When to Use Long-Form Video in Your Marketing Strategy
In the race to grab viewers’ short attention spans, it seems like long-form video wouldn’t be a successful marketing tool. What if that’s not always the case? What if instead of brief social ads, your target audiences actually want to hear more from you?
When used correctly, long-form video generates leads and encourages meaningful customer engagement. A long-form video is a video with duration longer than the typical video for its distribution channel. This could be anywhere from 10 minutes to more than half an hour. This longer duration offers you the space to fully tell your story.
Why invest in long-form video? Long-form video allows greater opportunity for forging an emotional connection with the viewer, setting you apart from competitors. Long-form video is also growing in popularity, meaning viewers are used to seeing it more often. Viewers are always searching for content to consume, whether on mobile or desktop. Further, leads that commit to watching a longer video are more interested in your business.
Below are three marketing scenarios where long-form video will help you generate conversions.
Scenario 1: You have a story to tell
All video marketing allows you to tell a story, but having 10 minutes instead of 30 seconds makes a big difference in how fully you can develop that story. With long-form video, you can flex your creative muscles and create a story around your product or service. Maybe you have an interesting customer testimonial that would make for a great documentary or reenactment – how your product connected him with his family, or how your service provided the vacation of a lifetime. Use the stories you collect about your brand to create a captivating video.
Scenario 2: You need to explain a complex idea
Does it take you a long time to explain what your business does? Is that spiel full of technical jargon that causes the listener’s eyes to glaze over? Long-form video allows you to dive deeper into the science or technology powering your business and break down the components. With video, customers can see exactly how something works rather than reading (or likely ignoring) several hundred words of copy on your website.
Even if your product isn’t derived from rocket science, you can still use long-form video to explain the philosophy behind your business. TED Talks are a great example of how you can create a 10-20 minute educational video.
Scenario 3: Your culture is an important marketing point for your brand
There are other companies who do what you do, but your customers love you because of your brand’s ethos. Use long-form video to explain what makes your company so special. Do you make products that give back? Are your services improving the lives of people in your community? Long-form video allows you to highlight both how you’re helping people, and why your employees care about the work they do. Emphasizing your brand’s culture will foster a strong connection with customers who share the same values, giving you an edge over your competition.
If you’re considering adding long-form video to your marketing strategy, say hello!
About Us
Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
