VIDEO MARKETING: 9 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR FILM ONLINE

So, you’ve completed your film and you're now ready to share it with the world. But the question is:

How do I promote my film and make sure people will see it?

Answering this question is the important first step in creating your marketing video strategy and knowing when, where and how to share your promotional videos is essential in maximising the film's exposure. 

Generally, most of you will have commissioned a film to fit within a particular marketing campaign and as such there will be a need to encourage potential customers to your website, often hosting the main film in a longer format on your website and using a shorter social media version to drive traffic to the website. 

But how do we ensure the film will be seen and catch the attention of these unaware and unsuspecting customers?  

Following the below steps will help you maximise your film and your brand's exposure.   

1. DIRECT UPLOAD OR LINK SHARING?

9 times out of 10 it is always better to share your film directly through the platform you are choosing. If you’re using Facebook then upload directly to Facebook. This can be a time-consuming exercise if you are wanting to use all social media platforms but in doing this increases the chances of your film being seen. 

Native (direct uploads) videos get 478% more shares on Facebook than videos from other sources. 

Each platform priorities itself over another. For example, if you were to share a YouTube link on Facebook then your potential customer will only see a thumbnail and will need to clink a thumbnail before the film plays or in some cases the link sends your potential customer to YouTube and away from your preferred sales funnel. Whereas, if you uploaded your film directly then as soon as the potential customers scrolls over the video; the video will play automatically.

Furthermore, in doing this each platform will be able to offer you better analytic insight into the performance and reach… great way to better understand your ROI. 

2. ADD SUBTITLES TO YOUR FILM

There are 2 main reasons why subtitles are essential for your film…

1) in doing this ensures that your film is accessible to all while you can also pay for the subtitles to be translated into different languages … increasing its reach.

85% of Facebook video is watched without sound

2) As of 2020 almost all social media platforms auto-play videos in silent mode and there is a large section of users who prefer this as they often use their mobile devices in public spaces. therefore subtitling for your film is essential or else your message will literally be lost. 

3. CREATE AN APPEALING THUMBNAIL

Think about it, when you’re searching on Google or YouTube, what’s the first thing you see before you select which video to play? You see the video thumbnail. This is the first impression your customer has of your film and your brand and are a top factor in driving peoples eyes. 

Pairing this amazing piece of content with an attractive and eye-catching thumbnail will spark your viewers´ interest in that content, and it will have a direct impact on your conversion rates.

Here are a few tips:

• Use a short title in the thumbnail – showing an image can be challenging as it doesn’t always indicate what your video is about therefore use a short title – remember movie posters always use their film names .. there’s a reason for it. 

• People buy from people so its often good to use a close-up of a person's face accompanied by the title of the film

• Adjust the contrast and brightness of the image and try to make the image as simple as possible and easy to understand.

• Make sure the image is still clear and eye-catching even in smaller sizes.

• Use bright backgrounds so that your marketing video stands out from others. 

4. USE CUSTOM FILM ORIENTATIONS

91% of all social media users access social channels via mobile devices, which means that this large section of society are viewing their content in a vertical frame.

Mobile ad platform MediaBrix found that vertical videos see a 90% higher completion rate compared to horizontal videos

As filmmakers we believe in the landscape format as that’s the way we go to the cinema. However, in order to disrupt and capture the attention of your unsuspecting customer, changing the video to square or vertical will use up more of the mobile real estate and increase the chances of the film being seen. 

5. VIMEO OR YOUTUBE?

YouTube is the most popular video hosting platform in the world and the second most used search engine online. Therefore your videos NEED to be on YouTube. Furthermore, YouTube is also great for having your content appear in Google search, as Google owns YouTube.

The downside is that YouTube has a million ads that can be distracting but if you ensure that you have optimised the title, description and keywords correctly you could build traffic from YouTube as opposed to Google or website. 

A lot of clients will use Vimeo Pro for hosting on their website as you can customise the player and there are no distracting ads, making the viewing experience seem a lot more professional. However, that does come with an extra cost. 

So if there is a choice then it’s either YouTube or YouTube and Vimeo. 

6. VIDEO ON A LANDING PAGE OR HOME PAGE?

Now that you’ve captured your customers attention by following the steps above it is important that the video post links to your website, whether that be a specific landing page or your home page, and on that page you host your film.

Using videos on landing pages can increase conversions by 86%

This is your opportunity to share the full experience and explain who you are to your customer as they have already decided that they’re interested in your offer (or else they wouldn’t be there). Hosting your longer form video is the perfect way to capture their attention and allow them to better understand who you are and what you’re offering.

7. LONG FORM OR SHORT FORM VIDEO?

Facebook favours longer videos in their newsfeed algorithm. This is important as Facebook is shifting to better service its customers with the most relevant content to the viewer. So its all about quality as opposed to quick, click bait tricks. 

Furthermore, if you’re obsessed with making a video that is short because you're concerned about the attention span of your potential viewer then you’ve misunderstood your viewer.

Think about it, regardless of length, would you watch a cat video if you were a devoted dog lover and therefore on the other hand, if you saw a 10 minute film about your favourite dog breed – you would watch it (or at least some of it)? It is important to capture the viewer's attention within the first 30 seconds and pay the viewer back for getting this far. Doing this increases the likelihood they will watch it through to the end. 

That being said … it’s worth experimenting and tracking the results when comparing the performance of your vertical films with the longer form traditional landscape film.

Remember, each audience is different and prefer different things … there is no one size fits all solution.

Read about the Differences Between Short and Long Form Video.

8. VIDEO IN YOUR EMAIL MARKETING STRATEGY

Using video in your email marketing strategy has increased in many years resulting in increased drive clicks. Moreover, using the word video in the email subject line increases open rates by 19% and click through rates by 65% and reduces unsubscribes by 26% according to Syndacast.

Including a video in the actual body of an email can increase click-through rates by 96%, according to a survey by GetResponse. 

This form of engagement surely must be enticing? 

Furthermore, using Gifs are the perfect way to inject some energy in your email and capture the attention of your customers. in creating a series of Gifs and placing them in your email gives the viewer the opportunity to get a glimpse of what your video is about or what your trying to communicate and in turn starts to develop your customer relationship. 

Remember first impressions count. 

9. ANIMATING YOUR LOGO

Animating your logo will grab your viewers’ attention, they want instant gratification and arguably hold their attention for longer. Simply put, an animated logo makes your business look more professional as its clear that you’ve spent the time and money to make it and also consider that your viewer has been inundated with animated logos from the TV and movie industry for decades.

Furthermore this is your opportunity to help shape your brand image even further. Firstly, you have a film and that puts you ahead of the game but those initial first seconds of the film can have a stark impact on how the customer values your brand. Animated logos are both more memorable and more recognisable to consumers than static logos.