Given the explosion of video content over the last few years, we could always count on one site to stick with simple text: Twitter. Those days are gone, thanks to recent beta testing on the site’s new Promoted Video tool.
People were already using Twitter to share links to promotional videos with prospects and customers. However, it was still losing engagement because people had to leave the site in order to watch these videos. Promoted Video solves this issue, keeping video viewers on Twitter in the process. This makes it a good tool to add to your video marketing arsenal.
Why Use Promoted Video?
Twitter was already starting to compete with rival sites like Facebook when it launched Amplify, and it was seeing great results. Promoted Videos offers those same video-publishing capabilities, only with more control and tools to measure effectiveness.
Right now, Promoted Video is in beta launch, so you can only use it by contacting your account rep for permission. Once you make that call, you’ll get more traction out of your Twitter campaigns, including:
- Immediate Reach: If Surgimedics were to promote their newest smoke evacuators, they would want people to see the accompanying video right away. This was possible on sites that offered embedded videos, but not Twitter. Now, with Promoted Video, followers can view your videos without having to leave the site. This is especially useful for people who watch videos on their mobile devices.
- More Effective Accounting: Promoted Video works on a cost-per-view model, so you only have to pay for the number of views the video actually gets, not the number of potential viewers. Plus, video-analytics tools help you break down the effectiveness of each video, from percentage of video viewed to organic vs. paid campaigns.
- An Integrated User Experience: Twitter has always been a popular forum for sharing headlines and commenting on real-time events. Just as Amplify made it possible to interact with other tweeters during live events, Promoted Video makes it possible to share videos, invite comments from your followers, and offer your two cents, all on one site.
How Can You Use It?
Since Promoted Video is still in its infancy, there aren’t any examples of successful campaigns. However, you can draw plenty of inspiration from what’s worked on other sites. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Straight Commercials: It’s not uncommon to see the same commercial on network TV and on YouTube. Promoted Video lets you put it on Twitter, as well. Whether you shot an ad for your local station or you’re running a national campaign, posting the video on Twitter puts it in front of your most likely prospects.
- User Guides: Some people prefer a how-to video over an instruction manual. Others like to help their social networks troubleshoot particularly difficult problems. A well-produced video is great for both purposes. A video that shows users how to assemble or operate a product not only helps to promote that product, but it also helps customer-service reps respond quickly to tweeted questions and complaints.
- News Stories: Did a local news channel recently run a story about your business? Did you attend a conference or other event that got some press? If there’s any video of it, use Promoted Video to share it with your followers. Devote a few characters to a description of the event, and be sure to add hashtags that connect to any other organizations involved.
Twitter has helped many businesses successfully share links to videos. Now, it’s a great place to publish them. Add Promoted Video to your channel mix and turn your Twitter feed into a hot new video platform.
Photo: Mr. Tin DC