The transition from the pandemic to a post-pandemic normal has been anything but smooth. After the challenge of managing remote or hybrid workforces, business owners and managers are now tasked with deciding who should be returning to the office and who can remain remote.
Marketing teams in particular are a prime candidate for continuing to w************* since so much of what they do can be accomplished over the internet using project-management software and communication platforms. As a result, many companies are choosing to keep their marketing teams working from home.
Thanks to the changing online communication dynamic over the course of the pandemic, digital marketing has exploded as business leaders have finally begun to join audiences interacting online through social media. In order to take advantage of these new digital interactions, leaders are working to develop a post-pandemic video strategy. Thanks to a host of new digital tools, companies can produce high-quality, engaging video campaigns directly from their employees’ home offices.
Video can be extremely effective in creating a sense of culture and brand identity that for many companies was lacking during the lockdown. So not only are videos easy to produce no matter where employees are, but the videos themselves can help to restore some sense of normalcy for both employees and customers.
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Home, Alone
The pandemic has forced more people online, many of whom were previously only casual or occasional visitors. This is particularly true of older age groups. While younger generations had already largely adapted to the online world, now older groups are getting digital as well. Grandmas are starting to download TikTok and other platforms that have traditionally been the province of the younger generation. And many companies are starting to take notice – online video is grabbing everyone’s attention.
After more than two years of interacting almost exclusively through online channels, consumers of all ages have grown accustomed to interacting socially, making purchases, and engaging with marketing messages through their computer screens. These more digitally adept audiences often prefer a longer and less intrusive discovery process when they enter upon a buying journey.
Video content can help marketers appeal to these choosy consumers at almost any point in the buying process, but particularly at the discovery phase. To introduce consumers to products and services, content makers should use video content like a movie trailer, from teasing consumers with tantalizing tidbits to giving them a chance to take a deeper dive. And marketers can accomplish all this without intruding on the customer’s desire for self-education and for anonymity.
Marketers and salespeople have also become accustomed to promoting and selling from the comfort of their own homes.
According to Bloomberg, almost 40% of employees would consider quitting their jobs if they were forced back into their offices. And when it comes to creating video content, marketers are finding it easier to manage the new work/life balance because, again, video content can be created from anywhere.
New Tools for your Video Strategy
The rise of smartphone video-editing software has, in particular, helped to democratize video editing, making it accessible to everyone. Not only do marketers not need expensive editing software, they really don’t even need a computer. There are tons of examples of TIkTok creators who have millions of followers, all from shooting and editing their content directly on their phones. While it may be an exaggeration to say these new digital tools have made physical offices obsolete, they have certainly made marketing from home a whole lot easier.
Again, videos can be really effective in moving customers further along the sales cycle. The best way to do this is to create quality video content that nudges audiences along by piquing their curiosity. To do this, it’s best to take advantage of the full range of capabilities that these new video production platforms provide.
The most engaging videos do more than just put a lens in front of a speaker. Adding multimedia effects like music, animation, and infographics can greatly improve the consumer experience and promote greater conversion and retention. For more professionally branded video content, businesses can also look at leveraging remote-only video production firms.
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Authentic Messaging
As you plan your video strategy, keep in mind that consumers generally want to be informed and entertained and not aggressively sold to. As one marketing expert put it, you should “aim to produce honest content that doesn’t try so hard to sell anything besides brand awareness and likeability.” Building likeability and brand awareness among audiences depend on connecting to online communities, and on social media in particular.
Giving consumers the ability to comment, ask questions, and engage with your videos is especially important. A great example is holding a live AMA (Ask Me Anything), which allows consumers to ask questions and interact with other consumers on a livestream video.
Keep in mind that, during the pandemic, much of the messaging that people were receiving online came in the form of a lecture, maybe from the CDC or from a local health authority. And people are sick of being lectured to. Focus on creating video content that provides info in an engaging way. Maybe even let consumers create their own content as they engage with your brand. That’s a lot easier than guessing what they might like.
Reaching consumers is not a 9-to-5 job. A lot of online traffic happens outside of working hours. That’s an opportunity to give some of your work-at-home staffers some scheduling flexibility. Some might be free during the daytime, but then punch in at night to interact with your customers, or whenever they’re most likely to be online.
The pandemic has given us a chance to rethink the way we work, almost from the ground up. Marketers can take advantage of this by using remote work arrangements to enable their staff to create the marketing content that the company needs and to give consumers the brand experience that they deserve.
[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]
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