Readers, users and potential customers have access to content 24 hours a day.
How do you truly engage with them?
Thanks to digital marketing it is easier than ever to reach out to your target audience. Almost every demographic spends hours a day on social media and online, meaning it is easy to get in front of the right people based on their interests.The issue that so many brands struggle with is not just how to get in front of users, but how to be sure to get them curious enough to hold on to their attention. This is a huge challenge as consumers come across hundreds of marketing messages as they go about their day.
Using video to get ahead
In 2016, Facebook updated its algorithm to favour video, giving priority to this medium over static pictures or lines of text. According to website Entrepreneur, it is much more effective for a content creator to produce a one-minute video instead of 500-word article with the exact same content. The publication explains that video content is on a mind-blowing rise and that it is more engaging because of its ability to involve multiple senses. Indeed, YouTube reports a 100% rise in mobile video consumption every year.
People aren’t just watching video, they’re using it to research purchases. Effectively too – marketing destination Hubspot reports that 64% of users are more likely to purchase a product online after watching a video.
Video for business
Major brands are harnessing the power of video up front and centre, with examples on the Microsoft HoloLens website and the homepage of Alaska Tours.
Popular CRM Zendesk has a homepage video execution, as do clothing brand Uniqlo and portable camera sellers GoPro (which makes sense!).
Beginning a user experience with video makes sense as the medium is a short, intense and engaging way of sharing a brand’s ‘story’.
While homepage videos are modern and compelling, they do lack an essential ingredient – interaction between the product and the user. You can watch a video and enjoy what’s presented to you, but you can’t change the perspective or control the video yourself.
Taking video to the next level!
Thanks to 360 videos it is now possible to put customers directly in the action of a video.
This goes beyond changing perspective and allowing a view from any angle, even though this feature provides a stunning point of difference.
As a marketer, you can now push the effectiveness of your video even further by creating ‘hotspots’. When clicked on by a customer, these spots will take them to different destinations.
You can use a hotspot to direct customers to websites in new browsers, take viewers to specific viewpoints and to allow users to ‘click to buy’. Adding hotspots is something that video editors can do without too much trouble during the post-production process.
A recent execution shows a 360degree view from outside and in the lobby of Sydney’s Governor Macquarie Tower. Included in the video is a hotspot that will take you inside the lobby of the tower. Filmed on behalf of one of Sydney’s largest property companies, this videos is the beginning of the company’s strategy to roll out 360 immersive experiences to clients and partners. The video has the potential for extra layers to be added, providing viewers with information relating to the building on display.
In 2017, more and more businesses will come on board with the power of video.
The most progressive ones will use it as an active rather than a passive way of engaging with their audience.
What kind of business are you running?
To find out more about 360 degree and interactive video, contact us via www.360dgrees.com