There is no doubt that video can be a highly effective marketing tool. Perhaps that’s part of the reason it is becoming so prevalent on the World Wide Web. Small businesses have been slow to embrace videos on their websites and in their marketing messages, but even the most stalwart opposition is coming around in light of the overwhelming evidence that says video is the way to go.

In fact, the 2013 Video Marketing Survey & Business Video Trends Report by reelseo.com reveals the following about video and marketing online:

  • 93 percent of marketers are using video in their campaigns
  • 84 percent of marketers use video in their website marketing
  • 82 percent of marketers have confirmed that videos are having a positive impact on their businesses
  • 60 percent of marketers are using videos for email marketing

Numbers like this indicate that video is so much more than a brief trend in marketing. To go even further, many businesses are not only beginning to optimize their videos for search engines, but they are also investing more heavily in video, leading to increases in quality, greater production value, and even creating targeted scripted messages.

How to Do Your Marketing Videos Right

Some people make the mistake of believing it’s all about the message when creating a video. The truth is, that it is all about getting the right message to the right people in the right way. While these tips won’t fix all the potential problem spots in video marketing, they will help you get your video marketing off on the right foot.

  • Focus on a single message. Otherwise, you risk your message getting lost. Or worse, you might give your audience information overload.
  • Keep your videos short. The Internet audience, in general, has a short attention span. Videos should ideally be between 60 and 90 seconds long. They should not go over 120 seconds.
  • Deliver a specific call to action. You have to let your audience know what you want them to do and how to do it. Give them instructions that are clear and specific, like “call # to schedule an appointment,” “drop by our location at …,” “visit our website,” or “buy here now!”
  • Optimize videos for search engines. They don’t call it the World Wide Web for nothing. There’s a world’s worth of information on the Internet. You have to give the search engines what they need to locate your videos. Only then will they index those videos to share with their audiences.
  • Invest in high quality production. There are many poorly made videos on the Internet that are ignored, skipped, and overlooked. Don’t let that be your legacy. Invest in quality, both in your content, and in the production.

Video can be instrumental in driving sales for your business, but only if you go about creating and sharing your videos in the right way. These tips will get you off to a great start.