Video content should be a staple in your holiday campaign strategy
With the holiday season just around the corner (already!), businesses of all sizes are gearing up for the busiest time of the year. And one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and boost holiday sales – love it or loathe it – is video marketing.
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, incorporating video into your holiday marketing strategy can help drive business growth and increase brand awareness, thanks to its versatility and proven success metrics. It’s become an increasingly popular medium to help businesses stand out in a crowded market, so much so that 92% of video marketers reported to Wyzowl that video gives them a positive ROI – have you embraced it?
In this article, we’ll explore five ways to use video in your holiday marketing, so you can connect with your audience and boost those festive figures.
5 video marketing ideas for a successful holiday season
When it comes to creating video content for the holiday season, the benefits are plentiful. It’s a highly engaging medium that’s easy to share, often leading to increased conversions and improved brand awareness when done right.
But for the cost-conscious, video content doesn’t have to mean high-budget movies (we see you, Coca-Cola) to mean success over the holiday season.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Product videos
Product videos are a great way to showcase your products and services to potential customers, to help viewers understand what they’re buying amidst the holiday chaos. The easier you can make the decision for them, the better, so consider what questions they may have about your product and create a video that answers them.
It doesn’t have to be a detailed production, the rise of Instagram Reels and TikTok means short-form video can be just as effective, like this fun (and very simple) video from Subway.
2. Explainer/tutorial/how-to videos
Explainer videos take product videos to the next level, with more in-depth how-tos on your goods. These are especially successful when paired with relevant influencers, as authentic and real video content is favorable in today’s society.
30.6% of consumers (according to Wyzowl) search for tutorials or how-to videos making it one of the most popular forms of video content. Don’t be afraid to get creative here, animated versions can be equally exciting to watch.
3. UGC and review videos
Another example of authentic content, UGC (user generated content) is gold dust when it comes to building brand loyalty and awareness, holiday season or otherwise.
Partner with relevant influencers in your niche or encourage your customers to share video content with you that you can repurpose* on your own channels. This promotional video from a Starbucks lover is a great example.
4. Motion graphics
Motion graphics can be used to add a touch of excitement and creativity to your video marketing campaigns, and are a great option to mix things up outside of face-to-camera content.
Stop animation can be especially effective for the holiday season, as it offers a touch of magical whimsy to a graphic. This simple holiday social media video from Chewy uses stop animation to showcase its stocking fillers.
Wishing you had a skilled animator on your in-house team? Don’t stress, we’ve got you covered.
5. Live video streaming
Live streaming has boomed in recent years for good reason. It’s an honest, instant way to connect with your audience and customers, making them feel a part of your brand.
What’s best about live video is that it costs next to nothing to do – simply press ‘live’ and you’re off. That being said, executing live streaming well takes careful planning to ensure you remain on-brand at all times.
Live video is especially exciting – for small businesses and huge enterprises alike – if you’re planning on hosting a holiday event. Take your customers behind the scenes to generate engagement and awareness – we can’t help but want to snoop.
Top tips for using video marketing successfully this holiday season
Ready to get to it? These best practices will help you create video content that your audience resonates with.
- Have a goal in mind
What do you want to achieve from your holiday marketing? It could be to increase engagement, build customer relationships, increase your reach or brand awareness, educate your audience… etc. Choose one, stay focused.
- Think about the emotion
The most successful holiday videos contain one vital element: an emotional story. Be it a happy one or a tear-jerker, storytelling is what makes a video enticing to the watcher. As consumers, we love to feel seen and heard, and to be a part of the story. If you can create video marketing content that includes your ideal customer – as Walmart did in their 2020 campaign, ‘More of what matters’ – you’ll be on to a winner.
- Create your assets
Ensure you get the assets you need when you need them by assigning any designers, creatives, copywriters etc. to the job. If time is of the essence and you need design work fast, consider outsourcing to a team of remote designers, (we’ve got a global team of vetted, video-skilled designers on hand if it helps), and make use of the many project management tools available to keep track of it all.
- Optimize for mobile
With 90% of consumers using mobile as their primary way to view content, it’s essential to optimize your holiday marketing videos for mobile viewing. Consider the legibility and accessibility of your content by using captions, optimizing video length for mobile attention spans, and ensuring your videos load quickly even on slower connections.
- Cross-promote (work smarter, not harder)
Social media is a powerful platform for promoting your holiday marketing videos and reaching a wider audience. Make the most out of your campaigns by repurposing your videos across your active social channels, and encouraging viewers to share your videos with enticing CTAs to increase engagement and reach.
- Stay true to brand
Of course, as with any marketing effort, it’s important to stay true to your brand even throughout the festive period. Use your brand identity guidelines or keep a consistent thread (a color, font or logo) visible to ensure your customers have no doubt who’s content they’re viewing.
Boost holiday sales with video marketing
Are you feeling ready for the holiday season? We hope so. Video marketing can be an enjoyable and fruitful way to increase your brand presence throughout the noisy festive period.
If you’re ready to upgrade your video output to create on-brand, high-converting content, get in touch or book a call to see how our skilled design team can be onside in just one day.
No stress, no risk, just flexible, affordable design to get you holiday-ready in a jiffy.
