Neil Patel is famous for his pieces on growing businesses through an increase in web traffic and engagement. He has been featured in numerous media publications explaining how an everyday marketer can make their brand stand out from the rest.
We spoke to Neil about how video played a role in his marketing efforts, and while he hasn’t used video as much as he wants to, he made it clear that video should utilize storytelling methods and stay short and to the point.
Read our full Q&A session with Neil Patel below.
1) What role does online video play in your marketing efforts?
I haven’t really done as much as I should with video. I am planning to make a push in the coming months. The only business of mine that we use videos on is Crazy Egg and it is an explainer video. It helps drive signups as we use that video as a YouTube ad.
2) How do you utilize online video in a way that separates you from other marketing influencers?
We use it to explain complicated processes or products. It works well and although marketers know about this, most are too lazy to create videos.
3) In your experience, how important is online video in the overall online marketing space?
I think it’s an integral part that should be utilized in the best way possible. Visual mediums do really well when they provide value — such as educational videos.
4) How does the effectiveness of a video compare to that of visual graphic online? (social media, websites, emails, etc.)
Video gives the impression that something is in real time. The emotional connection can be strengthened when your medium allows you to feel like it’s in the same room as you. This connection in the long run helps improve word of mouth marketing as well as your conversion rates.
5) If you were to provide your clients a top tip for integrating video into their online marketing strategy what would be your recommendation?
Make sure your video is short and to the point. Just because a video is easy to watch, it doesn’t mean people will. The shorter your video and through the use of storytelling, you can get people to watch your whole video versus just a few seconds.
6) On which social media platform do you find that videos get the most engagement?
I find that YouTube and Facebook can drive the best traffic. A lot of ads on both mediums are video based and have done tremendously well for brands. It’s all about experimenting to see which channel provides the best results.
7) What is the biggest mistake brands are making when it comes to using video?
Rushing into it. You should script it out and treat it like an ad one would put together for television. You only get a few shots to make an impression before your audience tunes you out so make every action count.
8) How do you think online video has already affected the marketing industry and what future changes do you anticipate in the next 5-10 years
Videos made educational content more easy to digest, which changed how people market themselves. These days companies are educating before they start to sell…
Videos convert extremely well at the moment on Facebook and YouTube ads… in the future people will get used them and you will see the conversion rates drop a bit. You’ll also see them become more expensive.
