There exists two main ways in which businesses generate sales online: adverts, or by appealing and engaging with an already established consumer base. Which method is better is up for debate; ads are a tried and tested marketing strategy but having a dialled in customer base can reap endless rewards over a longer period of time. For small businesses, applying just one of these methods can be a big ask because let’s face it, not everyone has hundreds of thousands of followers or hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on an ad campaign.
We believe that a combination of the two approaches is a perfect way to generate mass sales and in turn, bring in the revenue that is going to take your company to the next level. With more and more competition taking up space online, however, the price of online marketing ads has skyrocketed in recent years, pricing out the smaller business. Although it can be difficult, building an audience who knows, like and trust you is ever-more important in today’s age, and quality video content could be the key to achieving this goal.
The only real way to develop an audience of attentive and engaged customers is through organic growth. Organic growth comes from a variety of things; B2B referrals, consistent profits, and marketing campaigns to name a few. But one of the most effective ways to grow an organization is often neglected by business owners, and this is the art of sharing valuable and engaging content.
Sharing high-quality content brings you and your audience closer. It develops a relationship and allows them to see your brand in a more honest and personable manner which helps them to trust you as a company. Nowadays, employing this method is crucial, and if you haven’t already then you need to start soon as 84% of people now expect brands to create content and 88% of B2B marketers believe that online content helps potential customers view their organization as a credible source.
More specifically, video has been proven to be the most effective form of online content when used as a marketing and promotional tool. The reason why is that compared to text or images, video is far more entertaining; and when something is entertaining, viewers are more likely to click that ‘like’ or ‘share’ button. According to Forbes, videos are shared 1,200% more than text and links combined. This quite frankly staggering number just goes to show how attractive video content can really accelerate organic growth, as people will like what they see and share it with their friends, helping you control your brand image and simultaneously grow as a business.
One of the only downsides to this approach is that it can sometimes take a while and requires a long-term commitment. Now there’s no question that all business owners are committed, but sometimes you need a little kick in the right direction when it comes to expanding. This is where advertisements come into play. Combined with natural growth, paid ads can really help generate sales as they allow you to target specific demographics and provide much faster visibility.
However, focus on ads too much and you could leave yourself in big trouble. The most obvious issue is the excessive costs incurred with most advertising campaigns, which for most small-sized companies isn’t a viable long-term option. But another hidden problem with adverts is that you can’t fully guarantee that the people you are appealing to will actually see your ad.
Did you know that 70-80% of users ignore sponsored ads online and can on some occasions actually start to distrust the companies promoting through these ads? Think about it, how many times have you been scrolling through your Instagram story and an ad has popped up that you immediately swipe past, paying no attention to what it is selling? This happens to us daily and with the world spending so much of its time online nowadays, consumers are completely desensitized to corporate advertising that is thrust upon them without any warning.
That’s why we believe that having an attentive and loyal following on social media is crucial. Having this consumer base locked into everything you are doing means that they aren’t going to swipe past you on their social feeds. As a result, you waste no time or money on content posts and marketing campaigns that only a handful of people actually see.
Considering all these benefits, what have you got to lose? With competition at an all-time high and a huge target market eagerly waiting for you online, there has never been a better moment to start getting your branded content out there in the form of video.
If you have any questions on how to start your content strategy, please get in touch with us! We’d be happy to help
