (Thai Life Insurance)
Facebook’s four-part series regarding site functionality gained a life of its own, as a clever, quippy way to explain some basic services to its customer base. A perfect blend between customer documentation and brand awareness. (Facebook)
Is someone’s birthday on your mind? Posted by Facebook on Monday, September 7, 2015
4. Go In With a Game Plan
A jump directly into video can seem a little daunting, especially if your business hasn’t dabbled in it beforehand. As with most things in life, a plan helps. Educate yourself on the different types of video and the budgets that you’ll need for each, while outlining the aspects of video that will be most critical for your company. Does your company need to achieve multi-office outreach and a cohesive company culture? Or are you more concerned about brand awareness, customer support, and developing your content marketing? The more you have planned out in your pitch, the more comfortable your supervisors will feel regarding the idea.
5. Prepare Yourself for Q&A
As your presentation dies down, it’s likely that your boss will have a contemplative look on their face. That’s when the real work will start. Managers generally have very similar questions and concerns regarding the adoption of video media, and being able to answer these questions in a thorough, complete way will go a long way towards gaining their confidence (and getting you your new video budget).Won’t it be too expensive? It’s true that video is generally more expensive to create than other types of media, but it also has far greater returns. As far as marketing bang-for-the-buck goes, video is the best way to leverage a budget for larger returns. And all video marketing is not necessarily very expensive. There are many ways that video marketing can be made to be affordable even on lean budgets.
How will we organize this? Who will we hire, and who will write the script? Many of the technical details regarding video can seem daunting. Your supervisor’s mind will undoubtedly be going to areas such as hiring cast members, writing screenplays, and renting equipment. Assure them that they don’t need to worry. All-in-one video production companies will handle the actual development of the video from start-to-finish.
Do we really need this? Sometimes the status quo is simply comfortable, and if your marketing team is already doing fairly well, your boss may not see the need for marketing. At this point, it’s a good time to point out that all major brands and most small-to-midsize businesses are using video marketing. They wouldn’t be investing in it if it wasn’t a wise decision.
Won’t it take a long time? There’s always some hesitants in investing in something that may not yield actionable results. But video marketing doesn’t take a long time to develop if the proper video production company is hired. Moreover, the results can occur as quickly as the videos are viewed.
From educating to entertaining (and all realms in between), video is proven to be the most exciting and engaging form of media. People just learn better, relate better, and respond better to video. Though convincing your company’s management that video is necessary may be a challenge, they will undoubtedly begin seeing the returns once they commit. Eventually, it may be hard to imagine a comprehensive marketing campaign without video media. Article by Joe Forte, co-owner and producer at D-Mak Productions, an Arizona video production company specializing in high end video production projects of all kinds.